Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure

The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure govern procedure in the United States courts of appeals.

The Supreme Court first adopted the Rules of Appellate Procedure by order dated December 4, 1967, transmitted to Congress on January 15, 1968, and effective July 1, 1968. The Appellate Rules and accompanying forms were last amended in 2023.

• Read the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure (pdf)

Official Forms

The appellate rules forms are officially published in an Appendix of Forms accompanying the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.

Word-Processing Templates: For user convenience, the Administrative Office Forms Working Group of judges and clerks has recommended making available to the public the unofficial Word versions linked below. Given their nature, language in these forms may require modification before the document can be filed with the court. These forms are therefore offered as templates based on the official published forms.

• Appellate Form 1A. Notice of Appeal to a Court of Appeals From a Judgment of a District Court. (word)
• Appellate Form 1B. Notice of Appeal to a Court of Appeals From an Appealable Order of a District Court. (word)
• Appellate Form 2. Notice of Appeal to a Court of Appeals From a Decision of the United States Tax Court. (word)
• Appellate Form 3. Petition for Review of Order of an Agency, Board, Commission or Officer. (word)
• Appellate Form 4. Affidavit Accompanying Motion for Permission to Appeal In Forma Pauperis. (word)
• Appellate Form 5. Notice of Appeal to a Court of Appeals from a Judgment or Order of a District Court or a Bankruptcy Appellate Panel. (word)
• Appellate Form 6. Certificate of Compliance With Type-Volume Limit. (word)
• Appellate Form 7. Declaration of Inmate Filing. (word)
• Appendix: Length Limits Stated in the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. (word)