Federal Civil Cover Sheet (JS-44 Worksheet and Guide)
FEDERAL CIVIL COVER SHEET — JS-44 COMPLETION GUIDE AND WORKSHEET
IMPORTANT NOTES
Purpose: The JS-44 Civil Cover Sheet is required for initiating a civil action in U.S. District Court. It is submitted with the complaint but is not itself a pleading. Its purpose is to enable the court to maintain statistical data and assign the case to the appropriate division and judge.
Current Version: Use the Rev. 03/24 (March 2024) version of Form JS-44, available at: https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/js_044_-_civil_cover_sheet_1.pdf. Some districts have locally modified versions — check the assigned district's website.
How to Use This Worksheet: Complete this worksheet, then transfer the information to the official JS-44 form. This worksheet also serves as a reference document for the case file.
Local Variations: Many districts have supplemental civil cover sheet requirements or use a different local form (e.g., NDGA, EDNY). Always check the specific district's filing requirements.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE [________________________________] DISTRICT OF [________________________________]
[________________________________ DIVISION]
Case Title: [________________________________] v. [________________________________]
Date Filed: [__/__/____]
Assigned Case No.: [____________________] (assigned upon filing)
Assigned Judge: [________________________________] (assigned upon filing)
SECTION I — PLAINTIFFS AND DEFENDANTS
Plaintiffs (JS-44 Section I, Left Column)
| No. | Name | County of Residence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [________________________________] | [________________________________] County, [State] |
| 2 | [________________________________] | [________________________________] County, [State] |
If the plaintiff is a corporation, partnership, or other entity: List principal place of business county and state.
If the U.S. Government is a plaintiff: Enter "U.S. Government" in name field; county field N/A.
Attorneys for Plaintiffs:
Name: [________________________________]
Bar No.: [____________________]
Firm: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
Phone: ([____]) [____]-[________]
Email: [________________________________]
Defendants (JS-44 Section I, Right Column)
| No. | Name | County of Residence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [________________________________] | [________________________________] County, [State] |
| 2 | [________________________________] | [________________________________] County, [State] |
Note: For diversity purposes, a corporation is deemed a citizen of (1) any state where it is incorporated and (2) the state where it has its principal place of business. 28 U.S.C. § 1332(c)(1).
Attorneys for Defendants (if known at filing):
Name: [________________________________]
Firm: [________________________________]
Phone: ([____]) [____]-[________]
SECTION II — BASIS OF JURISDICTION
Place an "X" in ONE box only.
Box 1 — U.S. Government Plaintiff (28 U.S.C. § 1345)
☐ 1 — U.S. Government as Plaintiff. The United States, a U.S. agency, or a U.S. officer/employee is the plaintiff. Select this box for cases where the federal government has initiated the action. [Do NOT complete citizenship section below.]
Box 2 — U.S. Government Defendant (28 U.S.C. § 1346)
☐ 2 — U.S. Government as Defendant. The United States, a U.S. agency, or a U.S. officer is a defendant. Note: For Federal Tort Claims Act cases. [Do NOT complete citizenship section below.]
Box 3 — Federal Question (28 U.S.C. § 1331)
☐ 3 — Federal Question. The action arises under the U.S. Constitution, a treaty, or a federal statute. Examples: civil rights claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983; patent infringement; ERISA; securities fraud; antitrust; RICO. [Do NOT complete citizenship section below.]
Federal Statute / Constitutional Provision at Issue: [________________________________]
Box 4 — Diversity of Citizenship (28 U.S.C. § 1332)
☐ 4 — Diversity. No party is a citizen of the same state as any opposing party, AND the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000 exclusive of interest and costs. [Complete citizenship section below.]
