Minnesota Judicial Branch - Clerk of Appellate Courts

Appellate Self Help Clinic Begins on January 21, 2016

Visit the State Law Library Self-Help Clinics page for more details.

Supreme Court Petitions for Review – Important Information

The rules of appellate procedure governing the filing of petitions for review with the Supreme Court require an addendum. Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 117; Minn. R. Crim. P. 29.04. An appendix is no longer permitted. Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 130. Effective immediately, petitions for review submitted to the Clerk of Appellate Courts for filing with the supreme court that include an appendix rather than an addendum will no longer be accepted for filing, and will be returned to the filer.

OverviewContact information for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals only:

Christa Rutherford

Clerk of Appellate Courts
305 Minnesota Judicial Center
25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
map
Phone: (651) 291-5297

Counter Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays

Please note that beginning January 1, 2022, all visitors to the Minnesota Judicial Center will be required to pass through security screening.

For contact information for District (Trial) Courts, please visit the Find Courts page.

About the Clerk's Office

The Office of the Clerk of the Appellate Courts accepts all case filings for the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. The Clerk of the Appellate Courts is responsible for planning, directing and evaluating office-wide business operations and managing a team of seven employees. The Clerk’s Office personnel respond to basic questions regarding the appellate process and case status inquiries, but are not able to provide any legal advice.

Supreme Court Petitions for Review – Important Information

The rules of appellate procedure governing the filing of petitions for review with the Supreme Court require an addendum. Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 117; Minn. R. Crim. P. 29.04. An appendix is no longer permitted. Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 130. Effective immediately, petitions for review submitted to the Clerk of Appellate Courts for filing with the supreme court that include an appendix rather than an addendum will no longer be accepted for filing, and will be returned to the filer.

Find Help With:

Obtaining Appellate Case Information Online and by Phone
Obtaining Appellate Opinions Online
Approved Brief Binding Methods
Appellate Argument Scheduling
Citing to the District Court Record on Appeal
Appellate Document Copy Costs

Obtaining Appellate Case Information Online and by Phone

Online Access

Minnesota Appellate Courts Case Management System--Public View (P-MACS)

Appellate case information may be viewed 24 hours a day using the P-MACS case management system. Court orders, opinions, and judgments are attached to case entries and can be viewed by clicking the PDF icon.

Do not email the Clerk of Appellate Court for case information.

Phone Access
You may call (651) 291-5297 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, to obtain case information.

Email Access
You may email the Clerk of Appellate Courts Office using the contact form.

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Obtaining Appellate Opinions Online

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Approved Brief Binding Methods

Rule 132 of the Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure describes the format for briefs and says the clerk of appellate court's office will maintain approved binding methods.

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Appellate Argument Scheduling

The forms below are used for notifying the Clerk of Appellate Courts of scheduling conflicts for oral argument. Once a case has been placed on the calendar, it cannot be rescheduled except for good cause. Rescheduling will be rare and only for exceptional circumstances.

Court of Appeals: Notice Regarding Oral Arguments in the Court of Appeals
Supreme Court: Notice Regarding Oral Arguments in the Minnesota Supreme Court

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Appellate Document Copy Costs

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Popular Forms

Appellate Forms (Forms Appendix for the Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure)
Taxation of Costs and Disbursements
Satisfaction of Judgment

Proof of Service

Every document submitted to the Clerk of the Appellate Courts for filing must be accompanied by proof that the document was served on the other parties to the appeal. Usually, proof of service is (1) a notarized affidavit of service or (2) a certificate of service. Proof of service can also be a written admission by the person who was served that the document was received. See Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 125.04.

The person who served the document in person or by mail must complete the affidavit or certificate of service, which must include a description of the documents that were served, the date of service, the method of service (by mail or in person), the name of the person who was served, and the address to which papers served by mail were sent. The affidavit or certificate of service must be signed by the person who served the papers.

