To e-file in GA, attorneys and self-represented parties submit civil court documents through one of three state-approved online platforms — eFileGA, PeachCourt, or GreenFiling/InfoTrack — with the correct platform determined by the county where the case is filed.1Georgia Courts. E-File Court Records2Justia. Georgia Code 15-6-11 – Electronic Filings of Pleadings and Documents3Justia. Georgia Code 15-7-5 – Electronic Filings of Pleadings and Documents
Who Has to File Electronically
If you are an attorney, e-filing is mandatory for every civil case in Superior Court and State Court.2Justia. Georgia Code 15-6-11 – Electronic Filings of Pleadings and Documents3Justia. Georgia Code 15-7-5 – Electronic Filings of Pleadings and Documents The single workaround is walking into the clerk’s office and using a public access terminal there.
Self-represented parties keep both options. You can file at the courthouse in person, and the clerk has to accept your paper documents.2Justia. Georgia Code 15-6-11 – Electronic Filings of Pleadings and Documents Many pro se filers use the online platforms anyway because the systems are built to accommodate non-lawyers.
Magistrate Court sits outside this framework. The mandatory e-filing statutes name Superior and State courts specifically, so whether a particular Magistrate Court accepts electronic filings depends on that court’s own rules.
Finding the Right Platform for Your Court
Three providers handle Georgia court filings: eFileGA (running on Tyler Technologies’ Odyssey system), PeachCourt, and GreenFiling/InfoTrack.1Georgia Courts. E-File Court Records The county picks; you don’t. Filing on the wrong platform means your documents never land in the clerk’s queue.
eFileGA covers a large share of Georgia’s courts. GreenFiling/InfoTrack serves dozens of Superior and State courts, including Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Chatham.1Georgia Courts. E-File Court Records PeachCourt handles other jurisdictions. Before you set up an account, confirm the assignment on the Georgia Courts website or by calling your county clerk.
Preparing Your Documents
Every platform requires a user profile tied to a valid email address. That email is where acceptance notices, rejection notices, and electronic service copies arrive, so use an inbox you actually check.
Convert every document to PDF before uploading. Most courts require text-searchable PDFs rather than flat image scans, because searchable files let judges and clerks find information without opening each attachment. A document exported straight from a word processor is already searchable. If you’re scanning paper, run OCR on it first. Check your local rules for resolution minimums or file size limits.
Save documents as separate files when the court expects individual labeled attachments. Standard forms — the General Civil Case Filing Information Form, the Summons, and others — live on your county clerk’s website. Match party names and attorney bar numbers exactly between your forms and the online filing fields. Mismatches are one of the most common reasons clerks reject a submission.
Redacting Personal Information Before You Upload
The clerk will not screen your documents for privacy compliance. That responsibility falls on you.4Supreme Court of Georgia. Uniform Rules Superior Courts of the State of Georgia – Section: Rule 36.17 Georgia law limits what identifiers can appear in a filing:
- Social Security numbers: last four digits only
- Taxpayer identification numbers: last four digits only
- Financial account numbers: last four digits only
- Birth dates: year of birth only
The rule applies to electronic and paper filings alike.5Justia. Georgia Code 9-11-7.1 – Redacted Information If you file a document with a full Social Security number or account number, that data becomes part of the public record, and pulling it back requires a court order. Exhibits and attachments are where this slips through most often. Check them.
Filing Fees and Payment
Every e-filing carries two charges: the court’s statutory filing fee and the service provider’s transaction fee.
Court filing fees for a new civil case vary by county and case type. The Superior Court Clerks’ Association publishes a baseline schedule, with local add-ons for the law library and alternative dispute resolution programs. Most new Superior Court civil filings run over $200, but your county’s exact figure will differ.
Provider fees are capped by statute. For Superior Court e-filing, the law permits a one-time fee of up to $30 per filer per party, collected on your first filing in the case. After ten filings in the same case, an additional $5 supplemental fee applies to each further filing. Credit card and bank draft payments carry a convenience fee capped at 3.5 percent plus 30 cents per transaction.2Justia. Georgia Code 15-6-11 – Electronic Filings of Pleadings and Documents Actual charges are often below the ceiling. Government filers, public defenders, and district attorneys pay no provider fee.
If you can’t afford the fees, file an affidavit of indigence.6Justia. Georgia Code 9-15-2 – Affidavit of Indigence Courts generally measure eligibility at 125 percent of the federal poverty guideline for your household size.7Georgia Courts. Order on Paupers Affidavit A granted affidavit excuses the filing fee, the sheriff’s service fee, and certain post-judgment costs.
Accepted payment methods include credit cards, debit cards, and pre-authorized draw-down accounts. Rejected filings don’t post charges; authorization holds usually drop off within 3 to 14 business days, though prepaid cards can take up to 30.
Submitting the Filing
The submission flow is consistent across platforms. Pick “New Case” for an initial filing or “Existing Case” to add documents to an open matter. Select the court location and case category — domestic relations, general civil, and so on — and enter party information for both sides, including addresses and attorney details.
Upload your PDFs and label each with its document type. Clerks route filings by those labels without opening every file, so precise descriptions matter.
Use the service tab to select parties or attorneys who should receive electronic copies. This satisfies notice requirements for documents filed after the original complaint, delivering copies to everyone registered in the case at the moment you file with the court.8Justia. Georgia Code 9-11-5 – Service and Filing of Pleadings Subsequent to the Original Complaint
A summary screen shows the full cost and attachment list before you commit. Review it, then submit.
E-Filing Is Not Service of Process
The service feature inside the portal only covers filings made after the original complaint.8Justia. Georgia Code 9-11-5 – Service and Filing of Pleadings Subsequent to the Original Complaint You cannot electronically serve the initial lawsuit on a defendant who has not yet appeared. Filing your complaint through eFileGA or PeachCourt delivers it to the court, but the defendant still has to be served the traditional way, usually through the county sheriff or a private process server. Once the defendant’s attorney registers in the system, later documents can move electronically. Treating e-filing as a substitute for service is a common error and can set a case back weeks.
After You Submit
Your dashboard will read “Submitted” while the clerk reviews the filing against local rules and formatting standards. Turnaround varies: some clerks stamp the same day, others take several business days.
An email tells you when the filing is accepted or rejected. Accepted filings can be downloaded as file-stamped copies — your official proof. Under the Uniform Superior Court Rules, an electronic document is presumed filed when the service provider receives it, not when the clerk finishes reviewing it.9Supreme Court of Georgia. Uniform Rules Superior Courts of the State of Georgia – Section: Rule 36.16 If you file on a deadline day, the submission timestamp is what counts, even if the clerk doesn’t process it until the next business day.
Rejection notices explain the reason. Common causes are formatting problems, missing forms, wrong party information, or a fee discrepancy. Fix the issue and resubmit; there’s no charge for a rejected filing, so a second attempt costs nothing. If a system outage or technical failure on the provider’s end caused the problem, courts can allow the filing retroactively to preserve your original date.9Supreme Court of Georgia. Uniform Rules Superior Courts of the State of Georgia – Section: Rule 36.16
Attorneys and pro se litigants who are parties to a case can view and download any document e-filed in their case at no charge through the service provider.2Justia. Georgia Code 15-6-11 – Electronic Filings of Pleadings and Documents Keep the email on your profile current. Every notification depends on it, and a missed rejection notice can cost you a deadline.