Privacy Policies

Fourth Circuit case dockets and documents are available to the public over the Internet through the Judiciary’s PACER system (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). The PACER system protects sealed documents and party filings in social security, immigration, and railroad retirement cases from public Internet access. The Federal Rules of Procedure require the filing party to remove protected information prior to filing a document in federal court and specifically require redaction of social security and tax ID numbers, the names of minor children, dates of birth, financial account numbers, and home addresses in criminal cases. For instructions on redacting information from filings, please see How do I redact items from pleadings?

Local Privacy Protection Rules

Federal Privacy Protection Rules

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Fed. R. App. P. 25(a)(5)

(5) Privacy Protection. An appeal in a case whose privacy protection was governed by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9037, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2, or Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 49.1 is governed by the same rule on appeal. In all other proceedings, privacy protection is governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2, except that Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 49.1 governs when an extraordinary writ is sought in a criminal case. The provisions on remote electronic access in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2(c)(1) and (2) apply in a petition for review of a benefits decision of the Railroad Retirement Board under the Railroad Retirement Act.

(effective December 1, 2022)
Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2

Rule 5.2. Privacy Protection For Filings Made with the Court
(a) REDACTED FILINGS. Unless the court orders otherwise, in an electronic or paper filing with the court that contains an individual's social-security number, taxpayer-identification number, or birth date, the name of an individual known to be a minor, or a financial-account number, a party or nonparty making the filing may include only:

(1) the last four digits of the social-security number and tax-payer-identification number;
(2) the year of the individual's birth;
(3) the minor's initials; and
(4) the last four digits of the financial-account number.
   (b) EXEMPTIONS FROM THE REDACTION REQUIREMENT. The redaction requirement does not apply to the following:

(1) a financial-account number that identifies the property allegedly subject to forfeiture in a forfeiture proceeding;
(2) the record of an administrative or agency proceeding;
(3) the official record of a state-court proceeding;
(4) the record of a court or tribunal, if that record was not subject to the redaction requirement when originally filed;
(5) a filing covered by Rule 5.2(c) or (d); and
(6) a pro se filing in an action brought under 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241, 2254, or 2255.
   (c) LIMITATIONS ON REMOTE ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC FILES; SOCIAL- SECURITY APPEALS AND IMMIGRATION CASES. Unless the court orders otherwise, in an action for benefits under the Social Security Act, and in an action or proceeding relating to an order of removal, to relief from removal, or to immigration benefits or detention, access to an electronic file is authorized as follows:

(1) the parties and their attorneys may have remote electronic access to any part of the case file, including the administrative record;
(2) any other person may have electronic access to the full record at the courthouse, but may have remote electronic access only to:

(A) the docket maintained by the court; and
(B) an opinion, order, judgment, or other disposition of the court, but not any other part of the case file or the administrative record.
   (d) FILINGS MADE UNDER SEAL. The court may order that a filing be made under seal without redaction. The court may later unseal the filing or order the person who made the filing to file a redacted version for the public record.
   (e) PROTECTIVE ORDERS. For good cause, the court may by order in a case:

(1) require redaction of additional information; or
(2) limit or prohibit a nonparty's remote electronic access to a document filed with the court.
   (f) OPTION FOR ADDITIONAL UNREDACTED FILING UNDER SEAL. A person making a redacted filing may also file an unredacted copy under seal. The court must retain the unredacted copy as part of the record.
   (g) OPTION FOR FILING A REFERENCE LIST. A filing that contains redacted information may be filed together with a reference list that identifies each item of redacted information and specifies an appropriate identifier that uniquely corresponds to each item listed. The list must be filed under seal and may be amended as of right. Any reference in the case to a listed identifier will be construed to refer to the corresponding item of information.
   (h) WAIVER OF PROTECTION OF IDENTIFIERS. A person waives the protection of Rule 5.2(a) as to the person's own information by filing it without redaction and not under seal.

