eCourts vs NYSCEF: What’s the Difference?
New York attorneys and litigants often confuse eCourts and NYSCEF. They are two separate systems from the New York State Unified Court System — one for case information, one for electronic filing. Here’s how they differ and how they work together.
New York attorneys use multiple online portals to manage litigation. Two of the most commonly confused are eCourts and NYSCEF — separate systems maintained by the New York State Unified Court System, each serving a distinct purpose.
eCourts vs NYSCEF, side by side
| Feature | eCourts | NYSCEF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | New York eCourts | NY State Courts Electronic Filing System |
| Primary purpose | Case information lookup, appearance scheduling, attorney appearance filing | Electronic filing and service of court documents |
| Who uses it | Attorneys, litigants, court staff | Attorneys, registered pro se litigants |
| Login required | Yes for attorney functions (much lookup is public) | Yes (separate NYSCEF registration) |
| File documents | No | Yes |
| View case info | Yes | Partial (NYSCEF-filed documents only) |
| Criminal cases | Yes | Limited |
| Civil cases | Yes | Yes |
| Official portal | eCourts (WebCivil) ↗ | iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef ↗ |
How they work together
Most New York civil litigators use both systems in parallel. eCourts shows you court appearance dates, part assignments, and case-status information maintained by the court clerk. NYSCEF is where you actually file your motion papers, affirmations, and other documents. A case that is mandatory e-filed in NYSCEF will still appear in eCourts — the two systems draw on the same underlying case records but display different information and serve different functions.
Which system do I need?
- I want to check my court date → eCourts
- I want to file motion papers → NYSCEF
- I want to look up a case index number → either (eCourts or NYSCEF guest search)
- I want to view filed documents → NYSCEF guest search
- I want to check if e-filing is mandatory in my county → Eligibility Checker
- I need to register to file electronically → NYSCEF registration