Government & courts
How do I mail documents to a court?
Updated · By the SendMyLettersOnline team
Check the court's own rules before you mail anything: many courts require or allow e-filing, some accept filings by mail, and most charge filing fees and need signed originals. If mail is allowed, send your papers to the clerk's mailing address from the court's official website with a cover letter listing the case number, and use Certified Mail so you can show when you sent them; in federal court a paper is generally filed when the clerk receives it, not when you mail it.
| Method | When it fits | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| E-filing | Required for lawyers in most federal courts; available to self-represented parties in many courts | Electronic filing receipt |
| Mail to the clerk | Allowed by many state and federal courts, especially for self-represented parties | Certified Mail tracking and return receipt |
| In person at the clerk's window | Deadline today, fees in cash or check, originals | File-stamped copy |
| Letters and copies (not formal filings) | Correspondence with the clerk, copies for your records | Certified Mail record |
Before you mail
- Find the court's official website (federal courts: uscourts.gov court locator) and its self-help or clerk's office page.
- Confirm whether the filing must be e-filed, whether a fee is due and how it can be paid, and whether a signed original is required.
- Ask whether the clerk returns a stamped copy by mail, and what you need to include for that.
Timing: mailing date vs filing date
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5, a paper is filed by delivering it to the clerk, so a mailed filing that arrives late is generally late. State courts set their own rules, and some recognize mailing dates in specific situations. If a deadline is close, file electronically or in person.
Serving papers on the other parties by mail is different: under Rule 5(b)(2)(C), service by mail is complete upon mailing. See proving you mailed a document.
What we can send to a court
- Yes: cover letters, letters to the clerk or judge's chambers where permitted, and copies of documents printed from your PDF.
- No: filing fees, checks, or wet-ink signed originals. If your court requires an original signature or payment by check, mail it yourself or file in person.
Quick answers
How do I mail documents to a court?
Confirm mail filing is allowed, address it to the clerk at the court's official mailing address with a cover letter and case number, and use Certified Mail for proof.
Can I send a court filing by certified mail online?
You can send letters and printed copies by Certified Mail online. Filings that need fees or wet-ink originals must go another way.
How do I mail a letter to a US court from overseas?
Upload the letter on a US print-and-mail service; it is printed and mailed inside the US by Certified Mail. Check whether the court allows e-filing for self-represented parties first.
What to do next
Use the court cover-letter template, attach your copies as a PDF, and we mail it to the clerk by Certified Mail.
Write a letter to the courtSources
- Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 5 (Cornell LII)
- U.S. Courts: Court locator
- U.S. Courts: Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Checked: . General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change: confirm current values at the official links above.