public-service · JS 44 civil cover sheet version date
JS 44 Civil Cover Sheet: Two Dates That Don't Match
The U.S. Courts' JS 44 web page and PDF carry two different version dates. Here is exactly what each record states.
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Updated: Sources: 2
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What matters now
- The form's web page states an effective date of July 23, 2026.
- The PDF is stamped Rev. 03/24 on both its front and reverse pages.
- Both records come from the same U.S. Courts source and were fetched directly.
- The form is listed as Form Number JS 44 under Category: Civil Forms.
- The article does not explain the mismatch or say which date controls.
The U.S. Courts website lists the Civil Cover Sheet (JS 44) as “Effective on July 23, 2026” (form page), but the PDF file linked from that page is stamped “JS 44 (Rev. 03/24)” on its front page and “JS 44 Reverse (Rev. 03/24)” on its instructions page (PDF). This article reports that discrepancy and nothing more.
This original record-reading guide is a general reading aid, not cited evidence. It does not depict a source record; the article text and source links provide the facts.
Key points
- The form’s web page states an effective date of July 23, 2026 (form page).
- The PDF itself is stamped “Rev. 03/24” — not July 2026 — in two places (PDF).
- Both records are U.S. Courts records for JS 44 (form page; PDF).
- The form is identified as “Form Number: JS 44” under “Category: Civil Forms” (form page).
- This article does not explain the mismatch, rank the two dates, or advise on filing.
What the form’s web page states
The U.S. Courts forms page identifies the document as “Form Number: JS 44” and places it under “Category: Civil Forms” (form page). The same page also states the form is “Effective on July 23, 2026” (form page).
What the PDF itself states
The linked PDF file carries a different marker. Its front page is stamped “JS 44 (Rev. 03/24),” and its reverse/instructions page is stamped “JS 44 Reverse (Rev. 03/24)” (PDF). Neither stamp on the PDF references July 2026.
The discrepancy, stated plainly
One published record — the web page — gives an effective date of July 23, 2026 (form page). The other published record — the PDF file the page links to — is stamped “Rev. 03/24” on both of its pages (PDF). Both are U.S. Courts records for the same form, JS 44. The two dates do not match.
This article does not explain why the page’s 2026 effective date and the PDF’s Rev. 03/24 stamp differ. It does not say which of the two markers courts treat as controlling, and it does not address whether any particular federal district accepts one marker and not the other. The U.S. Courts page itself provides no note reconciling the two dates, and this article adds none. It also gives no guidance about what a filer should actually write on the Civil Cover Sheet.