Service of process in Georgia
In Georgia, process is served by the sheriff or marshal of the relevant court (or a deputy), by a person specially appointed by the court, by a court-appointed permanent process server, or by a process server certified by a sheriff under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4.1; service by publication is available by court order. Service should be made within five days of the server's receipt of the summons and complaint, and proof filed within five business days, though late service is not automatically invalid.
ProcessServerState provides procedural-information-only summaries of state process-server rules. This is not legal advice. Service of process is a critical step in litigation — if you fail to serve correctly, your case can be dismissed. For complex or contested matters, consult a licensed attorney or a court self-help center. Not affiliated with any court or sheriff's office.
Is a license required in Georgia?
Authority: Sheriffs certify process servers under the Georgia Certified Process Server Program (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4.1)
Service is primarily by the sheriff/marshal or deputy. Private servers may serve as a person specially appointed by the court, a court-appointed permanent process server, or a certified process server certified by a sheriff under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4.1.
Who may serve process in Georgia?
- County sheriff
- Marshal
- Licensed / registered process server
- Any non-party adult (18+)
- Publication (by court order)
Service deadline (Georgia)
O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4(c): server shall serve within five days of receiving the summons and complaint, but failure does not invalidate later service; proof of service filed within five business days. This is a directory deadline, not a hard bar.
UIDDA: Georgia has adopted the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act for interstate service.
Sheriff / Marshal civil-process route
Civil-process fees are set by each county and listed on the local sheriff's civil-process page. Not all counties publish a fee schedule — confirm with the county where service will be made.
Statute / Rule citation
O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4 (with § 9-11-4.1 for certified process servers)
UIDDA: O.C.G.A. § 24-13-110 et seq. (eff. Jan. 1, 2013)
Verification notes for Georgia: the following could not be fully primary-source-confirmed in our last pass and should be verified against the cited source before you rely on them:
- rule4Url (Justia mirror used; official Georgia Code/LexisNexis portal not separately fetched)
Interstate service from Georgia
Georgia has adopted the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (UIDDA), which provides a streamlined process for issuing an out-of-state subpoena based on one issued in the trial state. Service of an initial summons across state lines follows the receiving state's rules.
Sources for Georgia
Other states with licensing requirements
Check a different state
Verified against Georgia primary sources on June 16, 2026. Read how we verify on our methodology page, or browse every citation in the source manifest.
Editorial review status: Reviewer attribution pending — we are recruiting a credentialed reviewer (ex-process-server with a NAPPS credential, or a NALA/NFPA-certified civil-procedure paralegal) before this site applies for advertising. We will not display a fabricated reviewer.
ProcessServerState provides procedural-information-only summaries of state process-server rules. This is not legal advice. Service of process is a critical step in litigation — if you fail to serve correctly, your case can be dismissed. For complex or contested matters, consult a licensed attorney or a court self-help center. Not affiliated with any court or sheriff's office.