Supreme Court e-Filing: How to File and Check Status Online (2026)

How-to · Supreme Court e-Filing

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

You have a petition ready, but the filing process is where many people lose time: which portal, which login, what to upload, and how to know the Registry has actually received it. The Supreme Court e-Filing portal lets advocates and parties file cases and documents online and then track them by diary number on sci.gov.in. You register, create a case, upload documents, pay court fees and submit, after which a diary number is generated. This guide walks through each step in plain language, last verified in October 2026.

01Why Supreme Court filing feels hard

Filing in the Supreme Court is a different exercise from filing in a High Court or a district court. The rules are strict, the Registry checks every filing, and a small defect can send your matter back to you.

Several logins and several systems

The Supreme Court has its own e-Filing system, separate from the eCourts services used in other courts. People often search for the wrong portal, or try to use a High Court login here. Each court system has its own registration, so start from the official Supreme Court site.

Defects slow everything down

After you submit, the Registry scrutinises the filing. If something is missing or not in the right format, it is marked as a defect and you must cure it. Filing early and filing clean saves days.

Knowing where your matter stands

Once you submit, the next worry is whether it was accepted. The answer sits in one number, the diary number. If you lose it, you lose the easiest way to follow your matter.

In the Supreme Court, the diary number is the thread that connects your filing to your case. Note it the moment it is generated.

02E-filing vs physical filing

E-filing means you prepare and submit your case online, while physical filing means you submit paper documents at the Registry counter.

The Supreme Court e-Filing portal is the online route. It lets you fill in details, upload documents, pay court fees and submit from anywhere. Physical filing still exists as an alternative route. The portal FAQs describe the online system as a way of filing, and they do not make a general statement that every filing must be online.

For most advocates, e-filing saves travel and lets you prepare a filing over several sittings.

03Before you start

A little preparation avoids most problems on the portal.

Know which user type you are

The portal supports Advocates-on-Record (AORs), registered Advocates and Parties-in-Person. Advocates need approval from an AOR to activate access, while Party-in-Person registrations are approved automatically, according to the official FAQs. Intervenors can also file.

Keep these ready

• A working mobile number, used for registration and password setup.
• A strong password: at least 8 characters, with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number and a special character.
• The petition, annexures and index, scanned or exported as clear PDFs.
• Details of the earlier courts and the impugned order, if your matter arises from one.
• A payment method for court fees: debit card, credit card, UPI or net banking.

Court fees paid successfully online cannot be refunded or moved to another case, according to the portal FAQs, so check the amount before you pay.

04Step-by-step: how to e-file in the Supreme Court

Here is the full flow, from registration to submission.

Step 1: Register

Open sci.gov.in and click the E-Filing icon on the front page. This takes you to the Supreme Court e-Filing portal. Choose your user type and register with your details and mobile number. Parties-in-Person register on their own. Advocates wait for AOR approval.

Step 2: Log in and start a new filing

After login, click the +NEW button and choose Case from the dropdown to start a new matter.

Step 3: Fill in the case details

The form is split into tabs: Case Detail, Petitioner, Respondent, Earlier Courts, Upload Document and Index, and Pay Court Fee. Fill each one carefully. Your work is saved as a draft in your cases list, so you can edit it many times and return later.

Step 4: Upload documents and the index

In the upload tab, add your petition, annexures and index as PDFs. Name and order them clearly. A messy upload is a common reason for defects.

Step 5: Pay the court fee

Go to the fee tab and pay online. The gateway accepts debit cards, credit cards, UPI and net banking.

Step 6: Submit for e-filing

When every tab is complete and the payment is successful, click Submit for E-Filing. The system then generates your diary number and passes the matter to the Registry for processing.

Step 7: Note the diary number

Write down the diary number and keep the acknowledgement. You need it for every status check. For help with portal errors, the official contact is the e-filing support email listed on the portal.

05From diary number to case number

A diary number is the first number the Supreme Court gives your filing, and it is not the same as the case number.

The flow works in three stages. First, you submit and the system generates a diary number. Second, the Registry scrutinises the filing. If there are defects, you cure them and re-submit. Third, once the Registry accepts the matter and registers it, it receives a regular case number, and the diary number stays linked to it for tracking.

Because the diary number exists before the case number, it is the right number to use while your matter is still in scrutiny. To understand what it is and how it connects to your case, read what a diary number is in the Supreme Court.

If you track many matters across courts, you may also want to know how court case status is shown more broadly. See what DCMS court case status means.

06How to check status after filing

You can check the status of a filed matter on the e-Filing dashboard and on sci.gov.in using the diary number.

On the e-Filing dashboard

Your dashboard shows e-filed matters and cases listed soon. You can see the scrutiny status, any defects raised, and the name of the Dealing Assistant handling the file. The portal FAQs say these details refresh about every 15 minutes, so allow some time before you worry.

On sci.gov.in

Use the case status option on the Supreme Court website and search by diary number. You can also search by case number once the matter is registered, or by party name.

What to do if there is a defect

Read the defect note, correct the document, and re-submit through the portal. Act quickly, because uncured defects hold up listing.

If you need status for many matters, or want it inside your own software, see litigation monitoring through an API and the best court record check APIs in India.

07Common mistakes to avoid

Most delays come from a handful of avoidable errors.

• Using the wrong portal. The Supreme Court has its own e-Filing system. Start from sci.gov.in.
• Unclear scans. Blurry or cropped PDFs lead to defects.
• Paying before checking. Court fees paid online cannot be refunded or moved to another case.
• Losing the diary number. Save it in your matter file the moment it appears.
• Ignoring defect notices. Check the dashboard often after submission.
• Weak passwords. The portal enforces the password rules, so choose one you can remember.

08Where Claw fits

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

Claw does not replace the Supreme Court e-Filing portal. You still file on the official portal. What Claw helps with is the part after filing: once you have your diary number, you can track the matter in Claw instead of checking the portal again and again. Claw offers a free plan for individual advocates, and Claw does not use customer case documents to train AI models.

Case tracking in Claw covers 8200+ courts, including the Supreme Court, with auto case updates, a calendar, cause lists and WhatsApp and email alerts. Create a free account, add your matter by diary number, and follow it from filing to listing.

09Sources and further reading

Official sources used for this guide, last verified in October 2026:

• Supreme Court of India: sci.gov.in
• Supreme Court e-Filing page: sci.gov.in/e-filing
• Supreme Court e-Filing portal: efiling.sci.gov.in
• Supreme Court e-Filing FAQs: efiling3.sci.gov.in FAQs
• Claw: clawlaw.in

Portal screens and rules can change. Always confirm the latest steps on the official portal before you file.

10Frequently asked questions