Amount in Controversy: $[________________________________] (must exceed $75,000)
SECTION III — CITIZENSHIP OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES
(Complete ONLY if Box 4 — Diversity is selected)
Instructions: Place an "X" in ONE box for Plaintiff and ONE box for Defendant.
| Plaintiff | Defendant | |
|---|---|---|
| PTF/DEF 1 — Citizen of This State | ☐ | ☐ |
| (Domiciled in the state where this suit is filed) | ||
| PTF/DEF 2 — Citizen of Another State | ☐ | ☐ |
| (Domiciled in a different state from the forum) | ||
| PTF/DEF 3 — Citizen or Subject of a Foreign Country | ☐ | ☐ |
| (Non-U.S. citizen residing abroad) | ||
| PTF/DEF 4 — Incorporated and Principal Place of Business in This State | ☐ | ☐ |
| (Corporation incorporated in forum state AND HQ in forum state) | ||
| PTF/DEF 5 — Incorporated in Another State; Principal Place of Business in This State | ☐ | ☐ |
| PTF/DEF 6 — Incorporated and Principal Place of Business in Another State | ☐ | ☐ |
| PTF/DEF 7 — Citizen or Subject of a Foreign Country | ☐ | ☐ |
| (Alien; incorporated in a foreign country) |
Plaintiff Citizenship: [State/Country]: [________________________________]
Defendant Citizenship: [State/Country]: [________________________________]
SECTION IV — NATURE OF SUIT
Select the ONE code that best describes the nature of the suit. Place an "X" in the box.
CONTRACT (Codes 110–199)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 110 | Insurance | ☐ |
| 120 | Marine | ☐ |
| 130 | Miller Act | ☐ |
| 140 | Negotiable Instrument | ☐ |
| 150 | Recovery of Overpayment & Enforcement of Judgment | ☐ |
| 151 | Medicare Act | ☐ |
| 152 | Recovery of Defaulted Student Loans (excl. veterans) | ☐ |
| 153 | Recovery of Overpayment of Veteran's Benefits | ☐ |
| 160 | Stockholders' Suits | ☐ |
| 190 | Other Contract | ☐ |
| 195 | Contract Product Liability | ☐ |
| 196 | Franchise | ☐ |
REAL PROPERTY (Codes 210–299)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 210 | Land Condemnation | ☐ |
| 220 | Foreclosure | ☐ |
| 230 | Rent, Lease & Ejectment | ☐ |
| 240 | Torts to Land | ☐ |
| 245 | Tort Product Liability | ☐ |
| 290 | All Other Real Property | ☐ |
TORTS — PERSONAL INJURY (Codes 310–369)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 310 | Airplane | ☐ |
| 315 | Airplane Product Liability | ☐ |
| 320 | Assault, Libel & Slander | ☐ |
| 330 | Federal Employers' Liability | ☐ |
| 340 | Marine | ☐ |
| 345 | Marine Product Liability | ☐ |
| 350 | Motor Vehicle | ☐ |
| 355 | Motor Vehicle Product Liability | ☐ |
| 360 | Other Personal Injury | ☐ |
| 362 | Personal Injury — Medical Malpractice | ☐ |
| 365 | Personal Injury — Product Liability | ☐ |
| 367 | Health Care/Pharmaceutical Personal Injury Product Liability | ☐ |
| 368 | Asbestos Personal Injury Product Liability | ☐ |
TORTS — PERSONAL PROPERTY (Codes 370–380)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 370 | Other Fraud | ☐ |
| 371 | Truth in Lending | ☐ |
| 380 | Other Personal Property Damage | ☐ |
| 385 | Property Damage Product Liability | ☐ |
CIVIL RIGHTS (Codes 440–448)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 440 | Other Civil Rights | ☐ |
| 441 | Voting | ☐ |
| 442 | Employment | ☐ |
| 443 | Housing/Accommodations | ☐ |
| 444 | Welfare | ☐ |
| 445 | Americans with Disabilities — Employment | ☐ |
| 446 | Americans with Disabilities — Other | ☐ |
| 448 | Education | ☐ |
IMMIGRATION (Codes 462–465)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 462 | Naturalization Application | ☐ |
| 463 | Habeas Corpus — Alien Detainee | ☐ |
| 465 | Other Immigration Actions | ☐ |
