Process Serving in Georgia

Georgia civil process may be served by sheriffs and their deputies, marshals and their deputies, court-appointed servers, and certified process servers who meet the state’s requirements. Georgia’s principal trial courts for civil matters are the superior courts, which have broad civil jurisdiction, and the state courts, which hear civil matters not reserved to the superior courts. Magistrate courts hear certain civil claims, and other trial courts have the jurisdiction assigned to them by law.

Court Runner USA connects you with certified process servers who serve papers across Georgia. The county sheriff must allow certified process servers to serve in that county, and they must give the sheriff the required notice before serving there.

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

Sources:

• O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4
• Judicial Council of Georgia — Georgia’s court system

Georgia civil process may be served by the sheriff or a deputy of the county where the action is brought or where the defendant is found; by a court’s marshal or sheriff, or that officer’s deputy; by a U.S. citizen specially appointed by the court; by a nonparty at least 18 years old appointed by the court; or by a certified process server (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4(c)).

A certified process server must be at least 18 and a U.S. citizen, complete the required training and examination, pass the background check, and submit a complete application to a Georgia sheriff. The certified process server rules effective January 1, 2025, list disqualifying convictions and require a qualifying bond or liability insurance. Certification lasts three years.

Before serving in a county, a certified server must give that county’s sheriff written notice; the sheriff must allow certified servers to serve there. Certified servers may not serve in a case in which they, or a related person, have a personal or financial interest.

Sources:

• O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4
• O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4.1
• Georgia Certified Process Server Rules, effective January 1, 2025

For most individual defendants, the summons and complaint may be delivered personally, left at the defendant’s dwelling or usual place of abode with a person of suitable age and discretion who lives there, or delivered to an agent authorized to receive service (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4(e)(7)).

Corporations may be served through specified officers, managing agents, or their registered agent. When service cannot be made that way, the statute provides a route through the Secretary of State, with additional certification and mailing steps. The Georgia Secretary of State describes a registered agent as the in-state contact designated to receive service and official communications for an entity.

Service by publication may be ordered in specified circumstances, including when a defendant cannot be found after due diligence; publication must run four times within 60 days, at least seven days apart. The court may prescribe a method suited to the case when the service requirements are not prescribed or are unclear. Georgia law also has a special posting-and-mailing method for certain claims under $200.

Sources:

• O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4
• Georgia Secretary of State — Business Division FAQ

A process server serving within Georgia is directed to serve within five days after receiving the summons and complaint; service after that is not invalid just because of the delay. This is the server’s service period, not a deadline for the plaintiff to start service within five days of filing.

In ordinary civil cases, a defendant generally must serve an answer within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint, unless a statute provides otherwise (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-12(a)). Proof of service is filed with the court in the county where the action is pending. If proof is not filed within five business days after service, the defendant’s time to answer does not start until the proof is filed.

For service by publication, the published notice directs the defendant to answer within 60 days after the order for publication.

Sources:

• O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4
• O.C.G.A. § 9-11-12
• Georgia Certified Process Server Rules, effective January 1, 2025

Georgia law lists who may serve civil process: the sheriff or a deputy, a court’s marshal or sheriff or deputy, court-appointed servers who meet the statutory conditions, and certified process servers. A party to the action cannot be a court-appointed server, and the certified process server rules bar serving in a case where the server or a related person has a personal or financial interest in the outcome.

Service made on a Sunday is not invalid solely because it was made on a Sunday, according to a Georgia appellate decision cited in the code annotations.

The statute requires gated or secured communities to give an authorized server access for a reasonable period during reasonable hours, after the server identifies the intended recipient and shows photo identification and current proof of appointment or certification; the server must leave once service is completed or cannot be made at that time. Additional requirements apply to serving minors and certain people under guardianship.

Sources:

• O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4
• Georgia Certified Process Server Rules, effective January 1, 2025

The person who serves process must file proof with the court in the county where the action is pending within five business days after service. For a sheriff, marshal, or deputy, proof may be the officer’s certificate or affidavit; for any other proper server, it is that person’s affidavit. A defendant’s written admission or acknowledgment of service is also recognized. For service other than publication, the certificate or affidavit must state the date, place, and manner of service. If proof is filed later than five business days after service, the answer period does not begin until it is filed (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4(h)).

The Georgia Certified Process Server Rules add requirements for certified servers: their proof must be signed in the presence of a notary public, must never be signed in blank, and must be filed in the county where the case is pending within five business days of service. For publication, the clerk certifies the publication and mailing.

Sources:

• O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4
• Georgia Certified Process Server Rules, effective January 1, 2025