   (As added Apr. 30, 2007, eff. Dec. 1, 2007.)
Fed. R. Crim. P. 49.1

Rule 49.1. Privacy Protection For Filings Made with the Court
(a) Redacted Filings. Unless the court orders otherwise, in an
electronic or paper filing with the court that contains an individual’s
social-security number, taxpayer-identification number, or
birth date, the name of an individual known to be a minor, a financial-
account number, or the home address of an individual, a party
or nonparty making the filing may include only;

(1) the last four digits of the social-security number and taxpayer-
identification number;
(2) the year of the individual’s birth;
(3) the minor’s initials;
(4) the last four digits of the financial-account number; and
(5) the city and state of the home address.
(b) Exemptions from the Redaction Requirement. The redaction
requirement does not apply to the following:

(1) a financial-account number or real property address that

identifies the property allegedly subject to forfeiture in a forfeiture
proceeding;

(2) the record of an administrative or agency proceeding;

(3) the official record of a state-court proceeding;

(4) the record of a court or tribunal, if that record was not

subject to the redaction requirement when originally filed;

(5) a filing covered by Rule 49.1(d);

(6) a pro se filing in an action brought under 28 U.S.C. §§ 2241,

2254, or 2255;

(7) a court filing that is related to a criminal matter or investigation

and that is prepared before the filing of a criminal charge
or is not filed as part of any docketed criminal case;

(8) an arrest or search warrant; and

(9) a charging document and an affidavit filed in support of

any charging document.
(c) Immigration Cases. A filing in an action brought under 28
U.S.C. § 2241 that relates to the petitioner’s immigration rights is
governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2.
(d) Filings Made Under Seal. The court may order that a filing
be made under seal without redaction. The court may later unseal
the filing or order the person who made the filing to file a redacted
version for the public record.
(e) Protective Orders. For good cause, the court may by order in
a case:
(1) require redaction of additional information; or

(2) limit or prohibit a nonparty’s remote electronic access to

a document filed with the court.
(f) Option for Additional Unredacted Filing Under Seal. A person
making a redacted filing may also file an unredacted copy under
seal. The court must retain the unredacted copy as part of the
record.
(g) Option for Filing a Reference List. A filing that contains redacted
information may be filed together with a reference list
that identifies each item of redacted information and specifies an
appropriate identifier that uniquely corresponds to each item listed.
The list must be filed under seal and may be amended as of
right. Any reference in the case to a listed identifier will be construed
to refer to the corresponding item of information.
(h) Waiver of Protection of Identifiers. A person waives the protection of Rule 49.1(a) as to the person’s own information by filing
it without redaction and not under seal.

(As added Apr. 30, 2007, eff. Dec. 1, 2007.)
Fed R. Bankr. P. 9037

Rule 9037. Privacy Protection For Filings Made with the Court
(a) REDACTED FILINGS. Unless the court orders otherwise, in an
electronic or paper filing made with the court that contains an individual's social-security number, taxpayer-identification
number, or birth date, the name of an individual, other than the debtor,
known to be and identified as a minor, or a financial-account
number, a party or nonparty making the filing may include only:

(1) the last four digits of the social-security number and tax-

payer-identification number;

(2) the year of the individual's birth;
(3) the minor’s initials; and
(4) the last four digits of the financial-account number.
(b) EXEMPTIONS FROM THE REDACTION REQUIREMENT. The redaction requirement does not apply to the following:

(1) a financial-account number that identifies the property

allegedly subject to forfeiture in a forfeiture proceeding;

(2) the record of an administrative or agency proceeding unless

filed with a proof of claim;

(3) the official record of a state-court proceeding;
(4) the record of a court or tribunal, if that record was not

subject to the redaction requirement when originally filed;

(5) a filing covered by subdivision (c) of this rule; and
(6) a filing that is subject to § 110 of the Code.
(c) FILINGS MADE UNDER SEAL. The court may order that a filing
be made under seal without redaction. The court may later unseal
the filing or order the entity that made the filing to file a redacted
version for the public record.
(d) PROTECTIVE ORDERS. For cause, the court may by order in a
case under the Code:

(1) require redaction of additional information; or
(2) limit or prohibit a nonparty’s remote electronic access to

a document filed with the court.
(e) OPTION FOR ADDITIONAL UNREDACTED FILING UNDER SEAL. An entity making a redacted filing may also file an unredacted copy
under seal. The court must retain the unredacted copy as part of
the record.
(f) OPTION FOR FILING A REFERENCE LIST. A filing that contains
redacted information may be filed together with a reference list
that identifies each item of redacted information and specifies an
appropriate identifier that uniquely corresponds to each item listed.
The list must be filed under seal and may be amended as of
right. Any reference in the case to a listed identifier will be construed
to refer to the corresponding item of information.
(g) WAIVER OF PROTECTION OF IDENTIFIERS. An entity waives the protection of subdivision (a) as to the entity's own
information by filing it without redaction and not under seal.

(Added Apr. 30, 2007, eff. Dec. 1, 2007.)

Privacy Policies

Local Privacy Protection Rules

Federal Privacy Protection Rules

Fed. R. App. P. 25(a)(5)

Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2

Fed. R. Crim. P. 49.1

Fed R. Bankr. P. 9037