File or Upload OAH Case Documents

Register New Account

• Go to the SFT site, https://www.applications.dgs.ca.gov/OAH/OAHSFTWeb, and select the "Register" link.
• On the Register page, enter your first name, last name, phone number, email, password, and confirm password.
  • The password must be at least six characters long, but no more than 15 characters, and must contain one upper case letter, one lower case letter, one number and one special character.
• Once you select the "Register" button, you will receive a confirmation notification and an activation email will be sent to the email address you provided.
• Upon receiving the activation email, select the "here" link to activate your new SFT account.
• The link will re-route you to the Account Activation page.
  • Enter the email, password and confirm password to activate new account.
  • Select the "Activate" button.
• The Active Account Confirmation page will appear, after successfully entering in your active account information.
  • Select the "click here to log in" link to log in.
• You will be re-routed to the SFT Log In page.
  • Log in, with your email and password, one final time, to complete the registration process.
• You are now ready to start using the OAH Secure e-File Transfer system.

If you have difficulty registering your account, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section for more help.

Log In

• Go to the SFT site and select the "Log In" link.
• On the Log In page,
  
  • Enter your previously registered email and password.
  • Select the "Log In" button.
• Upon successfully logging in, you will be ready to start using the OAH SFT to send PDF documents to OAH or receive documents from OAH.

Reset a Forgotten Password

• Go to SFT site  and select the "Log In" link.
• Select the "Forgot Your Password?" link.  
  • The "Forgot Your Password" link will allow you to reset your password, if you are not able to log in, with your previously registered email.
• You will be re-routed to the Forgot Your Password page
  • Enter the email you have previously registered.
  • Select the "Email Link" button to receive a reset password email.
• An email message will be sent to the email address you entered.
  • Open the email and select the "here" link to reset your password.
• You will be re-routed to the Reset Password page.
  • Enter your email, new password, and confirm password. Remember to follow the requirements for a password, as set forth in the section for registration of a new account, on this webpage.
  • Select the "Reset" button to reset your password.
• You will be re-routed the Reset Password Confirmation page.
  • Select the "click here to log in" link to log in with your new password.
• On the Log in page, enter your previously registered email and new reset password.
• Upon successfully logging in, you will be ready to start using the OAH Secure e-File to send PDF documents to OAH or receive documents from OAH.

Upload Files

• Go to the SFT site and select the "Log In" link.
• On the Log In page, 
  • Enter your previously registered email and password.
  • Select the "Log In" button.
• Once you have successfully logged in, go the "Upload File" tab.  
• Select the OAH Program associated with your case.
• Next, select the OAH Office associated with your case.
• Select the Document Type from the list provided.
• Please enter the Case Number and Name, if known.  
  • Type "unknown" in the case number/name fields, if unknown.
• The Additional Case Information comment section is optional
  • This area can used to enter any additional information about the file or files being submitted.
• Click on the "Select files..." button to begin selecting PDF files to upload.  
  • Each file must be in PDF format and may not exceed 10 MB.  
  • Up to five files may be uploaded at one time.
• Find the PDF file or files you want to upload.
• Once the file or files have been selected, the "Clear" and "Upload" buttons will appear.  
  • Select "Upload" to send the files to OAH.
  • The "Clear" button resets the upload page.
• A confirmation notice will appear if the upload was successful.
  • In addition, a confirmation email from OAHSecureEFile@dgs.ca.gov will be sent to the email account of the registered user that uploaded the file.
• To return the Upload file tab, select the link, Click here to go back to the upload page.

View my Files

• You will receive an email notification when OAH sends you a document.
  • The notification will go to the email you have registered.
  • To view the document, you will need to log in to the SFT with your registered account or register a new account.
• Go to SFT site and select the "Log In" link.
• On the Log In page, 
  • Enter your previously registered email and password.
  • Select the "Log In" button.
• Once you have successfully logged in, go the "View my Files" tab.  
  • A list of all documents sent to your SFT account will appear. 
• Select the "View Comments" button, to read any OAH comments, regarding the document you have received.
  • A pop up window will appear with the OAH comments.
• To open the document, click anywhere on the document's row.
  • Depending on the web browser you are using, you may have select additional pop-up notifications to open the document.  
• Once the document launches, you will need to save it or print it for your own records.
• IMPORTANT NOTICE
  • Files in your View my Files tab will expire and not be accessible after 90 days from the date they are sent.
  • The column labeled "Availability until" provides the date the file will expire.  

