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Privacy Requirements

Information to be Redacted

In accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2 and Fed. R. Crim. P. 49.1, the parties must refrain from including or must redact the following information from all documents not submitted under seal:

  • Full Social Security numbers. If an individual’s Social Security number must be included in a document, only the last four digits of the number should be used.
  • Taxpayer identification numbers. If an individual’s taxpayer identification number must be included in a document, only the last four digits of the number should be used.
  • Names of minor children. If a minor child must be mentioned, only the initials of the child should be used.
  • Full dates of birth unless essential to a claim or defense. It is acceptable to disclose an age or year of birth if relevant.
  • Full financial account numbers. If financial account numbers are relevant, only the last four digits of the number should be used.

Enforcement

It is the responsibility of counsel and the parties to redact these personal identifiers. The Clerk’s Office does not screen documents and cannot reject them solely on the basis that they contain personal identifiers.

However, on its own initiative or at the request of a party, the Court may strike the document, direct other corrective action, and/or impose sanctions on any party failing to redact such information.