Rule 16.Shall Endorse All Process
Last amended January 1, 1988 · Last verified June 28, 2026
Full Text of Rule 16
Notes and Comments
Comment to 1988 change: Article 3926a, effective September 1, 1981, authorizes the commissioner’s court of each county to set a “reasonable” fee for service of process; mileage is no longer an authorized expense for serving process.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 16 makes the serving officer document the service. On the process itself, the officer or other authorized person endorses the day and hour it was received, the manner of execution, and the time and place it was served, then signs the return officially.
This endorsement is the return of service — the record a court relies on to confirm that a party was served and when.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must an officer write on the process under Rule 16?
The day and hour the process was received, how it was executed, and the time and place it was served. The officer signs the return officially.
Who is responsible for making the endorsement required by Rule 16?
The officer who received the process, or another person authorized to serve it. Rule 16 puts the duty on whoever executed service, not on the clerk or the party who requested it.
Does Rule 16 set the officer's fee for serving process?
No. Rule 16 only requires the endorsement and signed return. A 1988 comment to the rule notes that county commissioners courts set a reasonable service fee under a separate 1981 statute, and that mileage is no longer a chargeable expense for service.