Service of copies of any written pleading subsequent to the original complaint, motion, claim, notice or demand, when required by law or rule of the court, may be made by any indifferent person.
Section 10-17.—Service by Indifferent Person
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceConnecticut allows any indifferent person — not just a marshal or officer — to serve copies of pleadings, motions, claims, notices, or demands filed after the original complaint, when service is otherwise required.
Full Text of Section 10-17
Amendment History
(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 126.)
Plain-English Summary
Once a case is underway, many documents beyond the original complaint need to reach the other parties: pleadings filed later in the case, motions, claims, notices, and demands. Section 10-17 says that when the law or a court rule requires service of these copies, an indifferent person may make that service. It does not require a sheriff, marshal, or other officer for these later filings.
An indifferent person is someone with no personal stake in the outcome of the case — the rule uses that term without further definition, but the point is that service of these routine, subsequent papers does not need to come from a party or an interested individual.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can serve copies of pleadings filed after the original complaint in Connecticut?
Section 10-17 allows any indifferent person to serve copies of a written pleading, motion, claim, notice, or demand filed after the original complaint, when service is required by law or court rule.
Does this rule cover service of the original complaint?
No. The text specifically addresses pleadings, motions, claims, notices, or demands that come after the original complaint, not the initial writ, summons, and complaint.
What is an indifferent person under this rule?
The rule uses the term without defining it further, but it refers to someone without a personal interest in the case who is available to carry out the service.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 10-17). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: who can serve pleadings CTindifferent person service Connecticutservice of documents after complaint filedConnecticut Practice Book 10-17serving motions notices demands