Your efiling privileges may have been suspended because you have not paid the Annual Registration Fee. Payment can be made through Pay.Gov. It may take up to three days to restore your efiling privileges. If you have already paid the annual fee but cannot fully access CMECF and are being prompted to pay, please send an email to contact_us@ctd.uscourts.gov.

How much is the annual registration fee?

The annual registration fee is $50.

What are the consequences if I do not pay the annual registration fee?

As stated in Local Rule 83.1(c), if members of the bar fail to pay their annual registration fees, their filing privileges may be suspended, and they will be subject to removal from the rolls of the Court’s bar. This means that if you fail to pay by the final deadline (August 31), your bar status may change from active to inactive. An attorney with an inactive bar status in the District of Connecticut is not in good standing, has no efiling privileges, and cannot appear or practice in the District Court or the Bankruptcy Court. After two years of non-payment, attorneys may be removed from the rolls of the Court’s bar and will no longer be members of the bar. They will have to reapply for bar membership and pay the admission fee plus any outstanding registration fees.

What is the authority for requiring a periodic registration fee?

The authority for requiring a periodic registration fee rests with the U.S. Judicial Conference, the governing body of the federal courts, which is authorized to prescribe the fees that district courts may charge. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1914. In 1997 the Judicial Conference issued formal guidance making clear that courts of appeals and district courts were allowed to charge such renewal admission fees.

Do other courts require attorneys to pay periodic registration fees?

Yes. Several federal courts of appeal, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and no fewer than 28 federal district courts across the country have for years required members of their bars to pay a periodic fee to maintain membership.

What is the purpose of the annual registration fee?

The purpose of the annual registration fee is to support the costs essential to operating the Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Program (“FPSLAP”), which opened in October 2022 to aid the Court and pro bono lawyers in handling federal pro se legal matters and cases. The fees shall be placed in a fund maintained by the Clerk of Court, pursuant to the Plan for the Administration of the Non-Appropriated Fund and earmarked for the FPSLAP. Annual registration fees will be used solely for purposes that inure to the benefit of the FPSLAP.

Is the attorney registration fee a tax on attorneys?

No. For over fifty years, courts, the Comptroller General, and the Judicial Conference have agreed that fees like the registration fee are not taxes. The fee does not raise funds for the use of the United States and the fee is aimed not at raising revenue for general purposes but at defraying the costs of the FPSLAP that benefits both the Court and members of the bar. The proceeds generated by the registration fee will belong to the Court, not the Treasury of the United States. Laughlin v. Clephane, 77 F. Supp. 103, 105-06 (D.D.C. 1947) (holding that attorney admission fees are not taxes and are property of the court, not the U.S. Treasury); Comp. Gen. Opinion No. B-56200, June 8, 1951 (explaining that attorney admission fees are not monies received for the use of the United States and therefore need not be deposited into the U.S. Treasury).

Are members of the bar who accept pro bono cases exempted from the fee?

No, because to do so would exempt all members of this Court’s bar who have appeared in a civil action since 2015. Under Local Rule 83.10, members of the bar must accept pro bono appointments for the representation of indigent litigants when no volunteers are available.

How do I make a payment? What payment methods are accepted to pay the annual registration fee?

You may make a payment by credit card, debit card, or ACH via Pay.Gov. Instructions can be found here.

Can I pay the annual registration fee for multiple attorneys?

No, the annual registration fee must be paid individually for each attorney.

When is the Collection Period?

The Current Collection Period covers the annual registration period from June 1, 2024-May 31, 2025. Payment will be accepted at any time during the Current Collection Period, but if you do not pay by August 31, 2024, your status may change from active to inactive.

How long does it take for my payment to process?

Most credit card payments take two (2) business days. Debit and ACH payments may take up to five (5) business days. Payments do not process on weekends. Once a payment clears, your account will update.

Why is my status still inactive after I made my payment?

It may be that your payment hasn’t processed. Most credit card payments take two (2) business days. Debit and ACH payments may take up to five (5) business days. Payments do not process on weekends. If you owe a payment for the previous collection period, your status will remain inactive.

If I don’t pay this year, but pay next year, do I owe one registration fee or two?

Attorneys must pay the registration fees each year so if they failed to pay in one year, they must pay the current period ($50) and previous period ($50). After two years of non-payment, attorneys may be removed from the rolls of the Court’s bar and will no longer be members of the bar. They will have to reapply for bar membership and pay the admission fee plus any outstanding registration fees.

I was admitted to this Court recently, do I need to pay the annual registration fee?

Anyone admitted prior to December 31st of the previous year will need to pay the annual fee. For example, if you were admitted in 2023, you will pay the annual registration fee in 2024. If you were admitted in 2024, you will pay the annual registration fee in 2025.

I am a federal government or state government attorney, do I need to pay the annual registration fee?

All government attorneys who are members of the District Court bar must pay the annual registration fee.

I am a visiting attorney admitted to practice Pro Hac Vice only, do I need to pay the annual registration fee?

No, attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice are not members of the District Court bar and are not required to pay the annual registration fee.

I have retired or resigned; do I need to pay the annual registration fee?

No, however, if you retired or resigned and have not yet notified the Court, please see the answer to the next question for specific instructions.

I am not actively practicing in the District of Connecticut. How do I change my status so that I am not subject to the annual registration fee?

If you no longer practice in the District of Connecticut, you can resign or retire from the Court’s bar. This can be done by completing the Notice of Resignation or Retirement form and submitting it to contact_us@ctd.uscourts.gov. An attorney who resigns or retires from the bar is not subject to the annual registration fee. Please be aware that an attorney who has resigned or retired is removed from the rolls of the Court’s bar and cannot receive a certificate of good standing from this Court, cannot appear or practice in Connecticut’s District Court or Bankruptcy Court, and has no filing privileges. If the attorney decides to practice in the District of Connecticut in the future, the attorney must reapply for bar membership.

How do I check my current bar membership status?

Please use the Bar Membership Search to check your bar membership status. You will need to know your bar number to pay the annual registration fee.

What if my address or name in the Bar Membership Search is incorrect?

Pursuant to this Court’s Local Rule 83.1(c)(3), it is the responsibility of each member of the bar of this court to keep the court informed of any change in name, firm or firm name, telephone number, street address or e-mail address. All changes must be made through the “Manage My Account” tab at the PACER website at https://www.pacer.gov or calling the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856.

Who do I contact if I have questions or need assistance with the annual registration fee process?

Please send an email to contact_us@ctd.uscourts.gov and we will get back to you.