Upcoming PACER Changes to Passwords and Fees

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has announced two updates affecting Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) accounts.

Beginning August 17, 2026, PACER users who have not updated their password in the last 18 months will be randomly selected to update their password to comply with the updated password standards. According to the updated standards, new passwords must contain:

• 14-45 characters.
• At least one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, and one special character (all special characters are allowed).
• Not contain any part of your first name, last name, username, or email address.

Impacted users will be prompted to update their password upon login. Users can skip the process three times before their account is locked. Once an account is locked, users will not be able to perform any activity until they change their password. For assistance, please contact the PACER Service Center at (800) 676-6856 or [email protected]. Additionally, all PACER users must update their passwords every 180 days to reduce the risk of extended use of compromised passwords.

Beginning January 1, 2027, a temporary increase in fees from 10 cents to 12 cents per page for electronic access to court records will take effect to help reimburse the costs of the development of the new case management and public access system. In addition, the automatic exemption for PACER fees will be raised from $30 to $40 per quarter, with the expectation that the vast majority of individual users (those who use $40 or less in PACER services per quarter) will not be adversely affected.

The fee increase will remain in place for a five-year period. Please see this press release for more information.