Affidavit of service. An affidavit of service must be signed in front of a notary by the person who served the document. The notary must also sign and date the document. Notary services are available at many financial institutions for a small fee. The office of the Clerk of the Appellate Courts will notarize an affidavit of service at no charge.
Certificate of service. A certificate of service does not need to be notarized. A certificate of service must contain a statement by the person who signs the certificate that the person declares under the penalty of perjury that everything stated in the document is true and correct. The certificate must show the date of signing and the county and the state where the certificate was signed.

You may file one affidavit or certificate listing multiple documents if you serve those documents on the same date and on the same parties.

Scheduling Conflicts

The forms below are used for notifying the Clerk of Appellate Courts of scheduling conflicts for oral argument. Once a case has been placed on the calendar, it cannot be rescheduled except for good cause. Rescheduling will be rare and only for exceptional circumstances.

Court of Appeals: Notice Regarding Oral Arguments in the Court of Appeals
Supreme Court: Notice Regarding Oral Arguments in the Minnesota Supreme Court

Court of Appeals Forms & Instructions for Self-Represented Litigants

Notice of Appeal Form in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)
Statement of the Case Form in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)
Statement of the Case Instructions in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)
Basic Motion Forms in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)
Basic Motion Instructions in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)
Unemployment Appeal Packet in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)
Eviction Appeal Packet in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)
Family Law Appeal Packet in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)
Postconviction Appeal Packet in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)
Administrative (Certiorari) Appeal Packet in English (also available in Español, Hmoob, Soomaali, and Karen)

Appellate E-Filing is Mandatory for Attorneys

As of July 1, 2016, appellate e-filing is required in all appellate cases for all attorneys admitted to practice in the State of Minnesota or admitted pro hac vice to practice before the appellate courts of Minnesota, court reporters, executive branch records managers, court appointed examiners and panels appointed by the appellate courts. Mandatory e-filing for everyone except self-represented parties is applicable to all appeals or administrative matters pending on or filed after July 1, 2016. E-filing remains voluntary for self-represented parties.

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Effective October 9, 2020: Updated FAQ for Appellate E-Filing

On October 9, 2020, the FAQ - Appellate E-Filing was updated to contain troubleshooting information for filers to identify the cause behind filing errors.

Effective January 3, 2019: New Filing Subtypes Available in E-MACS

On January 3, 2019 several new filing subtypes were added in E-MACS. Selecting the correct filing type and subtype ensures faster routing and processing of filings. Below is a list of the new subtypes and the courts for which they are available. For more information about filing types and subtypes, see Selecting E-MACS Filing Types and Subtypes on the Clerk of the Appellate Courts webpage under the Appellate eFiling tab.

New Subtypes for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Cases

Errata Sheet (filing type: Brief)
Itemized List of Record Received (filing type: Event)
Attorney Appearance (filing type: Notice)
No Response to PFR (filing type: Notice) - Supreme Court only
Withdraw Motion (filing type: Notice)

New Subtypes for Appeal Panel Cases (filing type for all: AP)

Attorney Appearance
Confidential Examiner’s Report
Exhibit List and Exhibits
Witness List

August 15, 2018: Clerk's Office Call Routing

Order Regarding Fees Associated With Processing Electronic Submissions in the Appellate Courts

About Appellate E-Filing

The Minnesota Appellate E-Filing Application (E-MACS) provides the ability for users to electronically file documents with the Clerk of Appellate Courts in cases pending before the court of appeals and the supreme court. Electronic service may also be accomplished, in some cases, when documents are e-filed with E-MACS.

E-Filing with the appellate courts will offer users the following benefits:

Convenience: E-MACS offers one electronic location at which you can at any time prepare, file, and (in some cases) serve documents electronically, as well as access notifications received on recent cases.
Availability and access: E-MACS is available 24/7, and filings submitted before 11:59 p.m. will be considered submitted that day, even when the clerk’s office is not open. If accepted by the clerk’s office after review, submissions will be considered ‘filed’ as of the date of submission.
Cost-efficiency: Electronic filing and service will reduce the number of paper copies needed for the courts and for you and/or your client.

