(a) By Whom Made. Service of process within the state, except as otherwise provided by law, shall be made by the sheriff or a person over the age of 18 years who is not a party to the action.
Rule 54.13.Personal Service Within the State.
Part I · Rule 54: Issuance and Service of Summons or Other Process · Last amended December 1, 2021 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentencePersonal service within Missouri must be made by the sheriff or a non-party adult, with distinct delivery rules for individuals, people under conservatorship, corporations and other associations, and public or government bodies, and a defendant may instead acknowledge service in writing.
Full Text of Rule 54.13
(b) How and on Whom Made. Personal service within the state shall be made as follows:
(1) On Individual. Upon an individual, including an infant or incompetent person not having a legally appointed guardian, by delivering a copy of the summons and petition personally to the individual or by leaving a copy of the summons and petition at the individual's dwelling house or usual place of abode with some person at least 18 years of age residing therein, or by delivering a copy of the summons and petition to an agent authorized by appointment or required by law to receive service of process.
(2) On Conservator. Upon an infant or disabled or incapacitated person who has a legally appointed conservator, by delivering a copy of the summons and petition to the conservator as provided in Rule 54.13(b)(1).
(3) On Corporation, Partnership or Other Unincorporated Association. Upon a domestic or foreign corporation or upon a partnership or other unincorporated association, when it may be sued as such, by delivering a copy of the summons and petition to an officer, partner, or managing or general agent, or by leaving the copies at any business office of the defendant with the person having charge thereof or by delivering copies to its registered agent or to any other agent authorized by appointment or required by law to receive service of process.
(4) On Public or Quasi-Public Corporation or Body. Upon a public, municipal, governmental or quasi- public corporation or body, by delivering a copy of the summons and petition to the clerk of the county commission in the case of a county, to the mayor or city clerk or city attorney in the case of a city, to the chief executive officer in the case of any public, municipal, governmental or quasi-public corporation or body or to any person otherwise lawfully so designated. If no person above specified is available for service, the court out of which the process issued may designate an appropriate person to whom copies of the summons and petition may be delivered in order to effect service.
(c) Acknowledgment of Service. When a defendant shall acknowledge in writing, endorsed on the process, signed by the defendant's own proper signature, the service of such process, and waive the necessity of the service thereof by an officer, such acknowledgment shall be deemed as valid as service in the manner provided by law. Acknowledgment of service by mail may also be made as provided in Rule 54.16.
(d) Where Process May Be Served in This State. All process issued for service within this state may be served anywhere within the state and may be forwarded to the sheriff of any county for the purpose of service.
Amendment History
Adopted Jan. 19, 1973, eff. Sept. 1, 1973. Amended June 1, 1993, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Amended June 21, 2002, eff. Jan 1, 2003; Amended June 1, 2021, eff. Dec. 1, 2021.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 54.13 is the core mechanical rule for serving process inside Missouri. Subsection (a) limits who may serve process within the state: the sheriff, or any person over eighteen who is not a party to the action. That keeps service in the hands of a disinterested adult or a law enforcement officer, not someone with a stake in the outcome.
Subsection (b) sets out how service is made depending on who the defendant is. An individual — including an infant or incompetent person without a legally appointed guardian — may be served by personal delivery, by leaving a copy at the individual’s dwelling house or usual place of abode with someone at least eighteen who lives there, or by delivering it to an agent the individual has authorized or the law requires to receive it. If the infant or disabled or incapacitated person has a legally appointed conservator, service on the conservator using those same methods suffices. A corporation, partnership, or other unincorporated association that can be sued as such is served by delivering copies to an officer, partner, or managing or general agent, by leaving copies at a business office with the person in charge, or by delivering copies to a registered agent or other authorized agent. Public, municipal, governmental, or quasi-public bodies are served through specific officials — the clerk of the county commission for a county, the mayor, city clerk, or city attorney for a city, or the chief executive officer for other such bodies — or through any other person lawfully designated for that purpose; if no one specified is available, the court may designate an appropriate person.
Subsection (c) allows a defendant to bypass formal service by an officer altogether. A defendant can acknowledge service in writing, endorsed on the process and signed in the defendant’s own hand, waiving the need for an officer to serve it, and that acknowledgment carries the same legal weight as service made by an officer. Acknowledgment of service by mail is also available under Rule 54.16.
Subsection (d) confirms the geographic reach of process issued for service within Missouri: it may be served anywhere in the state and forwarded to the sheriff of any county for that purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is allowed to personally serve process within Missouri?
The sheriff, or any person over eighteen years of age who is not a party to the action.
How is an individual defendant served under Rule 54.13?
By delivering a copy of the summons and petition personally to the individual, by leaving copies at the individual’s dwelling house or usual place of abode with someone at least eighteen who lives there, or by delivering copies to an agent authorized by appointment or required by law to receive service.
How is a corporation served under this rule?
By delivering copies to an officer, partner, or managing or general agent, by leaving copies at any business office of the defendant with the person in charge, or by delivering copies to its registered agent or another agent authorized to receive service.
How is a city or county served?
By delivering copies to the clerk of the county commission for a county, the mayor, city clerk, or city attorney for a city, the chief executive officer for another public or quasi-public body, or any other person lawfully designated; if none of these is available, the court may designate an appropriate person.
Can a defendant sign a written acknowledgment instead of being served by an officer?
Yes. A defendant can acknowledge service in writing, endorsed on the process and signed with the defendant’s own signature, waiving the need for service by an officer, and that acknowledgment is treated as valid service.
What if the person to be served has a legally appointed conservator?
Service is made on the conservator using the same methods that apply to serving an individual under Rule 54.13(b)(1).
Where within Missouri can process be served?
Anywhere in the state; process may be forwarded to the sheriff of any county to carry out service.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: personal service in stateservice on individualservice on corporationservice on a businesswho can serve processacknowledgment of service