Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure

Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9011 — Signing Documents; Representations to the Court; Sanctions; Verifying and Providing Copies

Rule 9011 governs who must sign bankruptcy filings and what signing means. Under subsection (a), an attorney of record or an unrepresented party must sign most documents. Subsection (b) treats presenting a document as certifying it is not filed for an improper purpose and that its legal and factual contentions have support. Subsection (c) sets out the sanctions a court may impose when that certification is violated.

Almost everything filed in a bankruptcy case carries a signature, and Rule 9011 explains what that signature means to the court. It converts an ordinary formality into a certification about purpose, law, and facts — and gives the court a way to respond when that certification turns out to be false. If you are filing without a lawyer, subsection (a) applies to you directly.

Who has to sign a bankruptcy petition or motion?

Subsection (a) requires every petition, pleading, written motion, and other document to be signed by at least one attorney of record, in that attorney's individual name. A party who is not represented by an attorney must sign all documents personally. Whoever signs must also state an address and a telephone number, if there is one. Subsection (a) carves out an exception. A list, a schedule, or a statement — and an amendment to any of them — is not covered by this signature requirement. Read the exception narrowly: it names those specific documents and nothing else. The subsection also says what happens when a signature is missing. The court must strike an unsigned document, unless the omission is promptly corrected after it is called to the attorney's or the party's attention. So the rule treats a missing signature as fixable, but only if it is fixed promptly once someone raises it.

What am I certifying when I sign or file a document?

Subsection (b) is the substantive core of the rule. It says that by presenting a petition, pleading, written motion, or other document to the court — whether by signing it, filing it, submitting it, or later advocating it — an attorney or unrepresented party certifies four things, to the best of that person's knowledge, information, and belief after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances. Paragraph (b)(1) is about purpose: the document is not presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation. Paragraph (b)(2) is about law: the claims, defenses, and other legal contentions are warranted by existing law, or by a nonfrivolous argument to extend, modify, or reverse existing law or establish new law. Paragraph (b)(3) is about facts: the allegations have evidentiary support, or — if specifically identified as such — are likely to have support after a reasonable opportunity to investigate or take discovery. Paragraph (b)(4) applies the same idea to denials. Note the phrase "or later advocating it." The certification is not spent at the moment of filing.

What sanctions can a bankruptcy court impose under Rule 9011?

Under (c)(1), if the court determines after notice and a reasonable opportunity to respond that subsection (b) has been violated, it may impose an appropriate sanction on the attorney, law firm, or party that committed the violation or is responsible for it. Absent exceptional circumstances, a law firm must be held jointly responsible for a violation by its partner, associate, or employee. Paragraph (c)(4)(A) sets the ceiling: a sanction must be limited to what suffices to deter repetition of the conduct, or comparable conduct by others similarly situated. It may take the form of a nonmonetary directive, an order to pay a penalty into court, or — if imposed on motion and warranted for effective deterrence — an order directing payment to the movant of all or part of the reasonable attorney's fees and other expenses directly resulting from the violation. Paragraph (c)(4)(B) states two limits on monetary sanctions: none against a represented party for violating (b)(2), and none imposed on the court's own initiative unless the show-cause order under (c)(3) issued before voluntary dismissal or settlement. Under (c)(5), the order must describe the conduct and explain the basis.

What is the 21-day safe harbor for a sanctions motion?

Paragraph (c)(2) governs sanctions sought by motion rather than by the court on its own. A motion for sanctions must be made separately from any other motion or request, must describe the specific conduct alleged to violate subsection (b), and must be served under Rule 7004. Subparagraph (c)(2)(B) then adds the timing limitation people usually call the safe harbor. The motion must not be filed or presented to the court if the challenged document, claim, defense, contention, allegation, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after the motion was served — or within another period the court orders. In practice that means the motion is served first and filed later, leaving a window to fix the problem. Read the last sentence of (c)(2)(B) closely: this limitation does not apply if the conduct alleged is filing a petition in violation of subsection (b). Under (c)(2)(C), the court may award the prevailing party the reasonable expenses and attorney's fees incurred in presenting or opposing the motion, if warranted. Separately, (c)(3) lets the court act on its own by issuing a show-cause order.

Does Rule 9011 apply to discovery documents?

