§ 413.30.No Provision Made In Chapter Or Other Law For Service of Summons

Section 413.30 is the fallback when the specific service methods in this chapter do not work or do not fit the situation. Subdivision (a)(1) lets the court, on motion, direct that summons be served in a manner reasonably calculated to give actual notice to the party to be served — including by electronic mail or other electronic technology — with proof of service made as the court prescribes. This applies when no provision in this chapter or other law covers service on the particular defendant, or when the plaintiff has exercised reasonable diligence but still has been unable to effect service by any of the chapter’s authorized methods.

Subdivision (a)(2) requires more than a bare assertion of difficulty: a plaintiff seeking to establish reasonable diligence must set forth facts detailing every attempt made to serve the defendant by each statutory method, including why each attempt failed at every address or location where the defendant is likely to be found. Subdivision (b) carves out an exception — this section does not apply in an action against a governmental entity or an agent or employee of one sued in an official or individual capacity.