Court Operations After the Termination of the COVID-19 National Emergency
The President of the United States signed a Congressional resolution, effective April 10, 2023, ending the national emergency declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following information reflects the current state of the Court's operations.
Abrogation of General Orders. General Orders instituting temporary changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic national emergency have been abrogated (terminated). Refer to General Order 44 regarding the phased-in termination of these temporary changes and the Explanatory Statement regarding General Order 44 available here.
Clerk's Office. The Intake Counter at the Clerk's divisional office locations in San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland are reopened. The hours of operation are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. The Santa Rosa Intake Counter remains closed.
How to File a Document. Registered ECF Users should file cases and pleadings through CM/ECF. For all other parties, including but not limited to pro se parties (individuals without an attorney), filings should be made in person at the San Francisco, San Jose, or Oakland Clerk's Office Intake Counter during business hours, by mail, or drop-box. Mailing addresses and drop-box availability is stated on each division's location page. Electronic document upload is discontinued. Please contact the court at (888) 821-7606 if you have an emergency filing.
Court Hearings. Each judge posts their practices and procedures for noticing and conducting hearings on their Court webpage, available at: canb.uscourts.gov/judges-court.
At the discretion of the presiding judge:
- Court hearings may be held in-person or by video or teleconference (or a combination of both).
- Face coverings (masking) may be required in the courtroom when attending an in-person court hearing.
- Courtroom use and capacity may be limited. Press and public access to in-courtroom proceedings may be in person, by telephone, videoconference, or other remote means, and courtroom procedures may be modified to accommodate health concerns.
Chamber/Courtesy Copies. For some filed documents, the judge assigned to the case may require a copy be provided (sometimes referred to as a "chamber's copy," "judge's copy," or a "courtesy copy"). Refer to the copy requirements of the assigned judge posted on the Court website.
Public Health Matters; Mask Requirement. Presently, face coverings (masks) are not required to enter the Clerk's office locations; however, the presiding judge determines mask requirements for individual courtrooms. All courthouse visitors must follow all safety protocols posted on the Court website at canb.uscourts.gov and applicable to the presiding judge's courtroom.
Questions and Future Updates. If you have questions, please call (888) 821-7606 or use the LIVE CHAT feature on the Court website. Future updates will be posted on the Court website and communicated as appropriate.