No. Subsection (d) states that subdivisions (a) through (c) do not apply to disclosures and to discovery requests, responses, objections, and motions that are subject to Rules 7026 through 7037. This matters because it means the signature requirement, the certification, and the sanctions machinery described above are not the rules governing that category of paper. Discovery in an adversary proceeding is handled under its own set of rules, which subsection (d) identifies by number. If the document you are looking at is a discovery request, a response, an objection, or a motion under Rules 7026–7037, Rule 9011 is not the provision that controls how it is signed or what sanctions attach to it. Subsections (e) and (f) are not carved out by subsection (d) — the exclusion is written to reach subdivisions (a) through (c) only.

Do bankruptcy documents have to be notarized?

Subsection (e) addresses verification, which is the sworn confirmation that what a document says is true. It provides that a document filed in a bankruptcy case need not be verified unless these rules provide otherwise. So verification is the exception, not the default, and you would look to the particular rule governing the document to see whether it is required. When these rules do require verification, subsection (e) says an unsworn declaration under 28 U.S.C. §1746 suffices. That is the federal provision allowing a signed written declaration made under penalty of perjury to stand in place of a sworn affidavit. Subsection (f) deals with copies. When these rules require copies of a signed or verified document, and the original is in fact signed or verified, a copy that conforms to the original suffices. The rule does not require that every copy carry its own separate original signature.

This summary is our plain-English explanation, written to help you find the right part of the text below. The section itself is the authority — where the two differ, the text controls.

Text of Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9011

Reproduced in full from the official source, verified as of July 2026. View it at the source.

(a) Signature. Every petition, pleading, written motion, and other document—except a list, schedule, or statement, or an amendment to one of them—must be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney's individual name. A party not represented by an attorney must sign all documents. Each document must state the signer's address and telephone number, if any. The court must strike an unsigned document unless the omission is promptly corrected after being called to the attorney's or party's attention.

(b) Representations to the Court. By presenting to the court a petition, pleading, written motion, or other document—whether by signing, filing, submitting, or later advocating it—an attorney or unrepresented party certifies that, to the best of the person's knowledge, information, and belief formed after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances:

(1) it is not presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase litigation costs;

(2) the claims, defenses, and other legal contentions are warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument to extend, modify, or reverse existing law, or to establish new law;

(3) the allegations and factual contentions have evidentiary support—or if specifically so identified, are likely to have evidentiary support after a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery; and

(4) the denials of factual contentions are warranted on the evidence—or if specifically so identified, are reasonably based on a lack of information or belief.

(1) *In General*. If, after notice and a reasonable opportunity to respond, the court determines that (b) has been violated, the court may, subject to the conditions in this subdivision (c), impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that committed the violation or is responsible for it. Absent exceptional circumstances, a law firm must be held jointly responsible for a violation committed by its partner, associate, or employee.

(2) *By Motion.*

(A) *In General*. A motion for sanctions must be made separately from any other motion or request, describe the specific conduct alleged to violate (b), and be served under Rule 7004.

(B) *When to File*. The motion for sanctions must not be filed or presented to the court if the challenged document, claim, defense, contention, allegation, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after the motion was served (or within another period as the court may order). This limitation does not apply if the conduct alleged is filing a petition in violation of (b).

(C) *Awarding Damages*. If warranted, the court may award to the prevailing party the reasonable expenses and attorney's fees incurred in presenting or opposing the motion.

(3) *By the Court*. On its own, the court may enter an order describing the specific conduct that appears to violate (b) and directing an attorney, law firm, or party to show cause why it has not violated (b).

(4) *Nature of a Sanction; Limitations.*

(A) *In General*. A sanction imposed under this rule must be limited to what suffices to deter repetition of the conduct or deter comparable conduct by others similarly situated. The sanction may include:

(i) a nonmonetary directive;

(ii) an order to pay a penalty into court; or

(iii) if imposed on motion and warranted for effective deterrence, an order directing payment to the movant of all or part of the reasonable attorney's fees and other expenses directly resulting from the violation.

(B) *Limitations on a Monetary Sanction*. The court must not impose a monetary sanction:

(i) against a represented party for violating (b)(2); or

(ii) on its own, unless it issued the show-cause order under (c)(3) before voluntary dismissal or settlement of the claims made by or against the party that is, or whose attorneys are, to be sanctioned.

(5) *Content of a Court Order*. An order imposing a sanction must describe the sanctioned conduct and explain the basis for the sanction.

