How to Become a Private Process Server
A process server is a person who brings official summons from a county or federal court to a person that is required to appear. Process servers are employed to make sure that people, such as witnesses for a trial, are officially informed to show up for court so they do not fail to appear unknowingly. Most process servers are independent contractors licensed with the state they serve. It is fairly easy to become a certified private process server.
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Instructions
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Go to your local county clerk's office. Different cities and states have significantly different rules for process servers. States like California require servers to be licensed, bonded and fingerprinted. Servers in Oregon however do not need to be licensed, but must have errors and omissions insurance. The county clerk's office will give you a list of state requirements for you to fulfill.
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Get bonded. Most process servers need to have some kind of insurance policy that guarantees you will perform the services you have been contracted for. The insurance will pay to have the job done in the event you do not do it. The county clerk's office should provide you with the information on how much you must be bonded for in your state.
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Get fingerprinted. Many states require their processors to be fingerprinted before they can serve summons. Head to your local law enforcement agency, let them fingerprint you, then fill out the fingerprint card and pay the fee, which varies depending on state.
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Get licensed. Some states require you to be licensed to be a process server. Those states are Alaska, Arizona, California, Illinois, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. Different states have different requirements to be licensed.
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Find job opportunities. Once you fill your state's requirements for process serving, it's time to get a job. Start by contacting any processing and legal companies in your area. There are also many associations that cater to private investigators and process servers and will list you in their member directory. Many people looking for process servers search association directories in their state.
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References
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