Qualifications for Florida Private Process Servers

When you have a legal matter, it is important that your legal and court papers are served according to the rules and guidelines set forth by the courts. To that end, you must know the qualifications necessary for Florida private process servers so that you can be certain the process server you are using is qualified and legally able to serve the papers.

Legal Requirements

Private process servers in Florida must be registered with the courts, appointed by the sheriff’s department, or appointed by a judge for an individual serve. All process servers must be at least 18 years of age, have no mental or legal disability, be a permanent Florida resident, pass a background check, pass an exam, and obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct. 

By County

A private process server registered in one county may not be authorized to serve papers in another county. In the state of Florida, the different counties handle things in different ways. In some counties, private process servers are registered with the courts. In other counties they are appointed by the sheriff’s department, and a few smaller counties appoint process servers on a case-by-case basis.

It is important to make sure that your private process server is an authorized representative of the courts for the purpose of serving papers. If they are not, the service can be ruled invalid, and your case could be delayed or dismissed. 

Recertification

In counties where private process servers are registered with the courts, this registration has to be kept up to date. If a process server allows their registration to lapse, they will no longer be able to legally serve papers. Make sure that the individual process server you are using is registered with the courts and legally able to serve papers in the area.

If you have papers that you need served, we can help. Contact us today for more information or to get started.