Free Resource
Short answer: These are the official federal court forms, unmodified, exactly as published by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Every one is a fillable PDF you can complete on a computer. We do not redraw or recreate government forms — each card also links to the official uscourts.gov page so you can confirm you have the current version.
Have the form and need to know what the rules require around it? See the filing checklists — deadlines, copies, fees, and exhaustion, per route.
Choosing the wrong form is one of the most common reasons a filing is rejected or dismissed without a judge reaching the substance. The short version:
28 U.S.C. § 2255
For a person in federal custody challenging whether the conviction or sentence itself is lawful. Filed in the court that sentenced you.
28 U.S.C. § 2241
For challenging how a federal sentence is being carried out — sentence computation, credits, disciplinary sanctions. Filed where you are confined.
28 U.S.C. § 2254
For a person in custody under a state court judgment seeking federal habeas review.
42 U.S.C. § 1983 / Bivens
The prisoner civil rights complaint form. Many district courts publish their own local version — check your court first.
42 U.S.C. § 1983 / Bivens
The civil rights complaint form for someone not in custody.
28 U.S.C. § 1915
The in forma pauperis application. An incarcerated applicant normally must also attach a certified 6-month trust account statement.
28 U.S.C. § 1915
The longer in forma pauperis application. Some courts require this version rather than AO 240.
Many district courts publish their own version of these forms, and most have local rules that change what you must attach or how many copies to send. The national form is the baseline; your court's version controls. Select your district to go straight to its website.
Not sure which district covers your facility or your address? The U.S. Courts Federal Court Finder will identify it.
Filling in a form correctly is only part of it. The AO 243 instructions, for example, note that no fee is required with a § 2255 motion, that additional pages are not permitted except for the facts supporting your grounds, that only judgments from one court may be challenged in a single motion, and that the motion must be signed under penalty of perjury. Details like these decide filings more often than the underlying legal argument does.
Forms are reproduced here unmodified from their official government source; always confirm you have the current revision from uscourts.gov or your district court before filing.