PRISONER PETITIONS (Codes 510–555)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 510 | Motions to Vacate Sentence (28 U.S.C. § 2255) | ☐ |
| 530 | General Habeas Corpus | ☐ |
| 535 | Death Penalty | ☐ |
| 540 | Mandamus & Other | ☐ |
| 550 | Civil Rights (Prisoner) | ☐ |
| 555 | Prison Condition | ☐ |
FORFEITURE/PENALTY (Codes 610–699)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 625 | Drug Related Seizure of Property (21 U.S.C. § 881) | ☐ |
| 690 | Other Forfeiture/Penalty | ☐ |
LABOR (Codes 710–799)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 710 | Fair Labor Standards Act | ☐ |
| 720 | Labor/Management Relations | ☐ |
| 740 | Railway Labor Act | ☐ |
| 751 | Family and Medical Leave Act | ☐ |
| 790 | Other Labor Litigation | ☐ |
| 791 | Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) | ☐ |
PROPERTY RIGHTS (Codes 820–899)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 820 | Copyrights | ☐ |
| 830 | Patent | ☐ |
| 835 | Patent — Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) | ☐ |
| 840 | Trademark | ☐ |
| 880 | Defend Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. § 1836) | ☐ |
SOCIAL SECURITY (Codes 861–865)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 861 | HIA (1395ff) | ☐ |
| 862 | Black Lung (923) | ☐ |
| 863 | DIWC/DIWW (405(g)) | ☐ |
| 864 | SSID Title XVI | ☐ |
| 865 | RSI (405(g)) | ☐ |
FEDERAL TAX SUITS (Codes 870–875)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 870 | Taxes (U.S. Plaintiff or Defendant) | ☐ |
| 871 | IRS — Third Party (26 U.S.C. § 7609) | ☐ |
OTHER STATUTES (Codes 375–899)
| Code | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 375 | False Claims Act | ☐ |
| 376 | Qui Tam (31 U.S.C. § 3729(a)) | ☐ |
| 400 | State Reapportionment | ☐ |
| 410 | Antitrust | ☐ |
| 430 | Banks and Banking | ☐ |
| 450 | Commerce | ☐ |
| 460 | Deportation | ☐ |
| 470 | Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) | ☐ |
| 480 | Consumer Credit (15 U.S.C. §§ 1681, 1692) | ☐ |
| 485 | Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) | ☐ |
| 490 | Cable/Satellite TV | ☐ |
| 850 | Securities/Commodities/Exchange | ☐ |
| 890 | Other Statutory Actions | ☐ |
| 891 | Agricultural Acts | ☐ |
| 893 | Environmental Matters | ☐ |
| 895 | Freedom of Information Act | ☐ |
| 896 | Arbitration | ☐ |
| 899 | Administrative Procedure Act/Review or Appeal of Agency Decision | ☐ |
| 950 | Constitutionality of State Statutes | ☐ |
Selected Nature of Suit Code: [____] — [________________________________]
SECTION V — ORIGIN
Place an "X" in ONE box only.
| Box | Description | Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Original Proceeding | Action filed for the first time in federal district court | ☐ |
| 2 — Removed from State Court | Action originally filed in state court; now removed under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1441–1446 | ☐ |
| 3 — Remanded from Appellate Court | Action remanded from a U.S. Court of Appeals | ☐ |
| 4 — Reinstated or Reopened | Previously dismissed/closed case reopened | ☐ |
| 5 — Transferred from Another District | Transferred under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) or § 1406(a) | ☐ |
| 6 — Multidistrict Litigation — Transfer | MDL transfer to this district | ☐ |
| 8 — Multidistrict Litigation — Direct File | Direct filing in MDL | ☐ |
If Box 2 (Removal): State court case number: [____________________]
State court: [________________________________]
SECTION VI — CAUSE OF ACTION
Cite the U.S. Civil Statute under which you are filing and write a brief description of the cause of action.
