Rule 1. Scope of Rules and Mandatory Electronic Filing

(a) Scope of Rules.

These rules govern the procedure in the District Court of the State of Rhode Island

in all suits of a civil nature, with the exceptions stated in Rule 81. They shall be

construed to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action.

They shall be known as the District Court Civil Rules and may be cited as D.C.R.

(b) Mandatory Electronic Filing. In accordance with Art. X of the Rhode Island

Supreme Court Rules Governing Electronic Filing, electronic filing is mandatory for

cases in the District Court using the Rhode Island Judiciary's (Judiciary) Electronic

Filing System. All parties are required to use the Judiciary's Electronic Filing System

except for incarcerated individuals or where a waiver is granted in accordance with

Art. X, Rule 3(c). Self-represented litigants may electronically file documents in

accordance with Art. X, Rule 3(b) but are not required to do so. The D.C.R. must be

read in conjunction with Art. X, the Rhode Island Judiciary Rules of Practice

Governing Public Access to Electronic Case Information, and the Rhode Island

Judiciary User Guide for Electronic Filing.

(1) Definitions. For further definitions, see Art. X, Rule 1(c) of the Rhode Island

Supreme Court Rules Governing Electronic Filing.

(A) Case Initiating Document(s). The first document(s) filed in a case.

(B) Certificate of Service. Where the D.C.R. requires service of a document to

be certified by an attorney of record or a self-represented litigant, the following

certification may be used:

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that, on the __________ day of __________, __________:

I filed and served this document through the electronic filing system on the

following: __________.

The document electronically filed and served is available for viewing and/or

downloading from the Rhode Island Judiciary's Electronic Filing System.

I served this document through the electronic filing system on the following:

________________.

on the __________ day of __________, __________:

I filed and served this document through the electronic filing system on the

following: __________.

The document electronically filed and served is available for viewing and/or

downloading from the Rhode Island Judiciary's Electronic Filing System.

I served this document through the electronic filing system on the following:

________________.

The document electronically served is available for viewing and/or downloading

from the Rhode Island Judiciary's Electronic Filing System.

I mailed or Empty Checkbox hand-delivered this document to the attorney for

the opposing party and/or the opposing party if self-represented, whose name is

__________ at the following address ______________.

/s/ NAME

(C) Electronic Filing System (EFS). An approved Judiciary-wide system for the

filing and service of pleadings, motions and other documents or information via

electronic means such as the Internet, a court-authorized remote service provider or

through other remote means to and from the Judiciary's case management system

(CMS).

(D) Filing. Where the D.C.R. require a document to be filed, filing shall mean

the electronic transmission of a document in electronic form to or from a court/clerk

through the Judiciary's electronic filing system or scanned and filed into the

Judiciary's case management system at the clerk's office.

(E) Notice. Where the D.C.R. require notice to be given, notice shall mean

electronic notice using the EFS unless stated otherwise.

(F) Registered User. An individual or entity with an assigned username and

password authorized by the Judiciary to access and utilize the EFS.

(G) Public Access Portal. The point of entry for electronic access to case

information from the Judiciary's database whether at the courthouse or remotely. The

database is an electronic collection of court records displayed as a register of actions

or docket sheet

ered User. An individual or entity with an assigned username and

password authorized by the Judiciary to access and utilize the EFS.

(G) Public Access Portal. The point of entry for electronic access to case

information from the Judiciary's database whether at the courthouse or remotely. The

database is an electronic collection of court records displayed as a register of actions

or docket sheet. The register of actions or docket sheet lists parties, case events,

document filings, or other activities in a case set forth in chronological order.

(H) Service. Where the D.C.R. require a document or information to be served,

sent, delivered, or forwarded, the following shall be applicable:

(i) Subpoenas, complaints, petitions, or other documents that must be hand-

delivered or served in person with a summons shall not be served electronically;

(ii) All other service or notice within a case shall be electronic using the EFS

unless stated otherwise; and

(iii) All discovery on a case shall be electronically served using the EFS except

when the discovery is of a type which does not lend itself to electronic service (either

because it consists of non-conforming documents or is too voluminous), in which

case conventional service shall be used.

(I) Signature. Where the D.C.R. require an electronic signature on any document,

the signature shall be reflected as /s/ NAME unless stated otherwise.

(2) Language Assistance Notice. In an effort to provide language assistance to

limited English proficient persons, service of Case Initiating Document(s) shall

include the Language Assistance Notice which informs the recipient of the right to

a foreign language interpreter at no cost and contains instructions about how to

obtain language assistance services. The most current version of the Language

Assistance Notice is located on the Judiciary's website at www.courts.ri.gov under

the heading of Public Resources, Forms.

Initiating Document(s) shall

include the Language Assistance Notice which informs the recipient of the right to

a foreign language interpreter at no cost and contains instructions about how to

obtain language assistance services. The most current version of the Language

Assistance Notice is located on the Judiciary's website at www.courts.ri.gov under

the heading of Public Resources, Forms.

(3) Electronic Filing of Documents. When using the EFS:

(A) All Case Initiating Document(s), including any required documents,

attachments, or exhibits, shall be submitted individually as separate files within the

same initial submission or filing;

(B) All subsequent pleadings, motions, and other papers, shall be submitted

individually with related documents submitted as separate files within the same

submission or filing (for example, a motion and memorandum or other supporting

attachments or exhibits filed in support of a motion); and

(C) Categories of items such as bills, receipts, invoices, photographs, etc. may be

submitted in one attachment.

For specific requirements, see the District Court's Electronic Filing System

Guidelines.

(4) Clerk Review; Acceptance/Rejection Procedure: Following submission,

the District Court shall timely review the electronically filed document(s) and shall

notify the filing party as to whether the filing is accepted or rejected. Upon

acceptance, the submitted document(s) shall be entered into the docket of the case

and the docket shall reflect the date and time of filing as set forth in Article X, Rule

5(b) of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Rules Governing Electronic Filing

Court shall timely review the electronically filed document(s) and shall

notify the filing party as to whether the filing is accepted or rejected. Upon

acceptance, the submitted document(s) shall be entered into the docket of the case

and the docket shall reflect the date and time of filing as set forth in Article X, Rule

5(b) of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Rules Governing Electronic Filing. In

accordance with Article X, Rule 5(c), grounds for the rejection of a document

submitted to the EFS in the District Court are limited in scope as follows:

(A) Pleadings filed without a conventional signature where required;

(B) Pleadings filed without the required documents as set forth in the District

Court's Electronic Filing System Guidelines;

(C) Pleadings not filed in accordance with Rule 1(b)(3);

(D) Discovery requests and responses not filed in accordance with Rule 5(d);

(E) Documents, including any required documents, attachments, or exhibits,

scanned in the wrong orientation, e.g., upside down or backwards;

(F) Documents scanned and filed that are unreadable or illegible;

(G) Documents filed in a fillable portable document format (PDF);

(H) Fees not paid on requested executions and citations;

(I) The document filed does not match the selected filing code type;

(J) The document is filed into the wrong case;

(K) The document contains the wrong or incomplete case caption;

(L) The document is filed with no case identification;

(M) The document was improperly scanned or uploaded;

(N) The party name, party address, or document name exceeds the number of

allotted characters in the EFS;

(O) The filer added a party or participant that is not configured in the CMS or

does not match the information in the case;

(P) A payment processing error occurred; and/or

(Q) A technical submission error occurred.