Published on October 17, 2025
The judicial branch announced that beginning on Monday, Oct. 20, it will no longer have funding to sustain full, paid operations. Until the ongoing lapse in government funding is resolved, federal courts will maintain limited operations necessary to perform the Judiciary’s constitutional functions.
Federal judges will continue to serve, in accordance with the Constitution, but court staff may only perform certain excepted activities permitted under the Anti-Deficiency Act.
Examples of excepted work include activities necessary to perform constitutional functions under Article III, activities necessary for the safety of human life and protection of property, and activities otherwise authorized by federal law. Excepted work will be performed without pay during the funding lapse. Staff members not performing excepted work will be placed on furlough.
Each appellate, district, and bankruptcy court will make operational decisions regarding how its cases and probation and pretrial supervision will be conducted during the funding lapse. Each court and federal defender’s office will determine the staffing resources necessary to support such work.
Anyone with Judiciary business should direct questions to the appropriate clerk of court’s office, probation and pretrial supervision office, or federal defender organization, or consult their websites. Find contact information and websites for federal court units.
Other shutdown information: The Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system will remain in operation for electronic filing of documents. Case information will be available on PACER.
Individual courts will determine which cases will continue on schedule, and which may be delayed.
The jury program is funded by money not affected by the appropriations lapse and will continue to operate. Jurors should follow instructions from courts and report to courthouses as directed.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, which maintains this website on behalf of the Judiciary, will not have staffing to answer the AO’s public telephone number. View contact information for the Administrative Office during the funding lapse.
Bloomberg Law has US Courts Face First Furloughs Under Shutdown in 30 Years -- Federal courts across the US are preparing to furlough some staffers and curb operations as the judiciary prepares to run out of funding amid an ongoing government shutdown.
The Supreme Court expects to run out of funding on Saturday and will need to “make changes in its operations” to comply with federal shutdown rules, spokesperson Patricia McCabe said in a statement. The Supreme Court building will be closed to the public, though it will remain open for official business, and the high court will continue to hear and decide cases, according to McCabe.