Please use a black pen when adding all signatures to documents. Ink in other colors does not necessarily show up when the documents are scanned.

Do not submit a PDF document that includes a digital signature placed by use of an electronic signature application such as CoSign. Scanned documents signed in ink or a document that includes a signature placed by use of word-processing applications or a /s/ designation are acceptable.

Access E-MACS

Who can I contact with questions about E-MACS?

For questions regarding E-MACS, please consult the user documentation links below, or call:
(612) 902-9585
1-844-918-1724 (if calling long distance from a landline phone)
Technical support hours of operation: 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
E-MACS Terms & Conditions

User Documentation

Demos

System Updates

E-MACS 2.5.1 Release Overview (7/13/2018)

Historical Supreme Court Orders

Minnesota Supreme Court Authorizes Appellate E-Filing Expansion Effective March 1, 2015

Order Regarding Mandatory and Permissive Electronic Filing and Service in the Appellate Courts

What is C-Track?

C-Track is the electronic filing system for records of Executive Branch tribunals and agency decisions on appeal.

Access C-Track

C-Track Documentation

Supreme Court Filing Fees

Fee Description

Fee

Extraordinary Writs (mandamus/prohibition)

$550.00

Notice of Appeal/Petition for Writ of Cert.

$550.00

Petition for Accelerated Review

$100.00

Petition for Further Review

$550.00

Petition for Rehearing

$100.00

Court of Appeals Filing Fees

Fee Description

Fee

Appellate Court Copy Fee

$8.00

Extraordinary Writs (mandamus/prohibition)

$550.00

Notice of Appeal/Petition for Writ of Certiorari

$550.00

Notice of Related Appeal

$100.00

Petition for Discretionary Review

$550.00

Order Regarding Mandatory Online Filing Requirements For No-Fault Arbitration - August 11, 2022 »

Standing Order Regarding Attorney Fee Awards in Appeals from the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals - October 30, 2017 »

Number of Copies of Appellate Briefs Required

The temporary orders suspending the requirements to file paper copies of briefs remain in effect at this time in both appellate courts:
Court of Appeals Order Temporarily Suspending Filing of Paper Copies of Briefs (March 20, 2020)
Supreme Court Order Temporarily Suspending Filing of Paper Copies of Briefs (March 20, 2020)

Court of Appeals Matters: 4 bound briefs + 1 unbound brief = 5 total briefs (Effective August 1, 2019)
Court of Appeals Standing Order Regarding Copies of Briefs

Supreme Court Matters: 1 unbound brief only (Effective July 1, 2016)
Supreme Court Standing Order Regarding Copies of Briefs - May 23, 2016

Extra copies of briefs will not be accepted by the Clerk of Appellate Courts. Excess briefs delivered in person or via courier service will not be accepted at the counter. Excess briefs delivered by mail will be held for three business days and may be picked up at the Clerk’s Office at the author’s expense. After three full business days have lapsed, excess briefs will be recycled.

Friday, November 17, 2023

Public Notice: Supreme Court Announces Attorney Member Opening on Minnesota Board of Public Defense

Monday, November 6, 2023

Public Notice: The Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Vacancies on the Advisory Committee for the General Rules of Practice for the District Courts

Monday, October 30, 2023

Public Notice: Supreme Court Announces Vacancies on the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board

Monday, October 16, 2023

Public Notice: The Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Two Vacancies on the Standing Committee for No-Fault Arbitration

Monday, September 25, 2023

Public Notice: The Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Multiple Vacancies on the Rules of Criminal Procedure Advisory Committee

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Public Notice: The Minnesota Supreme Court Announces One Public Member Vacancy on the Minnesota State Board of Legal Certification