QCAT Digital ID Verification and the 30-Page Email Submission Limit

Lodging Online Through QCase

QCase is QCAT's digital case management portal for minor civil disputes. It lets you lodge applications, upload supporting documents as PDF attachments, pay your filing fee by credit card, and track your case milestones — all without visiting a registry in person.

To use QCase, you first need to verify your identity through the Queensland Government's Digital ID system. Follow the current identity-check instructions provided by that service before signing in to the portal.

Setting Up Digital ID Verification

The documents and steps required for identity verification are set by the Queensland Government's Digital ID service and can change. Check its current instructions when setting up your account.

Once your Digital ID is verified, you can access QCase and begin a new minor civil dispute application. The portal walks you through the required fields — party details, claim amount, supporting narrative — and lets you upload PDFs of your evidence (contracts, invoices, correspondence).

The QCase File Upload Limit

QCase accepts approved electronic formats up to 100MB per individual file. Check the portal's current list of accepted formats before uploading. If a file is too large, reduce the scan size or split the material into separate files that meet the limit.

The 30-Page Email Submission Rule

If you're lodging by email rather than through QCase, QCAT enforces a strict 30-page limit including all attachments across multiple emails. Applications exceeding 30 pages are not processed.

This 30-page cap includes your application form, any supporting narrative, and every attached document. A 6-page Form 3, a 2-page letter of demand, a 10-page contract, and 15 pages of invoices and correspondence puts you at 33 pages.

Working Within the Page Limit

If your evidence bundle exceeds 30 pages and you're lodging by email:

• Compress what you can. Combine multiple single-page invoices into one multi-page PDF. Resize photos to fit two per page instead of one per page.
• Use post or in-person lodgement. QCAT will not process an over-limit email application; it must be lodged in person or by mail. Do not email part of the application and send the rest separately.
• Switch to QCase if possible. QCase accepts supported files up to 100MB each and does not use the email page limit. Getting your Digital ID sorted upfront avoids the email constraint.

Paper Lodgement as the Fallback

If you cannot use QCase, paper lodgement is available by mail or in person. In Brisbane, take your forms to the QCAT registry reception at Level 8, 259 Queen Street. Outside Brisbane, use a local Magistrates Court registry, except Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Paper filings require the signed original form plus three complete copies (one for the tribunal, one for you, and one for each respondent). Include a stamped, self-addressed A4 envelope so the registry can return your sealed copies for service.

The QCAT minor civil dispute guide covers all three lodgement pathways — QCase, email, and paper — with a form-preparation checklist that keeps your submission within the page and file-size limits.

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