How to enroll a civil case (iscrizione a ruolo): requirements and enrollment note

The steps

1. 1.

   Prerequisites and necessary tools

   Before proceeding, you must have the duly notified writ of summons (atto di citazione) and its notification report (relata di notifica). The professional must possess a valid digital signature, a certified email (PEC) registered in the ReGIndE, and drafting software for the Telematic Civil Process (PCT). Furthermore, the telematic payment of the unified court fee (contributo unificato) and flat-rate advance must be completed via the pagoPA platform, downloading the relevant Telematic Receipts (RT). Always verify that the power of attorney (procura alle liti) has been signed by the client and digitally countersigned by the lawyer.

2. 2.

   Drafting the enrollment note

   The enrollment note (nota di iscrizione a ruolo or NIR) contains the identifying data of the parties, the counsels, the subject matter of the claim, and the value of the dispute. In the PCT, the NIR is not drafted as a free-text document but is automatically generated by the drafting software as an XML file (DatiAtto.xml) and, usually, as a PDF document. While filling out the fields in the software, pay close attention to correctly entering the parties' tax codes (codici fiscali) and the case subject code, as this data directly feeds the Clerk's digital registers.

3. 3.

   Creating the telematic envelope

   Using the drafting software, select the destination judicial office and the relevant register (e.g., Civil Litigation). Insert the enrollment note (if required in PDF by the software) or the writ of summons as the main document. Attach the power of attorney, the notified summons (with PEC receipts for telematic notification or a scan with a conformity attestation for paper notification), evidentiary documents, and pagoPA payment receipts. All digital documents must comply with the formats allowed by the PCT technical specifications.

4. 4.

   Digital signature and filing

   Once the attachments are uploaded, the software generates the DatiAtto.xml file. This file and the main document must be digitally signed (PAdES or CAdES format depending on settings and file type). The software will then encrypt the entire telematic envelope (Atto.enc file) and prepare the PEC filing message, addressing it to the official address of the judicial office. Send the PEC message from your email client or directly from the drafting software interface.

5. 5.

   Verifying PEC receipts and outcomes

   The filing is timely perfected upon the generation of the Acceptance Receipt (first PEC) and the Delivery Receipt (second PEC). Subsequently, the ministerial system sends a third PEC containing the outcome of the automatic checks: a positive outcome (code 1) confirms the envelope is formally correct. In case of fatal errors (code 3), the envelope is rejected, and the filing must be repeated. The fourth PEC, sent after the Clerk's manual intervention, confirms final acceptance and communicates the General Docket number (R.G.) assigned to the case.

Legal basis: Art. 165 c.p.c. (Costituzione dell'attore)Art. 71 disp. att. c.p.c. (Nota d'iscrizione a ruolo)Art. 16 bis, D.L. 179/2012 (Obbligatorietà del deposito telematico)Provvedimento DGSIA 16 aprile 2014 e successive modifiche (Specifiche tecniche PCT)