(a) A summons may be served by mail as provided in this section. A copy of the summons and of the complaint shall be mailed (by first-class mail or airmail, postage prepaid) to the person to be served, together with two copies of the notice and acknowledgment provided for in subdivision (b) and a return envelope, postage prepaid, addressed to the sender.
§ 415.30.Mail Service
Title 5. Jurisdiction and Service of Process · Chapter 4. Service of Summons · Article 3. Manner of Service of Summons · Enacted 1610 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 415.30 lets a party serve a summons by mailing the defendant a copy of the summons and complaint with a notice and acknowledgment form and a prepaid return envelope, with service deemed complete only once the defendant signs and returns the acknowledgment, and lets the court award the cost of serving by another method if the defendant doesn’t return it within twenty days.
Full Text of § 415.30
(b) The notice specified in subdivision (a) shall be in substantially the following form: (Title of court and cause, with action number, to be inserted by the sender prior to mailing) NOTICE To:(Here state the name of the person to be served.) This summons is served pursuant to Section 415.30 of the California Code of Civil Procedure. Failure to complete this form and return it to the sender within 20 days may subject you (or the party on whose behalf you are being served) to liability for the payment of any expenses incurred in serving a summons upon you in any other manner permitted by law. If you are served on behalf of a corporation, unincorporated association (including a partnership), or other entity, this form must be signed in the name of such entity by you or by a person authorized to receive service of process on behalf of such entity. In all other cases, this form must be signed by you personally or by a person authorized by you to acknowledge receipt of summons. Section 415.30 provides that this summons is deemed served on the date of execution of an acknowledgment of receipt of summons. Signature of sender ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF SUMMONS This acknowledges receipt on (insert date) of a copy of the summons and of the complaint at (insert address). Date:(Date this acknowledgement is executed) Signature of person acknowledging receipt, with title ifacknowledgment is made on behalf of another person
(c) Service of a summons pursuant to this section is deemed complete on the date a written acknowledgement of receipt of summons is executed, if such acknowledgement thereafter is returned to the sender.
(d) If the person to whom a copy of the summons and of the complaint are mailed pursuant to this section fails to complete and return the acknowledgement form set forth in subdivision (b) within 20 days from the date of such mailing, the party to whom the summons was mailed shall be liable for reasonable expenses thereafter incurred in serving or attempting to serve the party by another method permitted by this chapter, and, except for good cause shown, the court in which the action is pending, upon motion, with or without notice, shall award the party such expenses whether or not he is otherwise entitled to recover his costs in the action.
(e) A notice or acknowledgment of receipt in form approved by the Judicial Council is deemed to comply with this section.
Plain-English Summary
Personal service, having someone physically hand a summons to the defendant, can be expensive and slow. Section 415.30 offers a lighter alternative: serving the defendant by mail, paired with a signed acknowledgment that confirms receipt.
The sender mails the defendant a copy of the summons and complaint, along with two copies of a statutory notice-and-acknowledgment form and a postage-paid return envelope. The notice form spells out what’s happening and warns the defendant that failing to sign and return it may leave them on the hook for the cost of serving them some other way. Nothing about this method forces the defendant to accept service; it works only with their cooperation.
That cooperation is what makes service effective. Mailing the papers alone doesn’t complete service under this section; service is deemed complete only on the date the defendant, or someone authorized to accept service on their behalf, signs the acknowledgment, provided it’s later returned to the sender. An unsigned, unreturned form means service by mail never took hold, and the plaintiff has to try another method.
The section builds in an incentive to sign and return the form promptly. If the defendant doesn’t complete and return the acknowledgment within twenty days of mailing, the plaintiff can serve them another way and ask the court to make the defendant pay the reasonable expenses of that second attempt, regardless of whether the plaintiff would otherwise be entitled to recover costs in the case. A notice and acknowledgment form approved by the Judicial Council satisfies the section’s requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does mail-and-acknowledgment service of a summons work in California?
The plaintiff mails the defendant a copy of the summons and complaint, two copies of a statutory notice-and-acknowledgment form, and a prepaid return envelope, and the defendant completes and returns the acknowledgment to confirm receipt.
When is service by mail under Section 415.30 considered complete?
On the date the defendant, or someone authorized to accept service for them, signs the acknowledgment, so long as it is later returned to the sender. Mailing alone doesn’t complete service.
What happens if the defendant never returns the signed acknowledgment?
Service by mail never takes effect, and the plaintiff has to serve the defendant by another method. The plaintiff can also ask the court to make the defendant pay the reasonable cost of that later service.
Can a defendant be forced to accept service by mail under Section 415.30?
No. This method depends on the defendant’s voluntary cooperation in signing and returning the acknowledgment; there is no way to compel acceptance under this section alone.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1969, Ch. 1610.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: service of summons by mail californianotice and acknowledgment of receipt californiamail service of process california