(a) A summons may be served on a public entity by delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to the clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer, or other head of its governing body.
§ 416.50.Service On Public Entity
Title 5. Jurisdiction and Service of Process · Chapter 4. Service of Summons · Article 4. Persons Upon Whom Summons May Be Served · Enacted 1610 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 416.50 allows a summons to be served on a public entity by delivering it to the clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer, or other head of its governing body, and defines "public entity" broadly to include the state, its agencies, the Regents of the University of California, and local governments.
Full Text of § 416.50
(b) As used in this section, "public entity" includes the state and any office, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or agency of the state, the Regents of the University of California, a county, city, district, public authority, public agency, and any other political subdivision or public corporation in this state.
Plain-English Summary
Section 416.50 sets the designated recipients for suing a government body. Subdivision (a) allows service on a public entity by delivering a copy of the summons and complaint to the clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer, or other head of its governing body.
Subdivision (b) defines "public entity" broadly for this purpose: the state and any office, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or agency of the state; the Regents of the University of California; and a county, city, district, public authority, public agency, or any other political subdivision or public corporation in California. That breadth means this single section covers everything from a state agency to a school district to a city government.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do you serve a summons on to sue a California city or county?
Section 416.50(a) allows service on the clerk, secretary, president, presiding officer, or other head of the governing body of the public entity being sued.
What counts as a "public entity" under this section?
Subdivision (b) defines it broadly to include the state and its offices, departments, and agencies, the Regents of the University of California, and any county, city, district, public authority, public agency, or other political subdivision or public corporation in California.
Does § 416.50 apply to state agencies as well as local governments?
Yes. Subdivision (b) expressly includes any office, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or agency of the state alongside county, city, and district governments.
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
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