What’s a Process Server?
Not every process server hides in bushes or appears from dark alleys. . . usually. Often, the people I was serving in DMV—DC, Maryland and Virginia—were businesspeople, resident agents or attorneys. Then again, an easy serve can become needlessly difficult when someone decides to flex authority.
So, let’s have a little fun here.
Civil or Criminal
Let’s get this out of the way. Most process service deals with civil cases, not criminal. There are, however, process servers who may have close relationships with criminal defense attorneys.
Process Serving
Process serving is the act of delivering a set of legal papers/documents to the intended recipient. These legal documents could be a summons (to respond), a subpoena (to produce documents or to testify) or some sort of notice or other agreement.
To the surprise of many, the overwhelming majority of subjects to be served are cooperative with process servers. Heck, more often than not, I could call and find out what a good time to serve a paper was and the intended recipient would let me know the address and time they’d prefer to be served.
Who Receives These Documents?
Attorneys who represent their clients will sometimes receive these documents for themselves and/or their clients.
Police officers who were the first responders to the scene or otherwise engaged with key evidence.
Resident agents are people who raise their hands and say to the secretaries of state across this country that they will receive any legal correspondence for a particular company or person. Resident agents could be attorneys, the owner of a business, an individual otherwise associated with the business or a professional service that acts as a resident agent.
Normal people may also receive a visit from a process server at some point in their life. Could be you were involved in a simple auto accident and now a television attorney has decided his client has $4,000,000 worth of emotional damages. Accidents and injuries are a huge reason legal correspondence would be delivered by a process server.
Professional Process Server or Sheriff
Some jurisdictions rely heavily on private process servers. Others on sheriff’s departments. It seems most have some combination of the two.
Do I Have Stories?
Of course. You can find true stories here. Keep in mind that I’ve often changed the names and locations of these stories to save me the trouble of answering the door to find a process server handing me legal papers for defamation or some other privacy reasons.
Does the Subject Have to Touch the Papers?
No. In fact, if a licensed (or, I guess, unlicensed) process server does throw or hit the subject with the papers, that could be considered physical assault and charges could be forthcoming. A process server has no legal right to personally assault a subject.
Do Process Servers Have Special Powers?
No. In most jurisdictions, a process server has to follow all the laws of any citizen. A process server may not criminally trespass, break and enter, check mailboxes, etc. In most jurisdictions they may need a special license, but these licenses do not give them police powers.
Can I Avoid a Process Server?
Sure. It’ll just end up costing you more money because the legal process won’t stop. Depending on jurisdiction, the longer you evade, the more money a process server will make by surveilling you and finally getting you at a weak point. Or, the legal process will go to substitute service, notifications in newspapers, legal publications, etc.
Check your local statutes, but if the law, criminal or civil, is looking for you, it will eventually find you.
How I Use My Past
When I’m writing my crime fiction, those years I spent serving process are a goldmine of experiences that I translate into my short stories and Notice of Assignment, my upcoming novella. It debuts on October 27, 2026.
Your Experience?
What stories do you have about an encounter with a process server? I encourage you to share it in the comments or hit reply and share privately. I’d love to read your story.
One Last Note
I had the pleasure of visiting our neighbors to the north: Canada. My wife and I found Montreal and Quebec City to be extremely clean, easy to walk and filled with so much history, art and great, great food.
And, we got to have a beer and lunch with Kevin M Coleman. He’s an author here on Substack. If you are a lover of Depression Era Noir Crime Fiction, I’d give him a read. Start with The Red Line. I love the perspective.
A Chris Writes, LLC Publication
Not legal advice / not professional guidance / do not imitate tactics
Fictionalized/composite/altered details + no identification intended
© 2026 Chris Writes, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
My grandfather was a process server as City Marshal of Rome NY. I still have his ledgers showing who got served and for what.