Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 limits certain personal identifiers in electronic and paper filings made with a federal court. Unless the court orders otherwise, a filing may include only the permitted portions listed below.
The Northern District of California's Rule 5.2 guidance summarizes these protections. Check the current federal rule, the court's local rules, and orders in the case before filing.
The four default identifier limits
| Information in the filing | What Rule 5.2(a) permits |
|---|---|
| Social Security or taxpayer identification number | Last four digits |
| Date of birth | Year of birth |
| Name of an individual known to be a minor | Initials |
| Financial account number | Last four digits |
Review covered information wherever it appears, including exhibits, cover sheets, scanned labels, and attachments.
Rule 5.2(a) is not a complete list of everything that may need protection. A statute, local rule, protective order, or case-specific order can require additional treatment. The federal criminal rule has a different identifier list; this table does not replace it.
Check exceptions and court orders
Rule 5.2(b) specifies exemptions for particular records and categories of proceedings. Whether an exemption applies depends on its actual conditions. A document coming from another proceeding does not automatically resolve the question.
The rule also addresses sealed filings, additional protective orders, and filing an unredacted copy or reference list under seal. Follow the court's procedure. Marking a document confidential in your own system does not seal a court filing.
If an unredacted version is required, distinguish it clearly from the public copy. Confirm the destination and access settings before submitting either.
Build the check into preparation
Give the reviewer an explicit scope: the default limits, any applicable exceptions, and additional requirements from local rules or orders.
Search for known identifiers and likely variants. OCR can split a number, misread a digit, or omit text on a scan. Human review remains necessary for difficult images, handwriting, and context such as whether a person is a minor.
Use actual redaction functionality and apply the marks before exporting. An annotation covering text can leave information recoverable. Our Acrobat guide explains the difference between marking and applying redactions.
Check the final PDF
- Select the correct public copy with all intended redactions applied.
- Confirm known identifiers do not appear beyond permitted portions.
- Test whether text under redactions is recoverable by selection, copying, or search.
- Review metadata, comments, attachments, and page images as appropriate.
- Confirm required factual content remains readable.
- Obtain a second review when the team's process calls for one.
The free Redacto checker detects some technical PDF problems. It cannot interpret the rule, decide whether an exception applies, or certify compliance. Pair it with the redaction QA checklist.
If a filing contains an error
Follow the court's published procedure and contact the responsible attorney promptly. Uploading a corrected copy does not necessarily remove access to the earlier one. Rule 5.2(h) also addresses waiver when someone files their own information without redaction and outside seal; obtain advice on the circumstances.
For repeated filing work, try Redacto with an approved sample. This guide is general information, not case-specific legal advice.