(d) Inapplicability to Discovery. Subdivisions (a)–(c) do not apply to disclosures and discovery requests, responses, objections, and motions that are subject to Rules 7026–7037.

(e) Verifying a Document. A document filed in a bankruptcy case need not be verified unless these rules provide otherwise. When these rules require verification, an unsworn declaration under 28 U.S.C. §1746 suffices.

(f) Copies of Signed or Verified Documents. When these rules require copies of a signed or verified document, if the original is signed or verified, a copy that conforms to the original suffices.

(As amended Mar. 30, 1987, eff. Aug. 1, 1987; Apr. 30, 1991, eff. Aug. 1, 1991; Apr. 11, 1997, eff. Dec. 1, 1997; Apr. 2, 2024, eff. Dec. 1, 2024.)

Notes and amendment history

Published by the official source alongside the section above. These notes record how the text has changed over time and the reasoning behind those changes. They are not the operative rule — the enacted text is the section itself.

Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules—1983

*Subdivision (a)*. Excepted from the papers which an attorney for a debtor must sign are lists, schedules, statements of financial affairs, statements of executory contracts, Chapter 13 Statements and amendments thereto. Rule 1008 requires that these documents be verified by the debtor. Although the petition must also be verified, counsel for the debtor must sign the petition. See Official Form No. 1. An unrepresented party must sign all papers.

The last sentence of this subdivision authorizes a broad range of sanctions.

The word "document" is used in this subdivision to refer to all papers which the attorney or party is required to sign.

*Subdivision (b)* extends to all papers filed in cases under the Code the policy of minimizing reliance on the formalities of verification which is reflected in the third sentence of Rule 11 F.R.Civ.P. The second sentence of subdivision (b) permits the substitution of an unsworn declaration for the verification. See 28 U.S.C. §1746. Rules requiring verification or an affidavit are as follows: Rule 1008, petitions, schedules, statements of financial affairs, Chapter 13 Statements and amendments; Rule 2006(e), list of multiple proxies and statement of facts and circumstances regarding their acquisition; Rule 4001(c), motion for ex parte relief from stay; Rule 7065, incorporating Rule 65(b) F.R.Civ.P. governing issuance of temporary restraining order; Rule 8011(d), affidavit in support of emergency motion on appeal.

Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules—1987 Amendment

The statement of intention of the debtor under §521(2) [now 521(a)(2)] of the Code is added to the documents which counsel is not required to sign.

Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules—1991 Amendment

*Subdivision (a)* is amended to conform to Rule 11 F.R.Civ.P. where appropriate, but also to clarify that it applies to the unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of the administration of the case. Deletion of the references to specific statements that are excluded from the scope of this subdivision is stylistic. As used in subdivision (a) of this rule, "statement" is limited to the statement of financial affairs and the statement of intention required to be filed under Rule 1007. Deletion of the reference to the Chapter 13 Statement is consistent with the amendment to Rule 1007(b).

Notes of Advisory Committee on Rules—1997 Amendment

This rule is amended to conform to the 1993 changes to F.R.Civ.P. 11. For an explanation of these amendments, see the advisory committee note to the 1993 amendments to F.R.Civ.P. 11.

The "safe harbor" provision contained in subdivision (c)(1)(A), which prohibits the filing of a motion for sanctions unless the challenged paper is not withdrawn or corrected within a prescribed time after service of the motion, does not apply if the challenged paper is a petition. The filing of a petition has immediate serious consequences, including the imposition of the automatic stay under §362 of the Code, which may not be avoided by the subsequent withdrawal of the petition. In addition, a petition for relief under chapter 7 or chapter 11 may not be withdrawn unless the court orders dismissal of the case for cause after notice and a hearing.

*GAP Report on Rule 9011*. The proposed amendments to subdivision (a) were revised to clarify that a party not represented by an attorney must sign lists, schedules, and statements, as well as other papers that are filed.

Committee Notes on Rules—2024 Amendment

The language of Rule 9011 has been amended as part of the general restyling of the Bankruptcy Rules to make them more easily understood and to make style and terminology consistent throughout the rules. These changes are intended to be stylistic only.

By Antonio G. Jimenez, Esq. · Florida Bar No. 21022

Last reviewed July 27, 2026 · Sources verified July 27, 2026 · How we verify

Every figure on this page is drawn from a primary legal source and checked against our canonical legal database before publication. Bankruptcy.law is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

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