Change Your Password

• Go to the SFT site and select the "Log In" link.
• On the Log In page, 
  • Enter your previously registered email and password.
  • Select the "Log In" button.
• Once you have successfully logged in, go the "Change Password" tab.  
• Type in your current password.
• Type in the new password.
• Type in the confirmation of the password.
• Select the "Reset" button.
• A Change Password Confirmation will appear upon successfully changing your password.
  • Select the "click here to go to log in page" link to log in
• From the Log in page, you will need to log in with your registered email and new password. 

When submitting documents by e-File all parties must follow the specific guidelines identified below.  Failure to follow these guidelines may result in the document being rejected by the SFT system.  If rejected by the SFT system the document will not be considered by OAH. 

GUIDELINES FOR DOCUMENT FILE NAMES: 

The name under which a document is saved, also referred to as "file name," may affect your ability to upload a document using the SFT. "File name" is different than the name you may have on the document as the title for the document. Please be sure that the name under which a document is saved does not include any of the following symbols:

If the title under which the document has been saved contains one or more of these symbols any attempt to upload the document will result in an error message. 

File Name Character Limit

File names have a maximum limit of 100 characters (this includes the .pdf extension, spaces, and punctuation).

Example:Thisxisxaxtestxtoxseexhowxmanyxcharactersxwexcanxfitxintoxaxfile xnamexinxthexSecurexeFile0123456.pdf

Size and Format of the Document to Be Uploaded

• All documents must be submitted in pdf format. There are many free online programs for converting a document to pdf format and may be located by typing "free pdf converter" into the search field in any browser. Please make sure that the pdf is in a non-protected format and has "pdf" at the end of the file path name and not "PDF".
• The document itself must not exceed 10 MB.  Documents larger than 10 MB may be split into parts.
• When submitting multiple documents, or a document split into parts, the entire "package" must not exceed 50 MB.  If it is larger than 50 MB please upload and send one part at a time. 
• When splitting a document into parts you should: (1) submit a cover page notifying OAH that the document is being submitted in parts; include a cover page with each part; (2) State that the document is being submitted in parts in the comment box of the SFT; (3) Each file name should be exactly the same by marked clearly with the addition of "part one of two" or "1 of 2"
• When filing more than one document, please upload and send only one document at a time to ensure that the documents are processed correctly.
• All pages should be numbered sequentially and must be letter size (8 1/2 x 11) in size.
• For scanned documents (such as exhibits) send in black and white only, with a DPI setting of 300.

Instructions:

1. Complete the form.

2. Requestor information:

Enter the firm/agency name. requestor’s name, telephone number and the program(s) to which this form will apply.

3. Method of Service.

Select the method of service and complete the contact information as applicable. Remove previous names.

4. Terms and Conditions.

Read the terms and conditions. Select a condition in which this form will apply. Complete the signature authorizing service of process.

5. Submit the completed form using the Office of Administrative Hearings SecureFile Transfer System at:

https://www.applications.dgs.ca.gov/oah/oahsftweb.

6. One agreement must be submitted per person, per LEA, or per Governmental Agency or Law Firm, as applicable.

NOTE: As with all blank forms, please down load the blank form and save it to your desktop before filling in the form.

1. How may I resolve issues with my password?

The password must be at least six characters long, but must not exceed 15 characters. The password must contain one upper case letter, one lower case letter, one number and one special character. Do not use “%”. Here is an example of an appropriate password: #Password2018. Additionally, some uses have also encountered issues using “@” and “&” characters.

2.  I have registered, have received confirmation that I have registered, but I am not getting an email to activate my account.  How may I resolve this?

This issue will arise if there is an error in the email used to register the account. To confirm that this is the issue, contact OAH and ask staff to check the registration by searching under the phone number, if one was registered with the account. Staff may also search by the user’s name.

Try to re-register the account. On several occasions, simply re-registering the email account will fix the problem. A new activation email will be sent out and you can begin the activation process.

You have a total of 6 attempts at your password before you are locked out. You will receive an email stating that your account has been locked because of multiple failed attempts to log in. If you received an email stating that you have been locked out and must wait 2 hours before attempting to log in, please wait the 2 hours. Any further attempts to log in will only reset the 2 hour waiting period. This is a security feature of the system and can’t be bypassed. 

1. What type of document should I choose?

Information to assist in choosing the correct document when uploading it to the SFT System is set forth on this website page. Please locate the section above that pertains to the program to which you wish to submit your document.

2. What if I do not know the OAH Case Number or the Case Name?

If you do not know the OAH Case Number of Case Name, please type "unknown" in the respective fields.

