How to Become a Process Server

A process server delivers legal documents — like summonses and subpoenas — to the people involved in a court case, and often handles related work like court filing and document retrieval. Requirements to become one vary significantly by state, so here’s a general roadmap to get started.

Step 1: Research your state’s requirements

In many states, the baseline requirement is that you’re 18 or older and not a party to the case you’d be serving documents for. Beyond that, requirements vary widely by state:

• Statewide licensing required: Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington
• Local/county licensing required: Florida (county-specific), Missouri (St. Louis), New York (NYC), and Tennessee (Shelby County)
• No formal licensing required: many other states — though training is still recommended, since local courts and clients may expect it.

Contact your local courthouse or sheriff’s office for the specific registration steps in your area, since requirements can vary even within a state.

Step 2: Complete any required training or licensing

If your state or county requires a license, complete the associated training and application process before taking on jobs. Even where it’s not required, foundational training in service-of-process rules helps you avoid mistakes that could get a service thrown out in court.

Step 3: Decide how you’ll operate

Most process servers work either as independent contractors for a process serving agency or law firm, or set up their own business. Think through which fits your goals before you start marketing yourself.

Step 4: Set yourself up to get jobs

Build an online presence, get the software you’ll need to manage jobs and paperwork, and start networking with law firms, attorneys, and courts in your area — this is typically how new process servers find their first jobs.

Learn more

For detailed, state-by-state requirements and training resources, visit our sister site serve-now.com to get started today.