EDNY Certificate of Good Standing: Filing, Delivery, and the 30-Day Rule

To get an EDNY Certificate of Good Standing, file the request electronically through the court’s CM/ECF system and pay the $21.00 fee on Pay.gov.1US Courts – New York Eastern District. Court Fees The Clerk’s Office verifies your status and emails the signed, sealed certificate as a PDF to the address on your request form. The court no longer accepts mailed requests and will return them.2US Courts – New York Eastern District. Attorney Admissions

What to Have Ready Before You File

Gather these before you start the electronic filing:

  • Your EDNY Bar Code (Court Bar ID). If you don’t have it, check your original admission paperwork or call the Clerk’s Office.
  • Your date of admission to the EDNY. The request form asks for it.
  • A current business address and an email address you actively monitor. The certificate is delivered by email.
  • A PACER account with filing privileges linked to EDNY CM/ECF. If yours isn’t linked, log into pacer.uscourts.gov, go to Manage My Account, then Maintenance, then Attorney Admissions/E-file Registration, and select the Eastern District of New York.2US Courts – New York Eastern District. Attorney Admissions
  • The court’s official request form, a fillable PDF on the EDNY website. Complete it first so you can upload it as an attachment during filing.

Filing the Request in CM/ECF

Log into CM/ECF at ecf.nyed.uscourts.gov with your PACER credentials. Go to Civil, then Other Documents, and select the event labeled “Certificate of Good Standing Request and Payment.” The system prompts you to enter one of the court’s designated miscellaneous case numbers reserved for good standing requests. Upload your completed request form as a PDF and submit.2US Courts – New York Eastern District. Attorney Admissions

CM/ECF then redirects you to Pay.gov to pay the $21.00 fee by credit card.1US Courts – New York Eastern District. Court Fees Save the electronic filing receipt number. You’ll want it if you need to follow up.

Requesting in Person

You can also request the certificate at either courthouse:2US Courts – New York Eastern District. Attorney Admissions

  • Brooklyn: 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, NY 11201
  • Central Islip: 100 Federal Plaza, Central Islip, NY 11722

Bring the completed request form and pay at the window. The Clerk’s Office accepts checks payable to the Clerk of Court for the Eastern District of New York, money orders, and credit cards.1US Courts – New York Eastern District. Court Fees Going in person can be useful if you need a hard copy with a raised seal instead of a PDF, but call ahead to confirm availability.

How the Certificate Arrives

Once the Clerk’s Office verifies your standing, the certificate is emailed as a PDF bearing the court’s official seal and the Clerk of Court’s signature. Check spam and junk folders if it hasn’t landed within a few business days.

If it doesn’t arrive, contact the Attorney Admission Department at (718) 613-2285 for Brooklyn or (631) 712-6030 for Central Islip, with your CM/ECF filing receipt number ready.2US Courts – New York Eastern District. Attorney Admissions The fee is non-refundable if the Clerk determines you are not in good standing and cannot issue the certificate.

Time Your Request to the 30-Day Rule

If the certificate is for admission to another federal district court or a pro hac vice appearance, timing matters. The joint local rules for the Southern and Eastern Districts require any certificate of good standing accompanying an admission application to have been issued within 30 days of filing.3United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Local Rules – Local Civil Rule 1.3 Many other federal courts apply the same 30-day window. A certificate even a day past the deadline may be rejected, meaning another $21.00 and another filing. Wait to request yours until you’re close to submitting the underlying application.

What Can Block the Certificate

The Clerk will only issue a certificate if your EDNY membership is active and clear of discipline. A few things routinely trip attorneys up.

Because EDNY admission requires membership in good standing with the New York State bar (or, through reciprocity, Connecticut or Vermont),3United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Local Rules – Local Civil Rule 1.3 your state registration has to be current. New York requires biennial registration and 24 CLE credit hours every two years for experienced attorneys.4NYCOURTS.GOV. FAQs for Experienced Attorneys Falling behind on either can trigger an administrative suspension at the state level that flows through to the EDNY and blocks the certificate.

Discipline entered by any other court, state or federal, can also stop issuance. Under Local Civil Rule 1.5, the EDNY Clerk imposes reciprocal discipline after an order of suspension, censure, or disbarment elsewhere, absent a narrow exception.5United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Local Rules – Local Civil Rule 1.5 Outstanding fees owed to the court will also hold up a request.

If you know your registration, CLE, or another obligation is behind, resolve it before you file. Otherwise you’ll spend the $21.00, get denied, and still have the underlying problem to fix.