Ventura — 25.03 AMENDED - July 10, 2026 - In Re: Mandatory Electronic Filing for Limited and Unlimited Civil and Probate; Permissive Electronic Filing for Small Claims

Source: https://ventura.courts.ca.gov/system/files/general/amended-2503-mandatory-efiling.pdf

'VBNTURA SUPBIUOR COURT FILED JUL 1 O2026 1 K. RIEKER ev:Jrat;,~~fit"'Dapuey 2 3 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 4 FOR THE COUNTY OF VENTURA

5 MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING FOR AMENDED ADMINISTRATIVE 6 LIMITED AND UNLIMITED CIVIL AND ORDER 7 PROBATE; PERMISSIVE ELECTRONIC NO. 25.03 FILING FOR SMALL CLAIMS 8

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12 13 Beginning May 5, 2025, the Ventura Superior Court will implement mandatory 14 electronic filing ("eFiling") of documents filed by attorneys in Limited and Unlimited Civil and 15 Probate case types. Self-represented litigants may file electronically in those case types, but 16 they are not required to do so; instead, they may file in person at the Clerk's Office, through 1 7 the U.S. mail, or via the Court's dropboxes. eFiling is encouraged for Small Claims filings, 18 but is not required. 19 This Administrative Order - intended to address certain eFiling issues until such time 2 O that the Court can adopt local rules concerning the same - supersedes and replaces 21 Administrative Order 24.04 in its entirety. 22 1) DEFINITIONS 23 a) "Bookmarlf' - A bookmark is a PDF document navigational tool that allows the 24 reader to quickly locate and navigate to a designated point of interest within a 25 document. 26 b) "Electronic Envelope" - A transaction through the Electronic Filing Service 27 Provider (EFSP) for submission of documents to the Court for processing. An 28 envelope may contain one or more PDF documents.

MANDATORY eFILING FOR CIVIL, PROBATE; PERMISIVE eFILING FOR SMALL CLAIMS AMENDED Administrative Order 25.03 1

1 c) "Electronic Filing" - Electronic Filing (eFiling) is the electronic transmission to the 2 Court of a document in electronic form. (See Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3 2.250(b)(7).). 4 d) "Electronic Filing Service Provider" - An Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP) 5 is a person or entity that receives an electronic filing from a party or other person 6 for retransmission to the Court. (See Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.250(b)(8).) For 7 the submission of filings, the EFSP does so on behalf of the electronic filer and 8 not as an agent of the Court. (Ibid.) 9 e) "Electronic Signature" - For purposes of this order and in conformity with Code of 10 Civil Procedure §17(b)(3), §34, and §1010.6(b)(2), Government Code §68150(9), 11 and California Rules of Court, rule 2.257, the term "Electronic Signature" is 12 generally defined as an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or 13 logically associated with an electronic record and executed or adopted by a 14 person with the intent to sign the electronic record. 15 f) "Hyper/ink' - An electronic link providing direct access from one distinctively 16 marked place in a hypertext or hypermedia document to another in the same or 17 different document. 18 g) "Lead Documenf' - The lead document is the most important document in the 19 electronic envelope, as it affects the priority and timing for processing by the Court 20 and ensures that the document is directed to the appropriate workflow. The lead 21 document can be a case-initiating document (e.g., complaint or petition), a moving 22 document (e.g., motion), or a responsive document (e.g., answer or response). 23 Only one lead document can be submitted in each electronic envelope. 24 25 2) GENERAL INFORMATION 26 a) Undue Hardship 27 Pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure §1010.6(9)(3), and California Rules of 28 Court, rule 2.253(b)(4), any party may make application to the Court requesting

MANDATORY eFILING FOR CIVIL, PROBATE; PERMISIVE eFILING FOR SMALL CLAIMS AMENDED Administrative Order 25.03 2

