Process Server in San Francisco, California
Since 1961, California law firms have relied on Direct Legal for more than process serving: statewide service of process backed by court filing, records retrieval, subpoena preparation, and judgment enforcement. In San Francisco, that means servers who work the city's secured towers, doorman buildings, and neighborhoods, and a filing team that knows the Civic Center Courthouse.
San Francisco Superior Court, Civic Center
- Registered & bonded
- Same-day service available
- E&O insurance coverage
- 65+ years in California
San Francisco Process Servers Who Know the Buildings
San Francisco is a vertical city: secured office towers in the Financial District and SoMa, doorman and buzzer buildings from Nob Hill to Mission Bay, and dense neighborhoods from the Marina to the Sunset. The person you need served is rarely waiting behind a front door on a quiet street, so our servers plan each attempt around building access, lobby security, and the times people actually come and go, and they document every attempt.
And because Direct Legal is a full litigation support company, not just a serve-and-go operation, the same team that serves your documents can file them at the right courthouse, subpoena the records, run the skip trace, and handle the levy when you win. One partner, from intake through judgment enforcement.
Same-Day & Rush Service Routine, rush, and same-day service levels throughout the City and County of San Francisco, with documented attempt records and prompt proofs of service.
Law Firms & Self-Represented Parties We serve attorneys, paralegals, businesses, and parties without an attorney, with clear flat-rate pricing published below.
Legal Support Services in San Francisco
- Process ServingSummons and complaints, subpoenas, family law documents, unlawful detainers, and small claims, served in compliance with the California Code of Civil Procedure.
- Court FilingFiling at the Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister Street, where San Francisco civil, eviction, small claims, probate, and family law cases are filed, plus the Hall of Justice for criminal matters.
- E-RecordingElectronic recording of abstracts of judgment, liens, deeds, and other recordable documents with the San Francisco Office of the Assessor-Recorder.
- Skip TracingIf a subject can't be located, our licensed skip tracers can search for a current address using licensed databases and field intelligence.
- Records RetrievalMedical, employment, and business records by subpoena, with deposition officer services.
- Subpoena DomesticationOut-of-state subpoenas domesticated for use in California and California subpoenas prepared for actions pending in other states, then issued, served, and returned.
- Writ LeviesBank levies, wage garnishments, till taps, keeper levies, and vehicle levies under your writ of execution, submitted to the San Francisco Sheriff's Civil Section at City Hall.
- E-FilingMandatory e-filing with San Francisco Superior Court in civil, probate, and family law dissolution cases through an approved vendor, plus physical filing for the initial filings the court does not accept electronically.
San Francisco Process Server Pricing & Rates
Flat rates by service level. Choose the level that fits your deadline.
| Service Level | Law Firms / Legal Departments | Party without Attorney |
|---|---|---|
| StandardFirst attempt in 3 to 5 days, up to 4 to 6 total attempts | $120 | $175 |
| PriorityFirst attempt the next business day, with continued expedited follow-up | $175 | $225 |
| Urgent Same-DayFirst attempt the same day, with expedited follow-up | $195 | $275 |
| On DemandAttempted as soon as possible, including orders received after the deadline. Contact us to confirm availability. | $245 | $325 |
| Support: Law Firms and Legal Departments | Available: Phone (800) 675-5376Available: Email support@ | |
| Support: Parties without an AttorneyPlease include your account number when you email us. | Available: Email support@ | |
- Order deadline and processing. California orders must be received by 1:30 PM Pacific to begin processing that business day, and orders for service outside California by 10:30 AM Pacific. Orders received after the deadline are processed as if received the next business day. Urgent (same-day) and On Demand requests received after 1:30 PM are subject to availability.
- Pages and pricing. Each order includes the first 50 pages; additional pages are $0.50 each. Prices and service times are per person or entity and per address attempted, and include up to 4 to 6 attempts per address in California or 3 to 5 attempts outside California, unless otherwise stated.
- Address and attempt policy. If an address is invalid, vacant, or nonexistent, or the order is canceled after the first attempt, the full fee remains due and no further attempts are made at that address.
- Additional fees. The portal shows the fees for your order before you submit it. Substitute service mailing, when required by law, is an additional $15. Filing the proof of service with the court, if you request it, is an additional fee; the prices shown do not include it.
See all of our process serving terms.
Serving someone outside San Francisco? Look up rates for any city in California and nationwide.
How to Hire a Process Server in San Francisco
Create Your Account
Register at DirectLegal.com in minutes. No setup fees, no minimum orders.
Submit Your Order
Upload your documents, enter the San Francisco address, and choose your service level. Our system is available 24 hours a day.
We Dispatch a Registered Process Server
A registered process server covering San Francisco is dispatched. Unsuccessful attempts are followed up automatically at varied times of day.
Digital Proof of Service Delivered
Your signed proof of service is emailed when service is complete and is available for download, ready to file with the court.
