In many states and counties, you can file an eviction online through your court’s electronic filing portal, but whether that option exists depends on where the rental property sits. E-filing availability varies by state, by county, and sometimes by individual courthouse. Even where it’s offered, online filing only covers the paperwork. You still have to serve the tenant through an authorized method, verify military status before any default judgment, and appear for hearings the court schedules.
Check Whether Your Court Accepts Online Eviction Filings
Electronic filing has spread quickly over the past decade. Most federal courts use electronic case management, and state courts have followed at uneven speeds. Some states mandate e-filing for all civil cases. Others offer it as an option in certain counties. A few still require paper filings for landlord-tenant disputes even where other case types can be filed online.
Start with the official website of the court that handles evictions in the county where the property is located. Look for “e-filing,” “electronic filing,” or “online case filing.” Many state judiciary systems also maintain a central portal that links out to each county. If the site doesn’t give you a clear answer, call the clerk’s office. Staff can tell you whether online filing is available for eviction cases, which platform the court uses, and whether any restrictions apply to who can file electronically.
Those restrictions matter. Some jurisdictions only let attorneys e-file, not self-represented landlords. Others accept online filings for most case types but exclude landlord-tenant matters. And in many places, if the landlord is an LLC or corporation, the court will not accept any filing, online or paper, unless an attorney submits it. Rules differ enough that checking with the specific court is the only reliable approach.
What You Need Before You Start
Two things have to be in place before you file anything: a legally recognized reason for the eviction, and proof you gave the tenant proper written notice.
The most common grounds are failure to pay rent, violating a material lease term, using the property for illegal activity, or holding over after the lease has expired. Specific grounds vary by jurisdiction, but those four cover most cases.
With a valid ground, you then deliver a written notice. The type depends on the reason. For unpaid rent, a “pay or quit” notice gives the tenant a set number of days to pay or move out. For lease violations, a “cure or quit” notice gives them time to fix the problem. You can only file in court after the notice period runs out without resolution. Filing early is one of the most common mistakes that gets eviction cases thrown out.
Online or paper, you need the same core information and documents. Gather everything before you log in, because e-filing portals often time out or lose progress if you step away.
- Full legal names and current addresses for yourself (or the property management company) and every tenant named on the lease.
- The complete street address of the rental unit, including any unit or apartment number.
- Key lease terms: start and end dates, monthly rent, and the specific clause the tenant violated.
- A copy of the notice you served, with documentation of when and how it was delivered. For certified mail, keep the receipt. For personal delivery, keep a signed affidavit from whoever served it.
- For nonpayment cases, a clear accounting of what the tenant owes, including late fees, and a ledger of payments received.
- The official complaint and summons forms for your jurisdiction, usually downloadable from the court’s website.
One more step before uploading: redact sensitive personal identifiers. If your documents include Social Security numbers, taxpayer IDs, birth dates, or financial account numbers, federal rules let you include only the last four digits of a Social Security or financial account number, and only the birth year. 1Legal Information Institute. Rule 5.2 Privacy Protection For Filings Made with the Court Many state courts have adopted similar rules. Redaction is your responsibility, not the clerk’s.
How Online Eviction Filing Actually Works
The interface varies by court, but most portals follow the same sequence.
You create an account first. That usually means your name, email, phone number, and sometimes a credit card on file for fees. Some courts contract with a third-party e-filing service rather than running their own, so you may be redirected to a separate site.
Once logged in, you select the option to start a new case and choose the case type. Eviction cases are often listed under “landlord-tenant,” “summary process,” “forcible entry and detainer,” or “unlawful detainer,” depending on the state’s terminology. The portal walks you through fields for party names, the property address, and the grounds for eviction.
Then you upload supporting documents, typically as PDFs. These include the lease, the notice you served, payment records if applicable, and the completed complaint and summons. Most portals let you review everything before final submission. Take that review step seriously. Errors in party names or addresses can delay the case or get it dismissed.
Finally, you pay the filing fee electronically. Court filing fees for eviction cases generally range from about $50 to $500 depending on jurisdiction, and portals often add a convenience or processing fee on top of the court’s fee. After payment, you receive a confirmation and a case number. Save it. You will need it for every future interaction with the court on this case.
What Filing Online Does Not Do
This is where new landlords stumble. Filing online does not serve the tenant, and it does not substitute for any of the other procedural steps the case requires.
The tenant must receive formal notice of the lawsuit through an authorized method of service, and you cannot serve the papers yourself. Most jurisdictions require service by a sheriff’s deputy, a professional process server, or another adult who is not a party to the case. Common methods are personal delivery to the tenant, leaving the papers with another adult at the residence, or in some cases certified mail. If those methods fail, courts may allow service by posting the documents on the door, but this is typically a last resort that requires court approval.
A professional process server usually costs between $30 and $150, depending on the area and how many attempts it takes. Sheriff service fees vary by county. Budget for this on top of the filing fee, because the case cannot proceed until service is completed and proof of service is filed with the court.
Verify Military Status Before Any Default Judgment
Most landlords don’t know about this step, and skipping it can carry criminal penalties. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, if a tenant does not respond and you seek a default judgment, you must first file an affidavit stating whether the tenant is on active military duty. 2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 50 Section 3931 – Protection of Servicemembers Against Default Judgments Filing a false affidavit is a federal crime punishable by up to one year in prison.
If the tenant is an active-duty servicemember, the court cannot enter a default judgment until it appoints an attorney to represent the tenant. The court can also stay the eviction for at least 90 days if military service has materially affected the servicemember’s ability to pay rent. 3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 50 Section 3951 – Evictions and Distress These protections apply to residential premises where the monthly rent falls below a threshold adjusted annually for housing costs. The current threshold exceeds $10,000 per month, which covers virtually all residential rentals.
To check status, use the Defense Manpower Data Center’s online portal. Create an account, and the system generates a certificate confirming whether the individual is on active duty. 4SCRA (Defense Manpower Data Center). SCRA Run the check before requesting default judgment. Courts expect the certificate attached to your affidavit, and proceeding without it can get the case dismissed.
What Happens After You File
Once the tenant is served, the clock starts on their deadline to respond. If no response comes in and no one appears, you can ask the court for a default judgment, after completing the military status verification above. Defaults can move quickly, sometimes within a few weeks of filing.
If the tenant contests the case, it enters the court’s regular litigation track and the court sets a hearing. Nonpayment cases usually come down to a straightforward question: was rent owed, and was it paid? Lease violation cases can be more involved, especially where the tenant disputes the violation or claims it was already cured.
A landlord who wins at trial receives a judgment of possession. The court then issues a writ of possession, which authorizes the sheriff or marshal to remove the tenant if they do not leave voluntarily. Only law enforcement can carry out the physical removal.
Do Not Attempt a Self-Help Eviction
While the case is pending, do not change the locks, shut off utilities, or remove the tenant’s belongings. These actions are illegal in virtually every state regardless of how clear the tenant’s violation is. Tenants who are locked out can sue for damages, and in many jurisdictions landlords face criminal misdemeanor charges, court-ordered reinstatement of the tenant, and liability for the tenant’s attorney fees. The formal process, filed online or on paper, exists so both sides can be heard. Shortcutting it creates a second, more expensive legal problem on top of the first.