Bates number format, with examples

Published October 27, 2026

A Bates number is usually a short prefix and a fixed-width number: SMITH-000001. A range of pages is written first to last: SMITH-000001 to SMITH-000014. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not set a format (Rule 34, on producing documents, does not mention Bates numbers), so the format comes from habit, a court order or what the parties agree. This page covers the usual choices. This is general information, not legal advice.

The parts of a Bates number

Spaces in a prefix cause trouble in file names and spreadsheets. In one federal court order on production format, from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill litigation, the data fields for the start and end Bates numbers were to include the prefix with "no spaces".

Zero padding: how many digits

Padding means writing 1 as 000001. It keeps every number the same width, so lists sort in the right order: in a spreadsheet sorted as text, SMITH-10 comes before SMITH-2, while SMITH-000002 comes before SMITH-000010. Acrobat Pro's Bates tool defaults to 6 digits and allows 3 to 15.

A person producing their own records rarely comes near six digits. A company producing millions of pages over a case may use seven or eight. Picking a width once and keeping it matters more than the exact choice: SMITH-000412 and SMITH-0000413 in the same case look like two different series.

Start numbers and ranges

A first production normally starts at 1. A range names the first and last page and includes both, so SMITH-000001 to SMITH-000014 is 14 pages: last minus first, plus one. People write ranges with "to", a hyphen or "through". Using one style throughout a written response and its index makes both easier to read.

A later batch starts at the next unused number. If the first set ended at SMITH-000014, the next one starts at SMITH-000015, not at 1 again. See rolling productions for numbering across volumes.

One prefix per producing party

Each party that produces documents typically uses its own prefix, so two parties' pages never share a number. Jane Smith's pages are SMITH-000001 onward; Acme Corp's are ACME-000001 onward. Both can start at 1. If a bank or an employer produces records in response to a subpoena, its pages can carry its own prefix too. A short prefix leaves more room on the page and keeps file names readable.

Placement on the page

The bottom right corner is a common choice. The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona's exhibit instructions, for example, say Bates numbers on bulky exhibits "may be placed on each page, at the bottom right corner". The Deepwater Horizon order asked for the number to sit where it does not obliterate, conceal or interfere with any information from the source document. A label such as CONFIDENTIAL usually goes in a different corner from the number, so neither covers the other.

Examples

Things that cause trouble later

• Changing the prefix or the number of digits partway through a case.
• Restarting at 1 for a second batch, so two pages share a number.
• Reusing a number for a different page after the first one was sent.
• Spaces or symbols in the prefix that file names and spreadsheets handle badly.
• A number placed over text, which happens most on landscape pages and scans that run to the edge.

Each of these is easier to catch with a production index that lists every file's first and last number. For how this fits into a response, see responding to a request for production.

In BatesNumbering.app you type the prefix with its separator (SMITH- gives SMITH-000001), set the start number and the number of digits, and choose bottom left, bottom center, bottom right or top right, with an optional label such as CONFIDENTIAL. Output files can be named by their Bates range, and the index lists each file's first and last number.

Common questions

What is the format of a Bates number?

Usually a short prefix naming the producing party, an optional separator, and a number padded with zeros to a fixed width, such as SMITH-000001. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not set a format; a court order or the parties' agreement can.

How many digits should a Bates number have?

Six digits, enough for 999,999 pages, is common and is Acrobat Pro's default. Very large productions can use seven or eight. Keeping one width for the whole case matters more than the exact number.

How do you write a Bates range?

First page to last page, both included: SMITH-000001 to SMITH-000014 is 14 pages. Some people write it with a hyphen or the word through instead of to.

Can both sides use the same Bates numbers?

Each producing party normally uses its own prefix, so both can start at 000001 without any two pages sharing a number. SMITH-000001 and ACME-000001 are different pages.

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