Documents We Serve in San Francisco
- Summons and complaints
- Subpoenas (civil, criminal, and deposition)
- Divorce and family law papers
- Child custody and support orders
- Eviction notices (unlawful detainer)
- Wage attachments and bank levy orders
- Orders for examination of judgment debtor
- Small claims filings (SC-100)
- Motions, pleadings, and discovery documents
- Out-of-state subpoena domestication
- Petitions (probate, civil harassment, elder abuse)
Why Law Firms Choose Direct Legal
Registered & Bonded
Every process server is registered and bonded under California Business & Professions Code § 22350.
Real-Time Case Tracking
Check your order any time in your account, from the first attempt to completed service.
Same-Day & Rush Service
Standard, Priority, Urgent, and On Demand levels, with Urgent same-day service for orders received by 1:30 PM Pacific.
Digital Proof of Service
Your signed proof of service is ready to download as soon as service is complete.
Civic Center Filing
San Francisco's civil, family, and probate clerks are all in the Civic Center Courthouse, and our filing team handles both the e-filing and the physical filing.
In-House Skip Tracing
When an address goes bad, our skip tracers find a current one so service can continue.
Built for Law Firms, Not One-Time Serves
There's a difference between someone who serves papers and a litigation support partner. Since 1961, as California's oldest family-owned process serving company, we've helped attorneys solve litigation problems: complex service, records subpoenas on major matters, out-of-state domestication, and judgment enforcement. When unusual issues arise (and in litigation, they always do), you'll be working with professionals who've likely solved that problem before.
Leadership recognized throughout the profession Direct Legal is led by CEO Mike Kern, past president of both CALSPro and NAPPS. In 2023 NAPPS gave him its highest honor, the Donald C. “Mac” MacDonald Award. He also speaks at continuing education programs for paralegals and legal secretaries across California.
Records retrieval with decades behind it Our Records Retrieval Division is managed by professionals with over 40 years of experience, including work on some of California's largest litigation matters.
California
business
deadline
Our Process Servers Cover All of San Francisco
Every neighborhood in the City and County of San Francisco, from the Financial District towers to the avenues of the Sunset.
Nearby process server pages: Oakland · Hayward · Merced · Los Angeles · All California locations
Courts Serving San Francisco
San Francisco keeps its civil, family, and probate work in one building, the Civic Center Courthouse at 400 McAllister Street.
Civic Center Courthouse
400 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Civil filing in Room 103, including unlawful detainers, small claims, probate, name changes, and civil restraining orders, and the Unified Family Court clerk in Room 402. Starting October 19, 2026, the clerk's offices are open to the public 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on weekdays, and drop boxes outside the clerk's offices take filings from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. Documents in the drop box by 4:00 p.m. get a same-day submission date.
More San Francisco courthouses
- Hall of Justice850 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Criminal and traffic matters.
- Juvenile Justice Center375 Woodside Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127. Juvenile matters.
- U.S. District CourtPhillip Burton Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102. Federal cases for the Northern District of California.
Mandatory E-Filing in San Francisco
Mandatory E-Filing in San Francisco
Since December 8, 2014, San Francisco has required e-filing under Local Rule 2.11. Attorneys must e-file in general civil cases (except small claims), probate, and family law dissolutions, and every e-filing goes through an approved vendor. Self-represented parties are excluded. San Francisco e-filing details
What Still Has to Be Filed Physically
Initial filings in small claims, unlawful detainer, civil harassment, and name or gender change cases are filed physically, and so are writs, abstracts of judgment, unlawful detainer summonses, and orders for examination (Local Rule 2.11). Later filings in an unlawful detainer case are e-filed. We handle both sides.
Sheriff Civil Section at City Hall
The San Francisco Sheriff's Civil Section is in City Hall, Room 456, and has required the Judicial Council's SER-001 and SER-001A forms since January 1, 2024. Bank and keeper levies need the original writ plus five copies for each levy. Since January 1, 2025, levy instructions on a judgment for a personal debt must include a declaration under CCP 684.130, now made on the Judicial Council's Declaration of Address Verification (form WG-015/EJ-135). Writ levy services
How Individuals Are Served in San Francisco
California law allows several ways to serve a person. We always try personal service first and document every attempt so your proof of service holds up to challenge.
- CCP § 415.10
Personal Service
Documents are handed directly to the individual. This is the most defensible method in court and always our first approach.
- CCP § 415.20
Substitute Service
After reasonable diligence, documents may be left with a competent adult at the person's home or usual place of business, then mailed first-class to the same address. Every prior attempt is documented in writing so the proof of service holds up to challenge.
Starting January 1, 2027, AB 747 requires at least three good faith attempts at personal delivery, on three different days at three different times, before substitute service on an individual. Each attempt will also need a photo of the service location stamped with the date, time, and GPS coordinates. Every Direct Legal order already includes up to 4 to 6 attempts at a single California address.
- § 415.20(c)
Private Mailboxes
When a private mailbox at a mail store, such as a UPS Store, is the only address we can find, the papers can be left with the store on the first attempt. The store then mails them to the box holder. A regular USPS P.O. Box cannot be used for service.
