Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 6.03

As amended through July 3, 2024

Rule 6.03 - Backings Not Allowed

No pleading, motion, order, or other paper submitted to the court administrator for nonelectronic filing shall be backed or otherwise enclosed in a covering. Any papers that cannot be attached by a single staple in the upper lefthand corner shall be clipped or tied by an alternate means at the upper lefthand corner.

Amended effective 7/1/2015.

Former Rule 102 adopted effective 1/1/1992; renumbered effective 1/1/1993.

Cross Reference: Minn. R. Civ. P. 5.05, 10.

Advisory Committee Comment-1992 Amendments

This rule is based on 4th Dist. R. 1.01 (a) and (b), with changes.

Although the rule permits the filing of handwritten documents, the clearly preferred practice in Minnesota is for typewritten documents. Similarly, commercially printed papers are rarely, if ever, used in Minnesota trial court practice, and the use of printed briefs in appellate practice is discouraged.

All courts in Minnesota converted to use of "letter size" paper in 1982. See Order Mandating 8-1/2 x 11 Inch Size Paper For All Filings in All Courts in the State, Minn. Sup. Ct., Apr. 16, 1982 (no current file number assigned), reprinted in Minn. Rules of Ct. 665 (West pamph. ed. 1992). Papers filed in the appellate courts must also be on letter-sized paper. See Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 132.01, subdivision 1. This rule simply reiterates the requirement for the trial courts.

Advisory Committee Comment-2015 Amendments

The amendments to Rule 6 recognize that upon the adoption of mandatory efiling for some courts and some types of cases, other documents will be filed in paper form. The rule does not change the requirements for paper documents.

Rule 6.01 also provides a cross-reference to the Minnesota District Court Registered User Guide for Electronic Filing, which will contain the format requirements for electronic documents that are e-filed or e-served. See Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 14. That guidance document will be regularly updated and maintained on the judicial branch website, www.mncourts.gov, which will allow it to be kept current as technical requirements evolve without repeated amendatory Supreme Court orders.