(a) Application. Unless otherwise required by another rule of court or permitted by leave of court, all briefs, petitions, replies, appendices, motions, notices, stipulations, and responses and any attachment thereto filed with the court shall comply with the requirements of Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.425.
(b) Limitation. This rule does not require redaction of personal data from the record.
(c) Motions Not Restricted. This rule does not restrict a party’s right to move to file documents under seal.
Protecting Sensitive Information: This rule explains how personal and confidential information must be handled in documents filed with an appellate court.
(a) Redacting Personal Data: The core of this rule is a reference to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.425. That rule requires attorneys and parties to "redact" (black out) certain sensitive personal information from any document they file, such as briefs, motions, or petitions. This includes information like Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and other private data.
(b) Important Limitation - Does Not Apply to the Record: This redaction requirement applies only to the new documents that parties create and file with the appellate court. It does not require parties to go back and redact personal information from the original "record on appeal," which consists of all the documents and transcripts from the lower trial court.
(c) Filing Under Seal: This rule does not prevent a party from filing a motion to have an entire document sealed from public view if it contains highly sensitive information.
