Court e-filing systems typically impose strict PDF size limits — 5 MB, 10 MB, or 25 MB depending on the jurisdiction. Here is how to compress legal PDFs to meet these requirements without losing readability.
Before compressing, check your court's e-filing portal for the exact size limit. Common limits: Federal courts (PACER): 10 MB per document. State courts: varies from 5 MB to 25 MB. Some courts allow multiple smaller filings if a document exceeds the limit.
Upload your legal document. Start with Good compression. Check the result size. If still over the limit, use Strong.
Tip: For scanned documents (common in legal filings), Strong compression typically reduces size by 60–80% while keeping text legible for printed or screen review.
If the document remains over the limit after Strong compression, split it into volumes at pdfeditor.onl/organize-pdf. File each volume separately with sequential titles (Exhibit A - Part 1 of 2, Part 2 of 2).
After compressing, open the PDF at 150% zoom and verify all text, exhibits, and signatures remain clearly legible. Courts may reject illegible documents.
Good compression is the safest for court filings — it reduces size significantly while maintaining excellent readability. Use Strong only if Good is insufficient to meet the limit.
Yes — completely free at pdfeditor.onl/compress-pdf.