What is a proof of service?
A proof of service is the form that records a completed delivery: who received the papers, where, on what date, and by which method. Rockstar Process Serving prepares that form after the job and sends it back to you. It describes what the server did. It is not a court order, and it does not say whether a judge will treat the service as complete.
Rockstar is licensed and bonded and works in San Diego County from 3111 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 400A, San Diego, CA 92108. Phones are answered Monday through Friday, 7am–5pm PST. Call 619-399-3278 if you need to know which copy is mailed and which copy is emailed before you upload the papers.
Service attempts are also made outside of these office hours.
What you receive after the serve
For a San Diego County case, the proof of service/declaration is mailed for self-represented people at no extra charge, and a copy is emailed to you. That mailing is included with the in-person serve. It covers San Diego Superior Court Central in downtown San Diego, North County in Vista, East County in El Cajon, and South County in Chula Vista. You do not buy a separate product just to have that county proof mailed.
For every other court, the proof is emailed or mailed back so you can file it yourself. That includes the US District Court for the Southern District of California. If you want the proof carried to a clerk or a drop box, order court filing as its own job. Filing, certification, and copy fees that Rockstar advances add 8% or $4.00, whichever is greater. Same day filing is $250, next day filing is $200, and standard filing is $150. Drop box filing is $150 the same day, $115 the next day, and $70 on the standard schedule.
Which serve the proof describes
Standard process serving is $150, and the first attempt is within one to three days. Same day service is $195, with the first attempt the same day the order starts. Next day service is $175, with the first attempt the next day. Each of those in-person serves includes four attempts at the address on the order. A witness fee is the check written to that person. The order adds 8% or $4.00, whichever is greater. The proof names the attempt that completed service, including the method used that day.
Email service is $60. Sent during office hours, it goes out the same day. It is not an in-person attempt budget, so the proof records an email rather than a doorstep delivery. First-class mail is $60 and certified mail is $75. Mail in by 12pm PST goes out the same day, and mail after 12pm PST may go out the next business day. First-class postage may apply on packets over 35 pages. A witness fee on a mailing is the check written to that person. The order adds 8% or $4.00, whichever is greater. Postage does not. An order placed after 5pm PST is processed the next business day, and any same-day clock starts then.
Notarization, printing, and extra names
Notarization is $40 per signature. Add it only when you need a notarized proof. It is not folded into the serve price. Printing is included for the first 40 pages and is $.30 per page after that. An extra person at the same address is $40, and that price applies only on same day, next day, and standard service. An additional case on the same job is $30, so a second caption can be listed without opening a second serve.
If the included attempts are used and the person is not served, you do not get a proof of completed service. You get a declaration of due diligence. Read the declaration of due diligence guide before you assume a later filing will follow the same path. Rockstar records the tries. Rockstar does not tell you what a court will do with that declaration.
What to send so the caption matches
Start on the order form and upload every document that should be named on the proof. Enter the court and the party names on that job so the caption matches the papers. Add the case number when you have one. A missing case number does not stall the job. The what to include in an order guide lists the fields that keep a job from sitting: the court, the parties, the person, the address, or the papers.
Answers already written down are on the FAQ. If yours is not there, use the contact form or call 619-399-3278. Staff can say which product matches the job you described. They cannot say how a court will rule, and they will not guess at a deadline for you.
Does Rockstar file the proof of service/declaration?
For San Diego County courts, Rockstar mails the proof of service/declaration for self-represented people at no extra charge and emails you a copy. For other courts, including the US District Court for the Southern District of California, the proof of service/declaration is emailed or mailed back to you to file. Hand delivery to a court is a separate filing order.
Is notarization included in the serve price?
No. Notarization is $40 per signature, and you add it to the order when you need it. The serve price covers the attempts and the proof for a completed in-person serve. Call during Monday through Friday, 7am–5pm PST, if a job already underway needs a signature notarized before the proof goes out.
Service attempts are also made outside of these office hours.
What do I receive if the person is not served?
If the included attempts are used and the person is not served, you receive a declaration of due diligence rather than a proof of completed service. The declaration describes the tries. It is not a ruling, and Rockstar does not say what a court will do with it.