On May 11, 2025, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) began implementing Multifactor Authentication (MFA) to enhance system security for Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) and Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). MFA provides an added layer of security to accounts by helping protect against cyberattacks that steal passwords, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

Users with filing and all other types of CM/ECF-level access are required to enroll in MFA, while users with PACER-only access have the option to enroll. Users with CM/ECF-level access who do not voluntarily enroll will be randomly selected to do so beginning in August. By the end of 2025, everyone with CM/ECF-level access will be required to use MFA. Currently, users are allowed to bypass the prompts to enroll in MFA up to three times, after which they will be required to setup MFA. The court strongly encourages users to enroll in MFA before the system requires it to avoid access issues. 

MFA will also affect any third-party software used for filing. It is important that users contact their software provider as soon as possible to avoid any disruption in their business processes.

For documentation on the MFA process, please refer to the PACER MFA Tips and Resources materials. If you have any questions, please contact the PACER Service Center at pacer@psc.uscourts.gov or (800) 676-6856. The PACER Service Center hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:00 AM Central to 6:00 PM Central.