The Office of the Westchester County Clerk accepts e-filings through the New York State Courts E-Filing (NYSCEF) system. E-Filing enables attorneys to file court documents from the convenience of their office or from any place with an internet connection at any time of day or night, every day of the year. Service of electronically filed documents is performed automatically by the NYSCEF System via email. When filing fees are paid via credit card or debit account at the time of e-filing, the file date of the document is the time of transmission. There is no cost to use the system, though regular filing fees must be paid. As of April 1, 2021, the NYS Office of Court Administration has added a 2.99% administrative fee to all NYSCEF fees paid by credit card.
Set Up Your County Clerk ACH Direct Account today
Payments to the Westchester County clerk for filings made via the NYSCEF System may be made by American Express, MasterCard, Visa or pre-authorized ACH account. Your ACH account must be set up directly with the Office of the Westchester County Clerk and will only be available for Westchester County filings.
In Westchester County, e-filing may be mandatory, voluntary or unavailable depending on the case type.
Mandatory Electronic Filing: All actions must be commenced and proceed electronically unless it is an Election Law matter
Mandatory Electronic Filing: All actions must be commenced and proceed electronically unless it is an Election Law matter, or Mental Hygiene Law matter (including Article 81 Guardianships). These actions may be commenced and proceed in hardcopy or by electronic filing.
Unless otherwise provided by the Uniform Rules, the County Clerk will not accept documents in paper form in any other case types nor will the court accept subsequent documents in such matters in paper form. If a party wishes to commence a case under seal or under an anonymous caption, the party should contact the Office of the Chief Clerk of the Court before filing any documents.
Consensual or Voluntary matters include Matrimonial cases, Article 70 proceedings, Article 78 proceedings, and name change applications. These actions/proceedings may be commenced electronically via NYSCEF or in hardcopy.
E-filing Protocols
The Administrative Judge and the Westchester County Clerk have issued Joint Protocols to assist local practitioners in transitioning to electronic filing. These protocols provide guidance with respect to local practice and procedures used to process filings, fees and court calendaring. NYSCEF users should be fully familiar with the protocols when initiating a case in the NYSCEF System.
E-filing Forms
There are certain forms that are particular to e-filing, which can be found on the NYSCEF Forms page.
Frequently Asked E-Filing Questions
Many of our filers have questions: Does it matter which document type I select? Do I need to send hard copies to the clerk or court? What do I need to do when my adversary opts out of e-filing? Can I convert a paper case to NYSCEF? Find answers to your frequently asked questions about e-filing.
Need Help Using NYSCEF?
Any attorney who requires assistance with the NYSCEF System is encouraged to contact the E-Filing Resource Center at 646-386-3033. In addition, a computer and scanner will be available in the 9th floor courthouse law library for the use of attorneys who may need assistance in making filings in a NYSCEF case.
NYSCEF Training
Training sessions are offered at the E-Filing Resource Center in Manhattan. Advance reservations are required for all sessions. To sign up for a free training session, please visit the NYSCEF Training Registration page. Two CLE skills credits are available upon completion of the training. For questions, call the E-Filing Resource Center at 646-386-3033.
Electronic Filing of SCAR Petitions
Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) petitions must be electronically filed which eliminates the need to travel to our office with multiple copies of your petitions. In addition, you will not need to complete the Index Number Application when you file your SCAR petition. We are pleased to announce that electronic filing of SCAR Petitions is now available for homeowners filing their own SCAR Petition. To get started, visit the NYSCEF site, choose “Live System” for Supreme, SCAR and Court of Claims filings. Next choose “Create an Account” and proceed as indicated. For more information about e-filing your SCAR petition, contact our Legal Division at (914) 995-3070 or send an e-mail to .
Bulk Electronic Filing of SCAR Petitions
The New York State Courts Electronic Filing (NYSCEF) System offers filers of a large number of Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) petitions an option of uploading SCAR Petition data in bulk in lieu of filing SCAR petitions one at a time. This option is offered in a limited number of communities. Filers wishing to utilize this bulk filing option must (1) Create a compliant data file on their own; (2) Apply for a NYSCEF User ID; (3) Sign and submit a stipulation for each municipality against which petitions will be bulk filed. The bulk filing system now available for SCAR filings in Westchester County is the same system which has been available in Nassau County for the last few years.
SCAR Multi-PDF upload
The New York State Courts Electronic Filing (NYSCEF) System also offers filers the option of uploading up to ten (10) SCAR petitions in one transaction. Filers wishing to utilize this multi-pdf filing option may (1) Apply for a NYSCEF User ID (if you don’t have one already) and (2) Sign in to NYSCEF and select “SCAR Multi-PDF Upload” under the “Bulk E-File” section of the homepage. You may then proceed to upload up to 50 of your SCAR Petition pdf files and pay online by credit card or debit account.