CAVC Filing Changed on October 1, 2026: What Veterans and Representatives Need to Know

The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims states that represented appellants initiating an appeal on or after October 1, 2026, must file the Notice of Appeal through the Court’s Appellate Case Management System, or ACMS. New represented appellants must also submit any Declaration of Financial Hardship through ACMS.

The Court further warns that its former e-submission mailbox is no longer available for case-initiating documents. Materials sent there will not be reviewed, processed, docketed, forwarded, or otherwise acted upon.

• A Notice of Appeal generally must still be received within 120 days after the Board mailed its final decision.
• The appeal is from a final Board decision—not directly from a VA regional-office rating decision.
• After the Court assigns a case number, the $50 filing fee or a Declaration of Financial Hardship generally must be received within 14 days.
• Cases docketed before October 1, 2026, remain in CM/ECF rather than moving automatically to ACMS.

The Court’s current instructions allow a self-represented appellant to submit the Notice of Appeal by mail, fax, or email, or to use ACMS. The Court separately identifies an email address for self-represented filings. Always use the Court’s current appeal page and current forms rather than relying on an older saved form or third-party instructions.

• Confirm the date printed on the final Board decision and independently calendar the 120-day deadline.
• Use the Court’s current Notice of Appeal form or ACMS workflow.
• Keep proof of transmission and every confirmation page or email.
• Do not send a new represented appeal to the discontinued e-submission mailbox.
• After receiving the Court case number, timely submit either the filing fee or the hardship declaration—not both.
• If a deadline may have been missed, obtain case-specific legal advice promptly rather than assuming the appeal is automatically lost.

This is a Court filing-procedure update, not a new precedential holding about entitlement to VA benefits. The Court’s rules and official appeal instructions control the filing mechanics. Individual jurisdictional or timeliness questions can depend on facts not addressed in this general guide.