3. What if my document will not upload?

If your document will not upload please review the formatting guidelines set forth on this website page, such the naming guidelines, document size, etc. Remember that a document may be only a few pages but have hidden features that make it larger than 10 MB.

4. What if I want to upload more than one document for submission at the same time?

You can submit up to 5 uploaded documents at one time. All documents to be submitted at the same time must be for the same program. For example, if you upload one document for Special Education, but then attempt to select another document to be uploaded for a General Jurisdiction matter, when you change your settings for the second document you will also change the settings for the prior selected document. The best practice is to select the documents you wish to upload for one program and then complete the upload, before uploading the documents for another program.

All documents to be submitted at the same time must be for the same case number for the same reason as described above in reference to the program selected.

The documents uploaded must have different file names. For example, if you select the first document with a file name, “Request for Due Process Hearing” you cannot select a second document file named, “Request for Due Process Hearing”. You may, however, title the second document file, “Req. for Due Process”. If you do have two documents with the exact same file name the system will say that the file is already in the system.

1.   How can the same document go to multiple emails within a law firm? Can I, as a client, receive copies of documents sent to my attorney?

In instances where an attorney represents only one client, such as an in-house attorney for a school district, additional email addresses may be added to that attorney’s contact information, depending on the program. Additional emails may only be added if those emails are within the same law firm as the attorney. For example, an attorney may not add the client’s contact information.

For Special Education email addresses for members of a law firm may be added to each attorney’s contact information by placing a phone call to the case manager or by completing a Special Education Consent to Electronic Service Agreement (SE-CESA), which may be sent by U.S. mail or by Secure e-File System. Clients of an attorney may not be added to that entity but attorneys may request the case manager send a courtesy copy to the client when documents are sent to the attorney. Requests made by email will not be processed. 

For General Jurisdiction matters a CESA form must be completed for all requests to add an email to the contact information for all persons and entities beyond the direct email of the entity or person. The CESA form must be submitted by U.S. mail or by the Secure e-File System. Requests submitted by email or by telephone will not be processed.

2.   How do I view documents after they are sent to me?

When a document is sent from OAH, you will receive an email advising you to log into the OAH Secure e-File site with a link in the email: “Office of Administrative Hearings site.” Click on this link and log in to your account. Once logged in you will see a screen that has three tabs near the top of the screen (just under the blue bar). These tabs include “Upload File,” “View my Files” and “Change Password.” Click on “View my Files.” Find the document with the most recent date in the “Created” column and double click on that document. The document will not appear on the screen. The document will download to your computer. On most computers, a number in a box will appear at the bottom of your screen in the downloaded documents field. Click on the box and your document will open.

Remember that these documents will only be available for viewing in the SFT system for 30 days from the date the document was sent to you.  It is advisable to save the document to your own desktop or documents.

3.  How do I view documents previously sent to me?

Go to the SFT site and log in using your email and password. Once logged in you will see a screen that has three tabs near the top of the screen (just under the blue bar). These tabs include “Upload File”, “View my Files”, and “Change Password”. Click on “View my Files”. Find the document you wish to view and double click on that document. The document will not appear on the screen. The document will download to your computer. On most computers, a number in a box will appear at the bottom of your screen in the downloaded documents field. Click on the box and your document will open. 

Documents will only be viewable for 30 days from the date the email is sent. Parties are encouraged to save the downloaded document to their own computer system or print a hard copy.

4. When I try to open a document I cannot view it and the file extension shows “.txt”. How may I open this in a PDF format so I may view it?

This situation usually only occurs when using a Mac/Apple or iOS based operating system. 

First, confirm that the browser you are using is the most recent version of either Google Chrome or Firefox. If using Internet Explorer you will need Version 11 or newer. 

If that does not resolve the issue, be sure that Adobe Acrobat has been installed on your system. Save the document to your desktop as FileName.pdftxt. Next, rename the file as FileName.pdf. This will remove the “txt” suffix. After removing the “txt” from the file extension, the document will open as a regular PDF.

5. I received notification that a document has been sent to me, but when I log on, there is nothing in my “View My Files”.

The email address to which the document has been sent must match exactly the email address used to register the account. However, the email address for notification purposes is less restrictive, sometimes resulting in the situation where the notification is successfully delivered but the documents are not delivered. 

If the document is not yet in your View My Files section and you have received notification that a document has been sent to you, contact your local OAH office to confirm your email address on file. 

1.  Why am I unable to log into my registered account?

To access the Secure e-File system, you must have registered for an account. If you received an email notification that documents are available for download, but you have never registered an account in the Secure e-File, you won’t be able to log in. Register for an account, and then log in.

