The Clerk of Court for the United States District Court of the Northern District of Indiana hereby provides public notice regarding General Order 2025-12 which restricts electronic access to sealed documents. Sealed documents will continue to be filed in the manner prescribed in General Order 2025-11; however, electronically filed sealed documents will no longer be accessible or viewable by electronic means after filing except by designated Northern District of Indiana restricted access court users. Non-designated users will receive an updated warning message that advises that the sealed document is not available in CM/ECF and that opening the stub file (which will not open the actual document) will result in an electronic public access fee charge.

Because sealed documents filed in CM/ECF are no longer accessible or viewable electronically, service of those documents can no longer be accomplished through CM/ECF. Thus, parties must serve sealed documents by a means outside of CM/ECF as provided by the Federal Rules of Procedure and consistent with General Order 2025-11. A party with the right to access a sealed document in a case who requires a copy of a sealed document will have to contact the clerk’s office to request a paper copy understanding that applicable copy fees will be applied according to the miscellaneous fee schedule: https://www.innd.uscourts.gov/MiscellaneousFeeSchedule

Any questions about the filing of and access to sealed documents should be directed to the clerk’s office at 219-852-6500 (Hammond), 260-423-3000 (Fort Wayne), or 574-246-8000 (South Bend). Phone calls are answered Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (local time), with the ability to conduct in-person transactions from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (local time).

Link to Public Notice: Changes in Electronic Access to and Service of Sealed Documents