Local, Florida process servers—service of process in all 67 counties

Florida's most reliable method is hand delivery—a process server gives a copy of the summons, complaint, and related initial papers directly to the defendant. The server must note the exact date and time of service on the documents. Direct personal delivery creates a clean, court-tested record and reaches defendants located anywhere in the state.

§ 48.031(1)(a): "Service of original process is made by delivering a copy of it to the person to be served with a copy of the complaint, petition, or other initial pleading or paper or by leaving the copies at his or her usual place of abode with any person residing therein who is 15 years of age or older and informing the person of their contents." — Fla. Stat. § 48.031(1)(a)

With ABC Legal: a vetted server makes the first attempt on your tier's timeline—as fast as 48 hours—and EvidenceChain™ records the GPS location and timestamp of the exact delivery moment.

When the defendant cannot be reached directly, Florida allows leaving copies at the person's usual place of abode with any co-resident who is 15 years of age or older, after informing that person of the contents. This abode method reaches the defendant through the household rather than requiring hand-to-hand delivery to the defendant personally.

§ 48.031(1)(a): service may be made "by leaving the copies at his or her usual place of abode with any person residing therein who is 15 years of age or older and informing the person of their contents." — Fla. Stat. § 48.031(1)(a)

With ABC Legal: courts only accept substituted service after documented diligence. Our app geotags and timestamps every attempt automatically, so your diligence record is built before you need it.

Florida does not authorize routine service of original process by ordinary mail. Instead, section 48.102 lets a court authorize alternative service—which may include electronic delivery by e-mail—but only after a party shows that, despite due diligence, it could not achieve personal service on a corporation, partnership, or LLC. A judge must approve the method in advance.

§ 48.102 (Service by other means): "If, after due diligence, a party seeking to effectuate service is unable to effectuate personal service of process on a domestic or foreign corporation... the court, upon motion and a showing of such inability, may authorize service in any other manner... Such other manners of service may include service electronically by e-mail or other technology by any person authorized to serve process in accordance with this chapter, or by an attorney." — Fla. Stat. § 48.102

With ABC Legal: we recommend personal service first—it starts deadlines immediately and never depends on the recipient cooperating.

Publication is a last resort available only in the specific case types Florida lists—quiet-title and lien actions, dissolution of marriage, partition, adoption, termination of parental rights, and paternity, among others. It reaches defendants who cannot be personally served, and the plaintiff must first file a sworn statement of diligent search under chapter 49 before notice runs in a newspaper.

§ 49.011: "Service of process by publication may be made in any court on any party identified in s. 49.021 in any action or proceeding:" (followed by enumerated case types, including enforcing liens on property, quieting title, partition, dissolution of marriage, adoption, termination of parental rights, and determining paternity). — Fla. Stat. § 49.011

With ABC Legal: our skip tracing team locates most "unfindable" defendants before you ever pay for publication—and if it truly comes to that, your ABC attempt history is the diligence evidence the motion needs.

Florida serves a corporation or LLC first through its registered agent designated under chapter 607, 617, or 605. Only if that agent cannot be served after one good-faith attempt—or the entity no longer has an agent—may process go to officers, directors, managers, members, or a person named on the latest annual report, and ultimately the Secretary of State.

§ 48.081(2): "A domestic corporation or registered foreign corporation may be served with process required or authorized by law by service on its registered agent designated by the corporation under chapter 607 or chapter 617, as applicable." § 48.062(2): "A domestic limited liability company or registered foreign limited liability company may be served... by service on its registered agent designated... under chapter 605." — Fla. Stat. § 48.081; Fla. Stat. § 48.062

With ABC Legal: we verify the current registered agent against state records before dispatch, so the serve lands on the right desk the first time.

A Florida public body that is a body corporate or has a governing board is served first on its registered agent. If none exists or one good-faith attempt fails, service moves down a set order—the head of the entity such as the mayor or chair, then a vice-head, then a board member, manager, or in-house attorney, and finally an employee at the main office.

§ 48.111(1): "Process against any municipal corporation, agency, board, or commission, department, or subdivision of the state or any county which has a governing board, council, or commission or which is a body corporate shall be served" on the registered agent, then—after one good-faith attempt—"on the president, mayor, chair, or other head thereof," then a vice-head, "any member of the governing board, council, or commission, the manager... or an in-house attorney," and finally "any employee of the governmental entity at the main office." — Fla. Stat. § 48.111

With ABC Legal: our servers handle city, county, and state entity serves routinely—and know exactly which office actually accepts them.