E-Filing Rejected? How to Fix It and Refile in California

You submitted a filing and the court sent it back: "rejected," "returned," or a notice that the clerk could not file it. This article explains what a rejection means, where to find the reason, how to fix and refile, and what happens to your filing date. For the most common reasons clerks reject filings, see our companion guide, Why Was My E-Filing Rejected?

What "rejected" means

A rejected document is not on file with the court. The Los Angeles Superior Court's civil e-filing FAQ puts it plainly: a document is not considered filed until it is accepted by the court. Submitting it only starts the clerk's review.

The court has to tell you why. Under California Rules of Court, rule 2.259(b), if the clerk does not file a document because it does not meet the filing requirements or because the filing fee was not paid, the court must promptly send a notice of the rejection, and the notice must state the reasons. Code of Civil Procedure section 1010.6(e)(4) adds that the notice must include the date the clerk sent it.

Step 1: Read the clerk's reason

The reason is in the rejection notice. On the court's e-filing system, the Odyssey eFileCA help center says the email arrives with a subject starting "Filing Returned for Envelope Number," and the reason is under the envelope's details, in its rejection information. If you filed through Legal Hub Group, the clerk's reason is shown on your filing's page.

Fix exactly what the reason names. The Los Angeles court's FAQ tells filers to correct the deficiency and resubmit the document through e-filing, and lists common rejection reasons that include choosing the wrong payment statement (for example a fee waiver or Government Code section 6103 when neither applies) and submitting the same filing twice.

Step 2: Correct and resubmit

Correct the document or the filing details the notice points to: the wrong filing code, a missing signature or page, the wrong case or courthouse, an unpaid fee.
Submit it again as a new filing. On the eFileCA site, the help center describes a "Copy Envelope" action in the filing history for a rejected envelope; it is available only when every filing in the envelope was rejected, and only once. In Legal Hub Group, you fix and refile a rejected filing from the filing's own page.
Do not change anything else if the rejected document was a complaint or cross-complaint and you are relying on the deadline rule below.

Paying for the second attempt works the way it did the first time: the new submission places a new hold on your card, and the hold from the rejected attempt is released by your bank. We explain that in Pay Again After a Rejected E-Filing?

What happens to your filing date

There is no statewide rule that gives a corrected filing the date of the rejected one. What the rules do say:

Complaints and cross-complaints: under Code of Civil Procedure section 1010.6(e)(4)(E), if a complaint or cross-complaint is rejected, the statute of limitations is tolled from the date the court received it through the date of the rejection notice, plus one more day, if it is then resubmitted in a form that corrects the errors, with no changes other than those needed to correct them.
A problem with the court's own system: under rule 2.259(c), if a technical problem with the court's electronic filing system prevents the court from accepting an e-filing on a court day, and the filer shows they tried to file that day, the court must deem the document filed on that day. This does not apply to a complaint or other initial pleading.
Everything else is up to the court. The Los Angeles court's FAQ says that if a document is not timely filed because of a rejection, you will need to apply to the court for relief. San Diego's Electronic Filing Requirements (CIV-409) say a rejected document may be allowed to be filed as of the original submittal date on an ex parte application and a showing of good cause. The eFileCA help center notes that an envelope's submitted date cannot be changed, and that honoring the original date is up to the court.

If a deadline is close, read your court's own rules and talk to your attorney about whether to ask the court for relief.

When to use Legal Hub Group instead

Most rejections are for small, fixable problems. Lexary by Legal Hub Group, free with every filing, reads your papers before they are sent and flags what clerks reject filings for: a missing signature, a blank date, a case number or name that does not match from one page to the next. Through our e-filing service you see the clerk's reason on the filing's page, and fixing and refiling a rejected filing never costs you another Legal Hub Group fee.

This is general information, not legal advice.