1 to be excused from filing documents electronically and be permitted to file 2 documents by conventional means (in person, via U.S. Mail or in the Court's 3 drop boxes) if the party shows undue hardship or significant prejudice. 4 b) Approved Electronic Filing Service Providers 5 The list of approved electronic filing service providers is available on the Court's 6 website at www.ventura.courts.ca.gov/eFiling.html. 7 3) INELIGIBLE FILINGS 8 a) The following documents shall not be filed electronically: 9 i. Trial or Evidentiary Hearing related documents, including exhibits, unless 10 otherwise ordered by the assigned judicial officer 11 ii. Mandatory Settlement Conference Statements/Briefs 12 iii. Bonds/Undertakings 13 iv. Subpoenaed documents 14 v. Administrative records 15 vi. Subpoenas for Out of State Actions 16 vii. Bench Warrants/Returns 17 viii. Gun Violence, Workplace Violence, Elder Abuse, Retail Crime, and 18 Post Secondary School Restraining Order filings. Documents related to 19 these matters can be submitted in person or by email to: 20 EmerqencyRestraininqOrdersFamilyandCivil@ventura.courts.ca.gov 21 ix. Documents attached to a Notice of Lodging are to be submitted in paper 22 form. The actual document entitled, "Notice of Lodging," may be filed 23 electronically. 24 X. Documents submitted conditionally under seal. The actual motion must 25 be e-Filed. However, the documents the party seeks to file under seal 26 may be submitted by conventional means with a conformed copy of the 27 e-Filed motion attached. 28

MANDATORY eFILING FOR CIVIL, PROBATE; PERMISIVE eFILING FOR SMALL CLAIMS AMENDED Administrative Order 25.03 3

1 xi. Will, Codicil or Testamentary Trust (including Estate Planning 2 Documents Deposited) 3 xii. Writ Returns 4 xiii. Affidavit Re: Real Property of Small Value 5 xiv Menacing Dog: Notice of Appeal -Administrative Hearing 6 xv. Notice of lmpoundment of Vehicle and Notice of Hearing - lmpoundment 7 of Vehicle 8 xvi. Out of State or Out of County Abstracts of Commissions submitted with 9 an Application and Order for Appearance and Examination 10 xvii. Notice of Appeal of Labor Commissioner Award 11 xviii. Notice of Appeal - Civil Citation 12 xix. Safe at Home-Name Change, including Judicial Council Form NC-410 13 ("Application to File Documents Under Seal in Name Change Proceeding 14 under Adress Confidentiality Program (Safe at Home)) and Judicial 15 Council Form NC-400 (Confidential Cover Sheet - Name Change 16 Proceeding Under Address Confidentiality Program (Safe at Home)). 17 xx. Request to Pay Judgment to Court (Small Claims) 18 xxi. Media Request to Photograph, Record, or Broadcast 19 xxii. Any order with an original judicial officer's signature 20 4) ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM WORKING PROCEDURES 21 Electronic filing service providers (EFSPs) must obtain and manage registration 22 information for persons and entities electronically filing with the Court. 23 24 5) TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS 25 a) Electronic documents must be eFiled in PDF, in text searchable format. 26 b) Any table of contents within any document must be bookmarked. 27 c) Documents attached to electronically filed documents shall be bookmarked 28 pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 3.111 0(f)(4). Attachments that must be

MANDATORY eFILING FOR CIVIL, PROBATE; PERMISIVE eFILING FOR SMALL CLAIMS AMENDED Administrative Order 25.03 4

1 bookmarked include, but are not limited to, the following: 2 i. Points and authorities; 3 ii. Declarations; 4 iii. Depositions; 5 iv. Exhibits (including exhib_its to declarations); 6 V. Transcripts (including excerpts within transcripts); and 7 vi. Proofs of service. 8 d) Electronic bookmarks must include links to the first page of each bookmarked 9 attachment and bookmark titles that identify the bookmarked item. 10 e) Use of hyperlinks within documents (including attachments and exhibits) is 11 strongly encouraged. 12 f) Multiple Documents 13 Each document filed concurrently with another document must be electronically 14 filed as a separate digital PDF document. However, multiple separate PDF 15 documents relating to one case can be uploaded in one envelope transaction. 16 g) Lead Documents 17 Lead documents must be submitted in a separate electronic envelope. 18 h) Writs and Abstracts 19 Writs and abstracts must be submitted in a separate electronic envelope. 20 i) Sealed Documents 21 If a judicial officer orders documents to be filed under seal, those documents must 22 be filed on paper. Document submitted conditionally under seal must also be on 23 paper. All documents to be filed/conditionally filed under seal must conform to 24 California Rules of Court, rule 2.551. 25 j) Redaction 26 Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 1.201, it is the submitting party's 27 responsibility to redact confidential information (e.g., by using initials for names of 28

