Rule 3.02 - Filing with the Supreme Court(A) Filing (1) Definition and filings treated as public records (a) Filing is effectuated when the Clerk's Office file-stamps a document and dockets it in a case.(b) Documents filed with the Supreme Court shall be available for public access pursuant to Sup.R. 44 through 47. A document that has been sealed pursuant to a court order, administrative agency order, or board order, or is the subject of a motion to seal pending in the Supreme Court, shall remain under seal and not be made available for public access unless ordered by the Supreme Court.(c) The electronic version of documents, whether filed through the E-Filing Portal in the first instance or received by the Clerk's Office in paper format and subsequently scanned into electronic format, constitutes the official record in the case.(2) Filing paper documents (a) Filing paper documents with the Supreme Court shall be made by submitting the documents to the Clerk of the Supreme Court during the regular business hours of the Clerk's Office. Only documents that are timely received and in compliance with these rules shall be filed by the Clerk.(b) Paper documents may be submitted for filing in person; by delivery service; by mail addressed to the Clerk, The Supreme Court of Ohio, 65 S. Front St., 8th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215-3431; or by e-mail as specified in division (A)(4) of this rule.(c) Paper documents received in the Clerk's Office after 5:00:00 p.m. local observed time in Columbus, Ohio will not be reviewed by the Clerk's Office until the next business day. They will be considered timely if the documents comply with these rules and were received on or before the date they were due.(3) Filing electronic documents through the E-Filing Portal (a) Filing of electronic documents shall be made by submitting the documents through the E-Filing Portal. Confirmation of receipt by the E-Filing Portal is only a confirmation of receipt of the documents, not a confirmation that the documents were accepted for filing.(b) Any document filed through the E-Filing Portal pursuant to division (A)(3) of this rule shall meet all requirements of these rules, except that multiple copies of a document are not required unless requested by the Clerk pursuant to S.Ct.Prac.R. 3.10. (c) A document filed through the E-Filing Portal pursuant to division (A)(3) of this rule shall be submitted as a Portable Document Format ("PDF") file. (d) Filing documents through the E-Filing Portal does not alter any filing deadlines imposed by the Rules of Practice of the Supreme Court of Ohio.(e)(i) Documents received after 11:59:59 p.m. local observed time in Columbus, Ohio through the E-Filing Portal shall not be considered for filing until the next business day. The time of receipt of a document is the time-stamp provided by the Supreme Court's E-Filing Portal, and the time-stamp provided by any other computer system shall not alter the time of receipt and effect of this rule.(ii) Documents submitted through the E-Filing Portal after 5:00:00 p.m. local observed time in Columbus, Ohio will not be reviewed by the Clerk's Office until the next business day. They will be considered timely if the documents comply with these rules and were received on or before the date they were due in accordance with division (A)(3)(e)(i) of this rule.(f) After review by the Clerk's Office, a separate communication that indicates whether the documents were accepted for filing will be sent to the e-mail address registered with the account of the person who submitted the documents through the E-Filing Portal.(4)Filing electronic documents through the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's law library (a) Filing of electronic documents by individuals incarcerated at Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction ("ODRC") facilities from the facility's law library shall be made by sending the documents to the Court's authorized email address for inmate filing submissions. Only designated staff of ODRC shall electronically send inmate filings to the Court. The Clerk shall refuse to file any documents submitted by any individual other than authorized ODRC staff or sent to an email address other than the email address authorized for inmate filing submissions. (b) Any document filed by an inmate from an ODRC law library pursuant to division (A)(4) of this rule shall meet all requirements of these rules, except that multiple copies of a document are not required unless requested by the Clerk pursuant to S.Ct.Prac.R. 3.10. (c) Any document filed by an inmate from an ODRC law library pursuant to division (A)(4) of this rule shall be submitted as a Portable Document Format ("PDF") file. (d) Filing documents by an inmate from an ODRC law library does not alter any filing deadlines imposed by the Rules of Practice of the Supreme Court of Ohio. (e) (i) Documents received after 11:59:59 p.m. local observed time in Columbus, Ohio, from an ODRC law library shall be deemed to be submitted as of the next business day. The time of receipt of a document is the time-stamp provided by the Supreme Court's computer system, and the time-stamp provided by any other computer system shall not alter the time of receipt and effect of this rule. (ii) Documents submitted from an ODRC law library after 5:00:00 p.m. local observed time in Columbus, Ohio, will not be reviewed by the Clerk's Office until the next business day. They will be considered timely if the documents comply with these rules and were received on or before the date they were due in accordance with division (A)(4)(e)(i) of this rule. (f) After review by the Clerk's Office, a separate communication that indicates whether the documents were accepted for filing will be sent to the inmate by regular mail to the address listed on the documents.(5)Audio and video exhibits and files that cannot be converted into PDF format(a) Audio and video exhibits and files that cannot be converted into Portable Document Format ("PDF") shall be submitted by mail, delivery service, or in-person. The exhibits and files shall be presented for filing on a compact disc, DVD, or USB drive and attached to a paper "Notice of filing." (b) If the Clerk deems it necessary, the Clerk may request that the filing party provide copies. The copies shall be identical to the filed version and shall comply with the provisions of this rule.(6) Consideration for filing Documents submitted by mail, delivery service, the E-Filing Portal, or the email address for inmate filing submissions shall not be considered for filing until received by the Clerk's Office.
(7) Confirmation of delivery and filing deadlines (a) Confirmation of delivery by any source other than the Clerk's Office or the E-Filing Portal does not verify actual receipt by the Clerk's Office.(b) The alteration of hours or procedures by any delivery service, including but not limited to the United States Postal Service, shall not affect the filing deadlines and requirements imposed by these rules.(B) Prohibition against untimely filings No document may be filed after the filing deadlines imposed by these rules, set by Supreme Court order, or as extended in accordance with S.Ct.Prac.R. 3.03(B)(2) or 11.04(C). The Clerk shall refuse to file a document that is not timely received in accordance with division (A) of this rule. Except as provided in S.Ct.Prac.R. 3.13, S.Ct.Prac.R. 12.06, or S.Ct.Prac.R. 12.08, motions to waive this rule are prohibited and shall not be filed.
(C) Rejection of noncomplying documents The Clerk may reject documents that are not clearly legible or that fail to comply with the requirements of these rules.
Ohio. R. Prac. S. Ct. 3.02
Effective Date:6/1/1994, Amended: 4/1/1996; 4/28/1997; 7/1/2004; 10/1/2005; 1/1/2008; 1/1/2010; 1/1/2013; 1/1/2015; 4/14/2015; 7/22/2015; 1/1/2017; amended January 8, 2019, effective 3/1/2019; amended November 17, 2020, effective 1/1/2021; amended October 4, 2022, effective 1/1/2023; amended August 27, 2024, effective 10/1/2024.