Louisiana process server—service of process in all 64 parishes

In Louisiana, personal service happens when a proper officer—normally the parish sheriff—tenders the citation and petition directly to the person being served. The papers need not be physically placed in the defendant's hands; a valid tender to the individual completes it. This is the most direct method and the foundation for Louisiana's other service rules.

Art. 1232. "Personal service is made when a proper officer tenders the citation or other process to the person to be served." — La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1232

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.

Louisiana calls its substituted method domiciliary service. A proper officer leaves the citation and petition at the defendant's dwelling house or usual place of abode with a person of suitable age and discretion who resides there. The recipient must actually live in the household—leaving the papers with a neighbor, a coworker, or a visitor does not satisfy the rule.

Art. 1234. "Domiciliary service is made when a proper officer leaves the citation or other process at the dwelling house or usual place of abode of the person to be served with a person of suitable age and discretion residing in the domiciliary establishment." — La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1234

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.

Louisiana does not serve defendants by newspaper publication the way many states do. When a nonresident or absentee cannot be served personally or through an agent and has not waived jurisdiction, the court appoints an attorney to represent that defendant, and the case proceeds contradictorily against the appointed attorney. Publication of notice applies only in specific proceedings set by law.

Art. 5091(A). The court shall appoint an attorney at law to represent the defendant when it has jurisdiction and the defendant is "(a) A nonresident or absentee who has not been served with process, either personally or through an agent for the service of process, and who has not waived objection to jurisdiction." — La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 5091

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.

Service on a Louisiana or foreign corporation or LLC is made by personal service on any one of its agents for service of process. If the entity has no agent, or the agent has died, resigned, been removed, or cannot be served after due diligence, the officer may instead serve an officer, director, manager, member, or a suitable employee at a regular place of business.

Art. 1261(A). "Service of citation or other process on a domestic or foreign corporation is made by personal service on any one of its agents for service of process." Art. 1266(A). "Service of citation or other process on a domestic or foreign limited liability company is made by personal service on any one of its agents for service of process." — La. Code Civ. Proc. arts. 1261, 1266

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.

To sue a Louisiana political subdivision, public corporation, or state, parochial, or municipal board or commission, service is made at its office by personal service on the chief executive officer—or, in that officer's absence, on any employee of suitable age and discretion there. A public officer sued in that capacity is served the same way at the officer's own office.

Art. 1265. "Service of citation or other process on any political subdivision, public corporation, or state, parochial or municipal board or commission is made at its office by personal service upon the chief executive officer thereof, or in his absence upon any employee thereof of suitable age and discretion. A public officer, sued as such, may be served at his office either personally, or in his absence, by service upon any of his employees of suitable age and discretion." — La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 1265

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

When a defendant is located outside Louisiana, the long-arm statute lets the plaintiff's counsel—or a self-represented plaintiff—send a certified copy of the citation and petition by registered or certified mail, or by commercial courier, to the defendant out of state. Done properly, this carries the same legal force as personal service made within Louisiana, and refusing to claim the mail does not defeat it.

R.S. 13:3204(A). A certified copy of the citation and of the petition "shall be sent by counsel for the plaintiff, or by the plaintiff if not represented by counsel, to the defendant by registered or certified mail, or actually delivered to the defendant by commercial courier, when the person to be served is located outside of this state." — La. Rev. Stat. § 13:3204 (Long-Arm Statute)

With ABC Legal: every attempt is GPS- and time-stamped, so your proof of service is court-ready wherever the defendant is.