Text Size:
Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN)
DeBN Overview
Requirements
How DeBN Email Works
Frequently Asked Questions
DeBN Request Form
DeBN Brochure
Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington offers debtors the opportunity to receive court notices and orders via email, instead of U.S. Mail, through a program called "Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing" or "DeBN."
DeBN has lots of advantages!
-
FREE! There is no charge to register for DeBN or to receive and view notices sent to you by email.
-
FAST! You'll receive notices the same day they are filed by the court.
- CONVENIENT! Access your notices anywhere you access your email.
The Bankruptcy Rules provide for a party to make a written request for delivery of notices via email, instead of U.S. Mail. Through the DeBN program, only notices and orders that have been filed by the court will be mailed to the debtor. Notices and orders generated by other parties (such as the trustee or creditors) will still be delivered through the US Mail, even if a debtor is participating in DeBN. A debtor requesting to participate in the DeBN program must complete and submit a Debtor's Electronic Noticing Rquest (DeBN) form with the court where their case is filed.
Note that DeBN is only available to debtors with a mailing address within the United States.
Click here to download a printable version of the DeBN brochure.
What is DeBN?
Debtor Electronic Bankruptcy Noticing (DeBN) is a FREE and voluntary service that allows debtors to receive bankruptcy court notices and orders by email instead of by mail. With a DeBN account, only the court is allowed to send notices to you by email through the DeBN. You will continue to receive documents from all other parties (such as creditors, trustees and attorneys) via U.S. mail or in person. The Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) sends all court notices and orders to parties by either email or mail.
What is the BNC?
The Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) provides services to all bankruptcy courts by sending court notices and orders to parties either by mail or, if requested, by email.
What are Court Generated Notices and Orders?
Court generated notices and orders are documents created and filed by the bankruptcy court, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Meeting of Creditors Notice
- Notice of Deficient Filing
- Notice of Requirement to Complete Course in Financial Management
- Order Discharging Debtor
- Notice of Dismissal
Who Can Send Emails to Me if I Have a DeBN Account?
When you request a DeBN account, you agree to service by email of ONLY court generated orders and notices. The BNC will send emails to you on behalf of the court. All other parties, including creditors, attorneys, and trustees, must continue to serve documents upon you according to court rules (by U.S. Mail, overnight mail, or personal delivery).
How Does DeBN Work?
Once you submit a DeBN request form and the clerk's office creates your DeBN account, all future court notices and orders will be emailed to you at the end of the same day they are filed. The notice or order will be attached to the email as a single PDF attachment. A separate email will be sent for each notice or order.
There is no limit to the number of times you may view the PDF attachment, and you may print the attachment, save it to your computer, or simply keep the email for viewing at any time. If the PDF attachment exceeds 8 MB, the notice will be sent to the debtor by U.S. mail instead of email.
For more information, see the page entitled "How DeBN Email Works."
How Do I Sign-Up for DeBN?
1. Obtain the Debtor's Electronic Noticing Request (DeBN) form here or from the clerk's office.
2. Complete and sign the form. If signing electronically, type your full name followed by "/s/".
3. Email the completed form to debn_registration@wawb.uscourts.gov, or deliver the form to the clerk's office by mail or in person, or have your attorney file the form.
4. The Clerk's office will create your account within 48 hours of receiving your request. You will receive a confirmation email from the BNC when your account is activated. Going forward, all court generated orders and notices will then be emailed to you as long as you keep your contact information current and there are no email transmission failures.
How Long Do I Stay Enrolled in DeBN
You are enrolled in DeBN as long as your DeBN account is active.
You will receive email notice of court generated orders and notices in any current or future bankruptcy case or adversary proceeding (lawsuit) from any bankruptcy court in which your name and mailing address match the name and mailing address on your DeBN account.
At any time you can file a request form with the court and ask to have your DeBN account closed. When the DeBN account is closed, you will receive notices from the court by U.S. Mail. You also need to keep the court informed of any changes to your email. If an email is undeliverable, or bounces back, you DeBN account will be closed and the notice attached to the bounce back email will be sent by U.S. Mail.