If you’ve registered for an account, confirm that you are using the correct email account and password. If that does not resolve the issue, it is possible that the registration process was not completed. Try to re-register the email. If the process was started but not completed, you will get an email stating, “The email address you entered is unavailable to use as an Office of Administrative Hearings account. If you are trying to reactivate your account, click here.” Follow the prompts to “reactivate” your account. 

If you continue to have difficulties logging into your account, you may need to refresh your system. We are constantly updating the SFT so your browser may be directing you to an old version of SFT. You may need to clear you cache and browsing history, then refresh your browser. You should also always check to make sure you are using the most up to date version of your browser

OAH's SFT and website do not support Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The supported browsers are Safari, Chrome, Edge and Firefox, in no particular order of preference.

2. I forgot my password, or suspect that the password I am using is not the same as the one I used to register.  How may I resolve this problem?

To reset your password follow the instructions for resetting your password which may be found on this website page.

When setting the new password select #Welcome1. When this process is completed, log in and then reset the password to a password of your choosing. This will help the system to recognize the new password. Once you have successfully logged in, go to the Change My Password tab and reset your password.

Do not use “%” as a special character in your new password. The password must be at least 6 characters long and should not exceed 15 characters. Also, do not use a previously used password. 

3.  I received an error message when I tried to reset my password.  How may I resolve this problem?

If you receive an error message when trying to reset your password, this may be because you currently do not have an active account. During the registration process you should have received an activation email to activate your account. If you have not activated your account, you will not be able to reset your password.

Please review the instructions set forth on this website page for registering a new account.

1. Can I still file documents with OAH by fax?

No. OAH is no longer accepting documents for filing by fax or from any nonsecure email. If a party is not able to either mail or send a document through the Secure e-File Transfer System then he or she should contact OAH. If the document you wish to submit is for an existing case, contact the case manager to discuss other available options. If the document is not for an existing case, either call OAH (General Jurisdiction: 916-263-0550; Special Education: 916-263-0880) or email using the Contact Us Quick Link on the OAH Home page of the website. When emailing to request assistance, do not reference any specific party other than yourself.

2. Can I mail or physically drop off documents to OAH?

Yes. Please go to OAH’s website to identify the appropriate mailing address for the program in which you are filing a document. These are also the locations at which you may physically drop off documents.

3. When do I need to submit a Consent to Electronic Service Agreement (CESA)?

For Special Education, a CESA may be filed at any time, and provides clarity and certainty as to who is entitled to receive documents for purposes of service of process. Local Education Agencies, such as school districts, must submit a CESA. For all other parties, however, a CESA is not required for Special Education parties or their attorneys.

For General Jurisdiction a CESA form must be completed for all requests to add or update an email to the contact information for all persons and entities beyond the direct email of the entity or person.

4. How do I view documents that I sent to OAH?

Documents filed by a party through the Secure e-File Transfer System are not viewable through this system. The SFT is intended solely for the secure transmittal of documents.

5. Can I serve other parties using the Secure e-File Transfer System?

No. The SFT System only allows parties to securely file documents with OAH and for OAH to securely transmit documents to parties. The system does not have the capability for service of documents between parties. If a party files with OAH via the SFT, they must also serve that document to all parties using their general business practice of service (i.e. fax, email, mail, etc.). You must contact the other parties for information on how to serve them.

6. How come I cannot see the documents the other parties filed?

Documents filed with OAH are not viewable by the parties.

7. What do the “Export to PDF” and “Export to Excel” buttons do?

The “Export to PDF” and “Export to Excel” buttons are document management tools available in the system. The buttons start an export of the document listing. To view a document, follow the instructions in number two of the “Issues Regarding Receipt of Documents Sent By OAH” section above.

8. What happens when I respond to the Secure e-File email? (OAHSecureeFile@dgs.ca.gov)

 All email communications to the OAHSecureeFile@dgs.ca.gov email address are not accepted for any topics other than difficulties with the SFT System itself. This email address is for trouble shooting the SFT System only.

To upload your document you must use the SFT System at https://www.applications.dgs.ca.gov/oah/oahsftweb to file your request the correct way. Users can go to the OAH website section entitled SFT System for more information or the OAH SFT website and create their user accounts. You may also contact your local OAH office for any other questions or comments.

9. I am getting “File upload error! Only PDF files are allowed”, but my file is a PDF.

There is a difference in files with the extension “.PDF” (letters capitalized) and the extension “.pdf” (lower case letters). The SFT system does not recognize files with capitalized PDF. The quick fix to this is to rename your pdf files with lower case letters, pdf.