Process Serving in California

California civil matters are generally handled in the Superior Court in each county. A summons may be served by an adult who is not a party; sheriffs, marshals and court-appointed servers may also serve process. A person who makes more than 10 compensated services in one calendar year must register as a process server with the county clerk where the person resides or has a principal place of business. Separate exemptions apply to specified public employees, attorneys, court-appointed servers and licensed private investigators.

Court Runner USA connects you with registered process servers who serve papers across California.

General information, not legal advice. Last checked October 2026.

Sources:

• California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) § 414.10
• Business and Professions Code (BPC) § 22350
• California Rules of Court, rule 3.110

A summons may be served by any person who is at least 18 years old and not a party to the action. California does not require every individual server to register: a natural person who makes more than 10 compensated services of process in the state during one calendar year must file and maintain a verified registration with the county clerk in the county where they reside or have their principal place of business. A corporation or partnership expecting compensation for service in California must also register in the county of its principal place of business.

The statute exempts, among others, sheriffs, marshals and government employees acting within their duties; attorneys and their employees serving in cases for which the attorney provides legal services; court-appointed servers; and licensed private investigators and their employees. Registration rules and filing details are county-based; check with the relevant county clerk.

Sources:

• CCP § 414.10: persons who may serve
• BPC § 22350: registration threshold and exemptions

Personal delivery of the summons and complaint is permitted. If personal delivery cannot with reasonable diligence be made, substituted service may generally be made by leaving copies with a competent adult at the person’s dwelling, usual abode, usual place of business or usual mailing address, and then mailing copies to that location. Service by mail under CCP § 415.30 requires a signed acknowledgment; mailing alone does not complete that method. A court may authorize service by publication or another method when statutory conditions are met.

Posting is not a general substitute for personal service: CCP § 415.45 provides for court-ordered posting in unlawful-detainer actions, with mailing. Business entities have recipient-specific rules, including service on designated agents and corporate officers. California Corporations Code provisions allow court-authorized Secretary of State service in specified circumstances when an entity’s agent cannot reasonably be served.

Changes from January 1, 2027

AB 747 (the SPARE Act) defines reasonable diligence for substituted service and unlawful-detainer posting as at least three good-faith attempts at personal delivery on three different days at three different times, and adds photo and GPS requirements to proof of service in covered cases.

Sources:

• CCP § 415.10: personal delivery
• CCP § 415.30: service by acknowledgment mail
• CCP § 415.45: posting in unlawful-detainer actions
• Corporations Code § 1702
• Corporations Code § 17701.16
• AB 747, chaptered text and operative dates

For most general civil cases, California Rules of Court, rule 3.110 requires service of the complaint and filing proof of service within 60 days after filing the complaint. When an amended complaint adds a defendant, service and proof for that defendant are generally due within 30 days after the amended complaint is filed. The rule has exceptions, including collections, unlawful-detainer and family-law matters, and the court may modify its deadlines.

The summons generally directs the defendant to respond within 30 days after service. A different period or method may apply in a special proceeding or under another statute. The AB 747 changes that take effect on January 1, 2027 do not change this 30-day response period.

Sources:

• California Rules of Court, rule 3.110
• CCP § 412.20: summons and 30-day response notice
• AB 747: changes operative January 1, 2027

A process server must be at least 18 and not a party to the action. California’s registration requirement is tied to the number of compensated services and is maintained through a county clerk; the statutory exemptions apply to specified public employees, attorneys and their employees, court-appointed servers, and licensed private investigators and their employees.

Posting under CCP § 415.45 is limited to an unlawful-detainer action and requires a court order after the required showing; it is not a general permission to post a summons at a residence or business. California law also provides access to certain staffed gated communities and covered multifamily dwellings for lawful service when the server presents the specified identification or registration evidence.

Sources:

• CCP § 414.10
• BPC § 22350
• CCP § 415.45
• CCP § 415.21: access to gated communities and covered dwellings

Proof of service is generally an affidavit by the person who served the summons, stating the time, place and manner of service and facts showing compliance with the governing method. For substituted service, the proof should identify the person who received the papers and the applicable capacity; service by acknowledgment mail requires the signed acknowledgment. Posting in an unlawful-detainer case requires proof of posting and proof of the mailing step.

After service, proof generally must be filed unless the defendant has already made a general appearance. In ordinary civil cases, rule 3.110 also requires the proof of service to be filed within 60 days after the complaint is filed. From January 1, 2027, AB 747 requires the proof for personal, substituted and posted service to include time-stamped photos of the site with GPS or equivalent coordinates for each attempt, with limited exceptions.

Sources:

• CCP § 417.10: proof of service
• CCP § 417.30: filing proof
• CCP § 417.20: posting and mail proof
• California Rules of Court, rule 3.110
• AB 747: proof requirements from 2027