Rule 5.523.Electronic service (§ 212.5)

Division 3. Juvenile Rules · Chapter 2. Commencement of Juvenile Court Proceedings · Adopted 2019 · no amendments on record · Last verified September 10, 2026

In one sentenceRule 5.523 permits electronic service in juvenile matters only on express consent, and requires a lawyer to walk a 16- or 17-year-old through what consenting means.

Full Text of Rule 5.523

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

(a) Electronic service—General provisions

(1) Electronic service is authorized only if the court and county agencies required to serve in juvenile court permit electronic service.

(2) Unless otherwise provided by law, a document in a juvenile court matter may be served electronically as prescribed by Code of Civil Procedure section 1010.6 and in accordance Welfare and Institutions Code section 212.5.

(3) If the noticing entity knows or should know that a child or nonminor who has consented to electronic service is in custody at the time that a notice will issue, the entity must also provide service of the notice by first-class mail.

(b) Consent to electronic service by a child, age 10 to 15

Electronic service is permitted on a child who is 10 to 15 years of age only upon express consent of the child and the child's attorney by completing the appropriate Judicial Council form.

Electronic service is permitted on a child who is 16 or 17 years of age only if the child, after consultation with his or her attorney, expressly consents by completing the appropriate Judicial Council form.

(d) Required consultation with attorney for child, age 16 or 17

In a consultation with a child who is 16 or 17 years old and who seeks to consent to electronic service in a juvenile matter, the child’s attorney must discuss and encourage the child to consider the following:

(1) Whether the child has regular and reliable access to a means of electronic communication for purposes of communication regarding his or her case;

(2) The importance of maintaining confidentiality and what means of electronic communication the child intends to use to communicate about his or her case and whether it is private and secure; and

(3) Whether the child understands his or her rights with respect to the provision and withdrawal of consent to electronic service.

(e) Required notification to child, age 16 or 17

In addition to the required factors for consideration in consultation described in (d), the child’s attorney must also notify the child who seeks to provide consent to electronic service of the following:

(1) Electronic service of medical or psychological documentation related to a child is prohibited, with the exception of the summary required under Welfare and Institutions Code section 16010 when included as part of a required report to the court.

(2) Electronic service on a party or other person is permitted only if the party or other person has expressly consented, as provided in Code of Civil Procedure section 1010.6.

(3) A party or other person may subsequently withdraw his or her consent to electronic service by completing the appropriate Judicial Council form.

End

Plain-English Summary

Electronic service is authorized only where the court and the serving county agencies permit it, and only as the general statute and the juvenile electronic service provision allow. One protection applies regardless of consent: where the noticing entity knows or should know that a child or nonminor who consented is in custody when notice issues, it must also serve by first-class mail.

Consent is age-tiered. For a child aged 10 to 15, electronic service is permitted only on the express consent of both the child and the child’s attorney. For a child of 16 or 17, the child may consent alone — but only after consultation with their attorney.

What that consultation must cover is the heart of the rule, and it reads as a list of the practical risks. The attorney must discuss and encourage the child to consider whether they have regular and reliable access to a means of electronic communication for case purposes; the importance of confidentiality, what means the child intends to use, and whether it is private and secure; and whether the child understands their rights about giving and withdrawing consent.

Three further notifications are required: that electronic service of medical or psychological documentation about a child is prohibited, apart from the statutory summary when included in a required report; that electronic service on anyone is permitted only with their express consent; and that consent may later be withdrawn on the appropriate form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a child be served electronically in a juvenile case?

Only with express consent. A child aged 10 to 15 needs the consent of both the child and the child’s attorney; a child of 16 or 17 may consent alone, but only after consultation with their attorney.

What must the lawyer discuss before a teenager consents?

Whether the child has regular and reliable access to electronic communication for the case; the importance of confidentiality, what means they intend to use, and whether it is private and secure; and whether they understand their rights to give and withdraw consent.

Can medical records be served electronically?

No. Electronic service of medical or psychological documentation related to a child is prohibited, except the summary required under Welfare and Institutions Code section 16010 when included as part of a required report to the court.

What if the child is in custody?

If the noticing entity knows or should know that a child or nonminor who consented to electronic service is in custody when the notice issues, it must also provide service by first-class mail.

Amendment History

Rule 5.523 adopted effective January 1, 2019.

Source & verification. Rule text is reproduced verbatim from the Judicial Council of California. Adopted by the Judicial Council of California. Last verified September 10, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: electronic service juvenile court Californiaconsent electronic service childsection 212.5 electronic service