Can My DeBN Account be Cancelled?
Your DeBN account can be cancelled or deactivated if:
- The BNC disables the account because of an email delivery failure ("bounce-back");
- You submit a Debtor's Electronic Noticing Request (DeBN) form and request deactivation; or
- Your mailing address on file with the court changes and it no longer matches the DeBN account mailing address.
Requirements of the DeBN program include:
Reliable Internet Access
Email Account
Please be aware that the email address you use for your DeBN account will become part of the official court record. A DeBN account will not be created if the clerk's office determines that the debtor's email address is inappropriate or offensive.
The BNC will send you confirmation emails and court notices using these addresses:
bncrtn@noticingcenter.com
bncedi@noticingcenter.com
Please add these email addresses to your contacts/safe-sender list to ensure delivery of court notices/orders to your email inbox.
Note: Please do not reply or send emails to the above email addresses. Those email accounts are used for the sole purpose of sending emails and the inboxes are not monitored. Please contact the clerk's office if you have any questions about the DeBN program.
Adobe Reader
Court notices and orders will be sent as PDF documents. It is recommended that you use the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader software for viewing these PDF documents. If you do not have this software, you can download it free of charge here.
Debtor's Electronic Noticing Request Form
Debtor's requesting email delivery of court notices and orders through the DeBN program must complete and file a Debtor's Electronic Noticing Request (DeBN) form with the court where their case is filed. Debtors can file a DeBN request form through their attorney electronically, or on their own over the counter at the clerk's office where their case was filed.
Email Transmission
The BNC sends out emails in the evening on the same day a notice or order is filed with the court.
The notice or order is sent as a single PDF file attached to an email. It is recommended that you use the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader software to view these PDF documents. If you do not have this software, you can download it free of charge here, Adobe Acrobat Reader software. If you are using a mobile device, please visit your mobile app store for a free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Remember, all notices you receive in a bankruptcy case are not processed through the BNC. A notice that is not processed through the BNC will still be delivered to you by U.S. Mail.
BNC Email Addresses
The BNC will send email to your DeBN account using the following email address:
bncrtn@noticingcenter.com
bncedi@noticingcenter.com
Please add these email addresses to your contacts/safe-sender list to ensure delivery of the court notices and orders to your email inbox.
The email you receive will contain your DeBN account number. This number is NOT the same as your bankruptcy case number.
Note: These email accounts are used only for sending emails. The email inboxes connected with these addresses are not monitored. Please do not reply or send emails to these BNC email addresses. If you have questions about your DeBN account or the DeBN program, please contact the clerk's office.
Email Formatting
Each email you receive through your DeBN account will include:
1. A subject line containing the BNC email serial number and your DeBN account number. Each email notice is numbered to help you determine whether you have received all of your emails.
2. Text that describes the number of notices and total pages.
3. Text that shows your name and address, the case number, court form code, originating court and the title of the notice or order.
4. A PDF attachment of the notice or order that was filed in your case.
Name and Address Matching
Your DeBN account uses your name and address exactly as it appears in your bankruptcy case. As long as your name and address in your bankruptcy case exactly matches your DeBN account, all notices and orders that the court sends to you will be delivered via email. If your name and address on your DeBN account does NOT match the bankruptcy case, you DeBN account will be disabled and notices sent to you by U.S. Mail.
If you or your attorney files a notice of change of address with the court, the clerk's office will change the address on your bankruptcy case AND your DeBN account. You will receive an email indicating that your DeBN account has been updated.
Email Bounce-Back/Undeliverable Email
The first time the BNC receives an email that bounces back or is undeliverable, your DeBN account will automatically be disabled and the notice or order will be re sent to you via U.S. Mail. Any future court notices and orders will be delivered to you via U.S. Mail. If your account is disabled, you will then need to submit an updated request form to the court in order to reactivate your DeBN account.
