5 C.F.R. § 551.710

(a) Filing a claim. An employee, or his or her authorized representative designated under § 551.704, seeking to file a claim or a request to reopen and reconsider under this part must use the eFile system available at https://opmefile.opm.gov/hc/en-us. Absent an approved exemption under paragraph (b)(7), OPM will not accept the filing of a claim, a request to reopen and reconsider evidence, or other supporting documents via electronic mail or postal mail.

(b) Electronic filing (eFile) procedures. (1) Each party and its representative(s) to a claim or request to reopen and reconsider must register as instructed by OPM on its website using a unique email address.

(2) Registration as an eFiler constitutes consent to accept electronic service of all documents, records, notices, and decisions filed by the agency, claimant, or issued by OPM. No party may electronically file any document with OPM or access a claim or a request to reopen and reconsider a claim unless registered as an eFiler.

(3) All notices, decisions, and other documents issued by OPM, as well as all documents filed by parties, will be made available for viewing and downloading at OPM's eFile system. Access to documents is limited to the parties and their representatives who are registered eFilers in the cases in which they were filed.

(4) All parties and their representatives must follow the instructions on OPM's website for properly filing all claims, evidence, and other documents. OPM may strike a document where an eFiler repeatedly fails to follow these instructions following receipt of a show cause order.

(5) Each eFiler must promptly update his or her profile in OPM's eFile system. The eFile system will alert OPM and other parties of any change made to an address, telephone number, or email address in each pending case with which they are associated. eFilers are also responsible for monitoring case activity regularly in OPM's eFile system to ensure that they have received all case-related documents and updates.

(6) A party or representative may withdraw registration as an eFiler pursuant to the instructions posted on OPM's website. Withdrawing registration in OPM's eFile system means that, effective upon OPM's processing of a proper withdrawal, all filings, evidence, orders, and other documents filed by a party or party's representative and OPM will no longer be available to that person electronically and that person will no longer have electronic access to case records through OPM's eFile system. OPM may still process a claim or request to reopen and reconsider after a party or a party's representative withdraws as an eFiler. Withdrawal as a party or party's representative will not be considered good cause for staying a case.

(7) OPM, in its sole and exclusive discretion, may exempt a party or representative from registering as an eFiler. A party or representative must promptly contact OPM as instructed on OPM's website to request an exemption from the eFiling requirements in this part. OPM will not find good cause for failing to file a claim timely or seek to request to reopen and reconsider a decision if the party or representative fails to contact OPM to request an exemption before any deadline to file a claim or seek to request to reopen and reconsider.

(8) Documents filed in OPM's eFile system are deemed received on the date of the electronic submission. The party submitting the claim or any documents will receive acknowledgment of receipt of the claim and submission of any documents to support the claim.