- CCP § 415.21
Gated Communities and Secured Buildings
California law requires a staffed gate to let a registered process server in for a reasonable time to serve papers, but that rule covers guarded gated communities, not locked apartment lobbies or office towers. In San Francisco's secured buildings, our servers work with concierge and security staff, time attempts for when residents come and go, and document every attempt.
- CCP § 415.50
Service by Publication
When a defendant can't be located after standard methods are exhausted, a court may authorize publication in a qualifying newspaper. We can prepare the declaration of diligence the court requires.
- Court-ready
Proof of Service
Every completed service produces a signed proof of service on the Judicial Council form, in your account and inbox the moment service is done, ready to file.
Serving Corporations and Businesses in San Francisco
San Francisco has one of the West Coast's densest concentrations of corporate headquarters: finance and law in the Financial District, technology in SoMa and Mission Bay, healthcare and life sciences, tourism and hospitality, and thousands of small businesses in between. Corporate service here usually means a reception desk on a secured floor, where lobby security may require a call-up or an escort before a server can reach the right office.
Key Rules for Serving a Business in San Francisco
- A corporation can be served through its registered agent for service of process, or through an officer or general manager (CCP § 416.10).
- Limited liability companies and partnerships are usually served through their registered agent. You can look up an agent on the California Secretary of State business search.
- When a company's registered agent is a commercial agent in Los Angeles County or Sacramento, our statewide servers handle that too, on the same order.
- A standard USPS P.O. Box is never a valid address for service; a physical street address is required. If the only address we can find is a private mailbox at a mail store, such as a UPS Store, the papers can be left with the store on the first attempt (CCP § 415.20(c)).
San Francisco Process Serving FAQs
How fast can you serve legal documents in San Francisco?
We offer routine, rush, and same-day service levels throughout the City and County of San Francisco. Our servers work this territory every business day, so rush assignments go to a server already in the area, not into tomorrow's queue.
Where are San Francisco court cases filed?
Almost everything civil is filed at the Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister Street. The Civil Division in Room 103 takes civil, unlawful detainer, small claims, probate, name change, and civil restraining order filings, and the Unified Family Court clerk is in Room 402. Criminal and traffic matters are at the Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant Street.
What are the San Francisco Superior Court clerk's office hours?
The civil clerk is in Room 103 of the Civic Center Courthouse and the family law clerk in Room 402. Starting October 19, 2026, the clerk's offices are open to the public 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on weekdays, and drop boxes outside the clerk's offices take filings from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. Documents in the drop box by 4:00 p.m. get a same-day submission date.
Is e-filing mandatory in San Francisco?
For attorneys, yes. Under Local Rule 2.11, represented parties must e-file in general civil cases (except small claims), probate, and family law dissolutions through an approved vendor. Initial filings in small claims, unlawful detainer, civil harassment, and name change cases are still filed physically, and so are writs, abstracts of judgment, and orders for examination. Self-represented parties are excluded.
Can a process server get into a secured building in San Francisco?
Not automatically. California's access rule, CCP 415.21, requires a staffed gate to let a registered process server in for a reasonable time, but it applies to guarded gated communities, not locked apartment lobbies or office towers. Our servers work with concierge and security staff, time attempts for when people come and go, and document every attempt so substitute service is available when the law allows it.
Do you handle writ levies in San Francisco?
Yes. San Francisco levies go through the Sheriff's Civil Section in City Hall, Room 456, which requires the Judicial Council's SER-001 and SER-001A forms. Bank and keeper levies need the original writ plus five copies for each levy. Since January 1, 2025, levy instructions on a judgment for a personal debt must include a declaration under CCP 684.130, now made on the Judicial Council's Declaration of Address Verification (form WG-015/EJ-135). We prepare the writ of execution and the Sheriff's instructions, submit them, serve bank levies at each institution's designated central location for legal process, and handle wage garnishments, till taps, keeper levies, and vehicle levies.
What happens if the person can't be found at the address I provide?
Our servers make multiple attempts at different times of day and document each attempt. Where permitted, we can complete substituted service under California law. If the subject can't be located at all, our licensed skip tracers can search for a current address before your deadline passes.
How much does a process server cost in San Francisco?
For law firms and legal departments, process serving in San Francisco is $120 for Standard service, $175 for Priority, $195 for Urgent same-day service, and $245 for On Demand. For parties without an attorney, the rates are $175, $225, $275, and $325. Each rate covers one person or entity at one address and includes up to 4 to 6 attempts and the first 50 pages.
What is changing for substitute service in California in 2027?
Beginning January 1, 2027, AB 747 requires at least three good faith attempts at personal delivery, on three different days at three different times, before substitute service can be used on an individual. Each attempt must also be documented with a photo of the service location stamped with the date, time, and GPS coordinates. Every Direct Legal order includes up to 4 to 6 attempts at a single California address.
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