Iowa R. App. P. 6.1

As amended through April 29, 2024
Rule 6.1 - Mandatory use of the Iowa Judicial Branch Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) for appellate cases
(1)Mandatory electronic filing. All attorneys authorized to practice law in Iowa, all attorneys admitted pro hac vice, see Iowa Ct. R. 31.14, and all self-represented parties must register under Iowa Rule of Electronic Procedure 16.304(1) to use EDMS. If an attorney or self-represented party has previously registered for electronic filing at the district or appellate court level, no additional registration is required. Registered filers must electronically submit all documents to be filed with the court unless otherwise required or authorized by these rules.
(2)Applicability of Iowa Rules of Electronic Procedure. The Iowa Rules of Electronic Procedure, including rules pertaining to the protection of personal privacy, apply in appellate court cases, except for rules 16.101, 16.301, 16.302(2), and 16.303(4).
(3)Exceptions from electronic filing requirements.
a.Submission of single filing. For good cause, the clerk of the supreme court may authorize a filer to submit a document for filing by nonelectronic means.
b.All filings for case on appeal. Upon a motion showing that exceptional circumstances make it unreasonable for a party to file documents electronically, the supreme court may excuse the party from electronic filing for purposes of the party's case on appeal.
c.District court exception. If a district court excused a party from electronic filing for the duration of the case in the underlying action, see Iowa R. Elec. P. 16.302(2) (c)-(d), a copy of the district court order granting the exception must be attached to the party's request to be excused from electronic filing requirements for the case on appeal.
d.Abortion notification appeals. Abortion notification appeals may be filed electronically or nonelectronically without court authorization.
e.Nonelectronic filings by certain confined persons. A person confined pursuant to governmental authority, including but not limited to a person who is incarcerated or civilly committed, is excused from registering to file electronically without court authorization.
f.Paper case files. Except as otherwise provided by court rules, see, e.g., Iowa R. Elec. P. 16.313(1), or as the supreme court directs, the clerk of the supreme court will not maintain paper case files in appeals initiated on or after February 1, 2016.

Iowa. R. App. P. 6.1

Court Order November 18, 2016, effective 3/1/2017; Court Order September 29, 2023, effective 4/1/2024.