Statutory citation: [________________________________]
(e.g., 28 U.S.C. § 1332; 42 U.S.C. § 1983; 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.; 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a))
Brief description of cause of action:
[________________________________]
(e.g., "Diversity jurisdiction — breach of written contract for failure to pay $[amount] due under [agreement dated [date]]"; "Federal question — copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 501"; "Civil rights violation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 — excessive force by police officer")
SECTION VII — REQUESTED IN COMPLAINT
Class Action:
☐ Check this box if filing a class action complaint under Fed. R. Civ. P. 23.
Demand ($):
Enter the dollar amount demanded in the complaint (exclusive of interest and costs), or enter "Injunctive Relief" if no monetary damages are claimed, or "Injunctive Relief and $[amount]" if both are sought.
Amount: $[________________________________] ☐ Injunctive relief sought
Jury Demand:
☐ YES — Plaintiff demands a trial by jury. (This checkbox triggers the jury demand requirement; also include a jury demand in the complaint per FRCP 38.)
☐ NO — Plaintiff does not demand a jury trial.
SECTION VIII — RELATED CASES
If any related cases are pending in this district, all judges assigned to those cases must be identified.
☐ No related cases. To the best of counsel's knowledge, there are no related cases currently pending in this district.
☐ Related cases exist:
| Case Title | Case No. | Judge | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| [________________________________] v. [________________________________] | [____________________] | Hon. [________________________________] | [Identical parties / Same transaction / Common questions of law or fact] |
SECTION IX — DIVISIONAL ASSIGNMENT
(Required in districts with multiple divisions)
☐ Plaintiff certifies that this action should be assigned to the [________________________________] Division of this Court because [the plaintiff resides / the defendant resides / the claim arose / the property is located] in [________________________________] County.
ATTORNEY SIGNATURE BLOCK
Dated: [__/__/____]
___________________________________________
[________________________________]
[________________________________] Bar No. [____________________]
[________________________________] (Law Firm)
[________________________________] (Address)
Telephone: ([____]) [____]-[________]
Email: [________________________________]
Attorney for Plaintiff [________________________________]
FILING CHECKLIST — CASE INITIATION DOCUMENTS
Submit the following documents when initiating a new civil action:
- ☐ Complaint (signed per FRCP 11)
- ☐ Civil Cover Sheet JS-44 (official form — NOT this worksheet)
- ☐ Summons(es) (one per defendant — blank; clerk will issue)
- ☐ Filing fee (current fee: $405 for civil cases; verify current amount at https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/fees/district-court-miscellaneous-fee-schedule) or IFP motion (28 U.S.C. § 1915)
- ☐ Pro hac vice motion (if entering attorney is not admitted to this district)
- ☐ Corporate Disclosure Statement (FRCP 7.1 — required for non-governmental corporate parties)
- ☐ Consent/Declination to Magistrate Judge (required in many districts)
- ☐ Related Case Notice (required if related cases exist; see above)
- ☐ Proposed Order / Summons (some districts require proposed summons)
- ☐ Service copies (for process server)
SOURCES AND REFERENCES
- Official JS-44 Form (Rev. 03/24): https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/js_044_-_civil_cover_sheet_1.pdf
- 28 U.S.C. § 1331 (federal question): https://uscode.house.gov
- 28 U.S.C. § 1332 (diversity): https://uscode.house.gov
- District court filing fees: https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/fees/district-court-miscellaneous-fee-schedule
- FRCP Rule 3 (commencing an action): https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/rule_3
About This Template
These are the filings that drive a lawsuit through the system: complaints, answers, motions, briefs, discovery requests and responses, and post-judgment papers. Each has its own format requirements under federal and state procedural rules, and each has a deadline that cannot be missed without consequences. Clean, procedurally correct filings move a case forward; sloppy ones invite motions to strike, amended responses, and avoidable delays.
Important Notice
This template is provided for informational purposes. It is not legal advice. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Last updated: July 2026
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