Government and public statistics

The Guide, Volume 6, Chapter 18: Transcript Format (federal courts)

Judicial Conference of the United States (Guide to Judiciary Policy), copy hosted by a federal district court, 2013

Read on October 16, 2026

What it is: The federal judiciary's transcript format rules: lines per page, margins, typeface, spacing and the rules for title pages and certification, as reproduced in a federal court's copy of the Guide.
How much weight it carries: This is the Judicial Conference policy text, copied by a federal court. The Guide is revised from time to time, so confirm against the current official version before you rely on a rule.

Facts taken from this source

Under the federal transcript format, each page of transcription must contain 25 lines of text.
“Each page of transcription is to contain 25 lines of text.” (Part 18.9.2, Number of Lines per Page)
The federal format sets the type at 10 letters to the inch, which gives about 63 characters on each line.
“The letter character size is to be 10 letters to the inch. This provides for approximately 63 characters to each line.” (Part 18.9.1, Type Size)
Under the federal transcript format, lines of transcript text are double spaced.
“Lines of transcript text are to be double spaced.” (Part 18.9.4, Spacing)
Under the federal transcript format, typing begins at a 1-3/4 inch left margin and runs to a 3/8 inch right margin.
“Typing is to begin on each page at the 1-3/4 inch left margin and continue to the 3/8 inch right margin.” (Part 18.9, Margins)

Government and public statistics

Judicial Conference of the United States (Guide to Judiciary Policy), copy hosted by a federal district court, 2013

Read on October 16, 2026

What it is: The federal judiciary's transcript format rules: lines per page, margins, typeface, spacing and the rules for title pages and certification, as reproduced in a federal court's copy of the Guide.
How much weight it carries: This is the Judicial Conference policy text, copied by a federal court. The Guide is revised from time to time, so confirm against the current official version before you rely on a rule.

Under the federal transcript format, each page of transcription must contain 25 lines of text.
“Each page of transcription is to contain 25 lines of text.” (Part 18.9.2, Number of Lines per Page)
The federal format sets the type at 10 letters to the inch, which gives about 63 characters on each line.
“The letter character size is to be 10 letters to the inch. This provides for approximately 63 characters to each line.” (Part 18.9.1, Type Size)
Under the federal transcript format, lines of transcript text are double spaced.
“Lines of transcript text are to be double spaced.” (Part 18.9.4, Spacing)
Under the federal transcript format, typing begins at a 1-3/4 inch left margin and runs to a 3/8 inch right margin.
“Typing is to begin on each page at the 1-3/4 inch left margin and continue to the 3/8 inch right margin.” (Part 18.9, Margins)