(a) Generally. — Service of process may be made within this State or, when authorized by the law of this State, outside of this State (1) by delivering to the person to be served a copy of the summons, complaint, and all other papers filed with it; (2) if the person to be served is an individual, by leaving a copy of the summons, complaint, and all other papers filed with it at the individual’s dwelling house or usual place of abode with a resident of suitable age and discretion; or (3) by mailing to the person to be served a copy of the summons, complaint, and all other papers filed with it by certified mail requesting: “Restricted Delivery — show to whom, date, address of delivery.” Service by certified mail under this Rule is complete upon delivery. Service outside of the State may also be made in the manner prescribed by the court or prescribed by the foreign jurisdiction if reasonably calculated to give actual notice.
Rule 2-121.Process — Service — In personam
Circuit Court · Last amended January 1, 2004 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceMaryland allows in-personam service by handing the papers directly to the defendant, leaving them at the defendant's home with a responsible resident, or sending them by restricted-delivery certified mail, and adds backup methods for defendants who evade service or can't be reached through the ordinary routes.
Full Text of Rule 2-121
(b) Evasion of service. — When proof is made by affidavit that a defendant has acted to evade service, the court may order that service be made by mailing a copy of the summons, complaint, and all other papers filed with it to the defendant at the defendant’s last known residence and delivering a copy of each to a person of suitable age and discretion at the place of business of the defendant.
(c) By order of court. — When proof is made by affidavit that good faith efforts to serve the defendant pursuant to section (a) of this Rule have not succeeded and that service pursuant to section (b) of this Rule is inapplicable or impracticable, the court may order any other means of service that it deems appropriate in the circumstances and reasonably calculated to give actual notice.
(d) Methods not exclusive. — The methods of service provided in this Rule are in addition to and not exclusive of any other means of service that may be provided by statute or rule for obtaining jurisdiction over a defendant.
Amendment History
Amended Oct. 5, 1999; Nov. 12, 2003, effective Jan. 1, 2004.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is derived as follows:
Section (a) is derived from former Rules 104 b 1 and 2, 105 a, and 107 a 1, 2 and 4 and from the 1993 version of Fed.R.Civ.P. 4 (e) (2).
Section (b) is derived from former Rules 104 h 1 and 107 a 3.
Section (c) is new.
Section (d) is derived from former Rules 104 i and 107 c.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 2-121 lays out the standard ways to serve an individual defendant so a Maryland court can exercise personal jurisdiction over them. Section (a) offers three interchangeable methods: personal delivery of the summons, complaint, and all other filed papers directly to the person; leaving those same papers at the defendant's dwelling house or usual place of abode with a resident of suitable age and discretion; or mailing them by certified mail marked "Restricted Delivery — show to whom, date, address of delivery." Service by that certified-mail method counts as complete the moment delivery happens. When Maryland law authorizes service outside the state, the same methods work, or the court can prescribe a different manner, or the method can follow the law of the foreign jurisdiction — as long as whatever method is used is reasonably calculated to give the defendant actual notice.
Sections (b) and (c) are fallback routes for harder cases. If a plaintiff can show by affidavit that a defendant has acted to evade service, the court can order service by mailing the papers to the defendant's last known residence and also delivering a copy to a person of suitable age and discretion at the defendant's place of business. And if good-faith efforts under the standard methods in section (a) haven't worked, and the evasion procedure in section (b) doesn't fit the situation or won't work, the court can order any other means of service it finds appropriate, so long as it's reasonably calculated to give the defendant actual notice.
Section (d) makes clear this rule doesn't crowd out other paths to service. The methods it lists are in addition to, not a substitute for, any other means of service that a statute or another rule already allows for establishing jurisdiction over a defendant.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the standard ways to serve an individual defendant in Maryland?
Personal delivery of the summons, complaint, and all other filed papers; leaving those papers at the defendant's dwelling house or usual place of abode with a resident of suitable age and discretion; or sending them by certified mail marked "Restricted Delivery — show to whom, date, address of delivery."
When is certified-mail service considered complete?
Upon delivery — that's when service by certified mail under this rule is treated as complete.
Can service happen outside Maryland?
Yes, when Maryland law authorizes it. The same methods can be used, or the court can prescribe a different manner, or the method can follow the foreign jurisdiction's law, as long as it's reasonably calculated to give actual notice.
What if the defendant is dodging service?
On an affidavit showing the defendant acted to evade service, the court can order service by mailing the papers to the defendant's last known residence and delivering a copy to a person of suitable age and discretion at the defendant's place of business.
What if even that doesn't work?
If a good-faith effort under the standard methods has failed and the evasion procedure doesn't apply or isn't practical, the court — on affidavit — can order any other means of service it considers appropriate, provided it's reasonably calculated to give the defendant actual notice.
Does this rule replace other Maryland service methods?
No. Section (d) makes the methods in this rule additional to, not exclusive of, any other means of service a statute or another rule allows.
Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: Maryland personal service rulesserving a defendant in Marylandcertified mail restricted delivery service Marylandevasion of service Maryland court ordersubstituted service Maryland civil case