Procedures for Adding Parties

Consistently adding names and addresses with the same formats and abbreviations aid in the search for and retrieval of these records, which prevents duplicate entries. To avoid duplicate entries, it is important to use the following standards when adding names to the CM/ECF database.

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS SEARCH CAREFULLY BEFORE ADDING!!

How to Search for a Party
Before adding a party, it is recommended that one search the database for the filer to eliminate duplicate records in the system. One can search by Social Security Number, Tax Identification Number, Last Name or Business Name.
Enter the debtor's last name and click [Search]. For business filings, enter the entire name in the Last/Business name field.
If there are no matches, the system will return a No Person Found message.
Since the party is not already on the database, proceed to add the debtor. Click [Create New Party].
The PARTY INFORMATION screen displays.

Enter the debtor Name and Address information in the appropriate boxes.
	Names of individuals:
	Capitalize the first letter of the first, middle and last names only. Enter the last name in the last name field, the first name in the first name field, and the middle name in the middle name field. (If only a middle initial is provided, enter it with a capital letter followed by a period.)
	Type the generation, if there is one, in the generation field (e.g. Jr., Sr., III).
	Titles (e.g. M.D., PhD.) Use the Party text field only. Do not include titles in the generation or last name field.
	Company and organization names:
	Type company or organization names in the last name field. Leave the first name, middle name, and generation fields blank.
	Company names with initials should be added with no spaces between the first and second initials. Example: A.B. Truck Lines
	Company names using initials such as GMAC, PG & E should be spelled out with the exception of the name that is only part of the name not the whole name. Example: General Motors Acceptance Corp. Example: Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Example: RDI Financial Inc.
	"The" as the first word in a name. Type it in before the name.
	Ampersands (&): Do not use the ampersand symbol in names or addresses. Type the word "and" instead of the ampersand. Example: A and A Seed Co.
	Associates, Association, Company, Corporation, and Incorporated: Abbreviate as " Assoc." " Assn.", "Co.", "Corp." and "Inc."
	"of" and "the": Use all lower case letters when in the middle of a name.
	LLC, LLP, LP, N.A., FSB, Esq: Do not add as part of the name. Use the Party Text field only.
	Aka, faka, dba, fdba: Do not add as part of the name, add them in the alias field.
	State of Agencies: Type the two letter state abbreviations followed by the department name on the same line. Remember to indicate the state's name even if it is not part of the agency title. Example: CA Franchise Tax Board
	County agencies: Type the county name followed by department name. Example: San Francisco County Tax Collector, Santa Cruz County Assessor
	If county or city is the name of the party, type the "County of" or "City of " then followed by the name. Example: County of Marin, City of San Jose
	Government agencies are to be added in the following manner: Example: U.S. Dept. of [agency] Example: U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
	There are a few exceptions to this rule such as: Example: USDA Rural Development [fdba Farmers Home Administration; fdba Rural Economic and Community Development Services] Example: Internal Revenue Service
	Since a Trust or Estate is a legal entity, they should be added as they are filed, with the exception of "The" in the beginning. Example: "The Estate of John Doe" would be entered in the last name field as : "Estate of John Doe" "The Trust of Jane Doe" would be entered in the last name field as: "Trust of Jane Doe"
	Calif. Auto Dealers, Inc. is spelled out Example: California Auto Dealers, Inc.
	A doctor, dentists, etc..should be added [if an individual] with the first name in the first name field, last name in the last name field. MD or DDS etc.. should be added in the Party Text field.
	When adding a party with a "partnership" or " an California Corporation" in the name the party text field should be used. Example: Hancock Insurance Company, an California Corporation would be entered: Last/Business Name Field: Hancock Insurance Company Party Text: an California Corporation REMEMBER TO ALWAYS SEARCH CAREFULLY BEFORE ADDING!!
RULES FOR ENTRY OF ADDRESSES
There are three address lines available for the entry of address information. Always start entering address information on " Address 1". DO NOT leave blank lines before or between address items.
	Type company name "care of" designation on "Address 1" if such information is available. If not, start entering information on "Address 1" in the following order ( each of the following items should be on a separate line): Example: Building name (if any) U.S. Courthouse Building Street Address (if any) 123 Main St. Post Office box number ( if any) P.O. Box 123
Number:	Use integers instead of spelling out any numbers. (i.e., use "1,2,3," or "1st, 2nd, 3rd instead of "one, two, three," or "first, second, third." Never use a lower case "L" (i.e. l) in the place of the symbol for "one" or "first" (i.e. 1st).
Direction:	Use capital letters with no spaces or periods when typing street directions. (E.g. N, S, E. W, NE, NW, SE, SW, 1834N Main St.)
Suite, Apartment, Office or Room	Type the number symbol # to make these references in the address, even if the suite, apartment, office, or room "number" is a letter. Do not type a comma before, or leave more than one space before the "#" symbol. For example: CORRECT INCORRECT 123 Main St. #3456 123 Main St. Room 3456 22 Country Ln. #322 Country Ln. Apt. 3 456 Winding St. #A 456 Winding St. Suite A 2254 12th St. #D 2254 12th St., #D
Floor Number:	Use an integer for the number (1st, 2nd,) and use the abbreviation (Fl.) For the word "Floor." Type the floor number on the same line as the street address. Do not include a comma after the street name. (E.g. 123 Main St. 5th Fl.)
Zip Code:	Type all nine digits of a nine-digit zip code. Use a hyphen to separate the first five digits from the last four digits. If the zip code only contains five digits type the zip code as is.
"Care of " designation:	Indicate a " care of " designation by "c/o". DO NOT USE A PERCENT SIGN (%) SYMBOL.
Street names that are letters:	When the name of a street is a letter (e.g. O St., the name should be typed as a capital letter. Do not place a period after the letter or place the letter in quotation marks. For Example: CORRECT INCORRECT 1123 O St. 1123 "O" St. 456 G St. 456 G. St.
Street name abbreviations:	Use the abbreviations listed below with a capital letter for the first letter and a period at the end of the abbreviation. Do not type out whole words unless indicated below. Avenue - Ave. Boulevard- Blvd. Center- Center Circle- Circle Court- Ct. Drive- Dr. Expressway- Expwy. Highway- Hwy. Lane- Ln. Parkway- Pkwy. Place- Pl. Plaza- Plaza Road- Rd. Rural Route- RR Square- Sq. Street- St. Way- Way
Post Office Box:	Type post office box designations as P.O. Box. Place a period after both the "P" and "O". Type one space before the word "Box". Do not type a space between the period after "P" and "O". Do not use the number symbol (#) before the number. CORRECT INCORRECT P.O. Box 12 Post Office Box #12 P.O. Box 45 PO Box 45 P.O. Box 367 P. O. Box 367
Still Need Help? Email: canb_helpdesk@canb.uscourts.gov [1] or contact your local division for assistance.