DeBN Frequently Asked Questions
When can I enroll in DeBN?
You can enroll in DeBN at any time during your bankruptcy case. You may also request deactivation of your account at any time.
When are emails sent?
Emails will be sent by the BNC in the evening on the same day a notice or order is filed by the court in your case.
Will I receive all documents via email?
No; only notices and orders filed by the court and sent to the BNC for service will be delivered to you via email. All other parties, such as the trustee and creditors, will continue to serve documents upon you either via U.S. mail or in person, pursuant to court rules.
Can I request receipt of notices both via email and U.S. mail?
No; you only have the option to receive notices either by email or U.S. mail.
Can others see my email address?
Your email address will not be shown on the caption of the case docket, and your DeBN request form will not be visible to the public for viewing. However, the BNC Certificate of Mailing that is filed in your case will list your email address if the notice or order was emailed to you. A Certificate of Mailing is required to list the address (either physical address or email ) where the party was served.
I accidentally deleted an email. Can the notice be resent to me?
Neither the court nor the BNC can resend an email or a notice. If you accidentally deleted a notice, you should contact your attorney if your are represented, or you may contact the court for further directions on how to obtain another copy of the notice.
I filed jointly with my spouse. Do we both have to request DeBN?
No; it is possible for just one of the joint debtors to elect DeBN service. The joint debtor enrolled in DeBN will receive notices from the court via email, and the debtor not enrolled in DeBN will continue to receive notices via U.S. mail.
I filed jointly with my spouse. Can we both use the same email address?
Yes; a husband and wife can use the same email address. Each of you will have your own DeBN account, and separate emails will be sent to each of you at whatever email address was used to register for DeBN.
What should I do if I change my email address?
If your email address changes, you should immediately submit an updated Debtor's Electronic Noticing Request Form. Once the clerk's office has processed your request, you will receive an email from the BNC at both your old and new email addresses advising you that your DeBN account has been updated.
What should I do if I move?
If your physical address changes, you or your attorney should file a notice of change of address with the court. The clerk's office will change the address for both your bankruptcy case and your DeBN account. You will then receive an email from the BNC advising you that your DeBN account has been updated.
What should I do if I want to reactivate my DeBN account?
If your DeBN account was closed and you wish to reactive it, you must complete and submit an updated Debtor's Electronic Noticing Request Form, check-marking the section to request reactivation of your account. Once the clerk's office processes your request, you will receive an email from the BNC advising you that your DeBN account has been activated.
Why did I stop receiving my notices via email?
There are several reasons why you may stop receiving court notice through your DeBN account, including:
- If your name and address in the case do not match your DeBN account, then the notice or order will be delivered to you via U.S. mail. If you recently filed a change of address with the court and did not receive an email from the BNC advising you that your DeBN account was updated, please contact the clerk's office for assistance.
- Your DeBN account may have been disabled due to an email bounce-back (undeliverable email). If this occurred, you must file an updated request form if you wish to reactivate your DeBN account.
Please contact the clerk's office with any questions about the status of your DeBN account.
Who do I contact if I have additional questions about DeBN?
Please contact the clerk's office if you have any questions about the DeBN program. Do not contact the BNC, or reply to emails you receive from the BNC. Those BNC email accounts are used for the sole purpose of sending emails, and the inboxes are not monitored.
Download or print the request form here. This form can be used to initiate your account, to update your account information or to deactivate an existing account.
Submitting the DeBN Request Form electronically: The DeBN Request Form is a fillable document. You can download and complete the form on your computer, save the completed form, and email it to debn_registration@wawb.uscourts.gov
Submitting the DeBN Request Form in paper: Print the DeBN request form from your computer, complete the document, then mail to the clerk's office or deliver it in person.
Attorneys: An attorney may submit a DeBN registration form electronically using the docket event Bankruptcy > Other > Debtor Electronic Noticing (DeBN)
