Form 69 Paper Filing Exemption WA — How to File Without the eCourts Portal

When You Cannot Use the eCourts Portal

The Magistrates Court of Western Australia requires all court documents to be filed electronically through the eCourts Portal at ecourts.justice.wa.gov.au. For most respondents, that means creating an account, searching for your case by reference number, and uploading your completed Form 15A as a PDF or Word document.

But not everyone can do that. If you lack internet access, do not have a computer or smartphone, have a disability that prevents you from using the portal, or live in a remote area with unreliable connectivity, the court provides an alternative: Form 69.

What Form 69 Does

Form 69 is an exemption application that asks the court registrar to allow you to file documents on paper instead of through the portal. If the registrar grants the exemption, you can lodge your Form 15A (and any other documents) over the counter at a Magistrates Court registry, by post, by email, or by fax — whichever method the registrar directs.

The exemption applies to the specific case. You are not permanently exempted from electronic filing for all future matters.

Who Qualifies

The grounds are practical rather than legal. The registrar considers:

• No digital access. You do not own or have regular access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet capability.
• Disability. A physical or cognitive disability prevents you from navigating the portal interface, even with standard accessibility features.
• Remote location. You live in a regional or remote part of Western Australia where internet service is unreliable or unavailable.
• Other genuine inability. Any other circumstance that makes electronic filing impracticable.

These are examples of reasons to request an exemption, not a guarantee of approval. If the portal is giving you technical trouble, contact the eCourts help desk and explain the issue in your application.

How to Apply

Download or collect Form 69 from the Magistrates Court forms page or a registry counter. Complete the form, setting out your specific reason for the exemption. Submit it to the court registry handling your case — you can deliver it in person, post it, or (if you can access email for this one step) email it to the registry.

Include your case reference number so the registrar can match your application to the existing matter. If you are also filing your Form 15A response at the same time, attach it to the Form 69 application. That way, if the exemption is granted, both documents are processed together and your response is not delayed.

Timing Matters

Your response deadline does not pause while the Form 69 application is being assessed. If the deadline is close and you cannot use the portal, lodge Form 69 immediately and contact the registry for directions on how to lodge Form 15A. A pending exemption application alone does not mean your response has been filed.

If the exemption is refused, the registrar will tell you to use the portal. At that point, you may need to ask someone — a family member, a friend, a staff member at a public library — to help you create an eCourts account and upload your documents.

After the Exemption Is Granted

Once granted, the exemption applies to the document or documents covered by the application for that proceeding. Any other matter progressing through the court requires a separate application and approval. Ask the registry how later filings and court notices will be handled. Your preparation deadlines remain the same.

For a full walkthrough of the Form 15A response process — including what to write in each section and how to prepare your evidence — see the WA Minor Case Response Guide.

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