MANDATORY eFILING FOR CIVIL, PROBATE; PERMISIVE eFILING FOR SMALL CLAIMS AMENDED Administrative Order 25.03 5

1 minors, using only the last four digits of a social security number, or using only 2 the year for date of birth) so that the confidential information shall not be publicly 3 displayed. 4 6) ELECTRONIC FILING SCHEDULE 5 a) Trial Court Records 6 Pursuant to Government Code §68150, trial court records may be created, 7 maintained, and preserved in electronic format. Any document that the Court 8 receives electronically must be clerically processed and must satisfy all legal 9 filing requirements to be filed as an official court record (Cal. Rules of Court, rules 10 2.100, et seq., 2.253(b)(6) & 2.256(b)). 11 b) Filed Date 12 i. Any document received electronically by the court between 12:00 a.m. 13 and 11 :59:59 p.m. shall be deemed to have been effectively filed on that 14 court day if accepted for filing . Any document received electronically on 15 a non-court day is deemed to have been effectively filed on the next court 16 day if accepted for filing. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.253(b)(6); Code Civ. 17 Proc. §1010.6(a)(4).) 18 ii. Notwithstanding any other provision of this order, if a digital document is 19 not filed in due course because of: (1) an interruption in service; (2) a 20 transmission error that is not the fault of the transmitter; or (3) a 21 processing failure that occurs after receipt, the Court may order, either 22 on its own motion or by noticed motion, that the document be deemed 23 filed and/or that the document's filing date conform to the attempted 24 transmission date. 25 c) Ex pa rte applications and all documents in support thereof must be electronically 26 filed no later than 12 p.m. the court day before the ex parte hearing. Opposition 27

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MANDATORY eFILING FOR CIVIL, PROBATE; PERMISIVE eFILING FOR SMALL CLAIMS AMENDED Administrative Order 25.03 6

1 papers thereto must be electronically filed by 8:00 a.m. the day of the ex parte 2 hearing. 3 7) PROPOSED ORDERS 4 a) Proposed orders may be submitted electronically. The proof of service of the 5 proposed order shall not be attached to the proposed order. Instead, the proof of 6 service shall be submitted electronically as a separate document. 7 8) WAIVER OF FEES AND COSTS FOR ELECTRONICALLY FILED DOCUMENTS 8 a) Fees and costs associated with electronic filing must be waived for any litigant 9 who has received a fee waiver. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule, 2.258(b), Code Civ. 10 Proc. §1010.6(e)(6).) 11 b) Fee waiver applications for waiver of court fees and costs pursuant to Code of 12 Civil Procedure §1010.6(e)(6), and California Rules of Court, rule 2.252(f), may 13 be electronically filed in any authorized action or proceeding. 14 9) SIGNATURES ON ELECTRONIC FILING 15 F_or purposes of this Administrative Order, all electronic filings must follow California 16 Rules of Court, rule 2.257. 17 THIS ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER SUPERSEDES AND REPLACES 18 ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 25.03 AND 15 IN EFFECT UNTIL OTHERWISE ORDERED BY 19 THE PRESIDING JUDGE. 20 IT 15 50 ORDERED. 21 22 DATED: Julyj_!}_, 2026 Matthew P. Guasco23 Presiding Judge 24 Superior Court of California, County of Ventura 25

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MANDATORY eFILING FOR CIVIL, PROBATE; PERMISIVE eFILING FOR SMALL CLAIMS AMENDED Administrative Order 25.03 7