Service of process in Maryland
In Maryland, process may be served by the sheriff or by any competent adult 18 or older who is not a party, including a private process server. Permitted methods include personal delivery, substituted service at a residence or business, certified mail with restricted delivery, and — by court order — service by publication or posting. A summons is generally effective for 60 days after issuance and may be renewed if service is not completed.
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 Maryland?
No statewide license/registration for private process servers. Server must be 18+ and not a party; certain writs may require the sheriff.
Who may serve process in Maryland?
- County sheriff
- Any non-party adult (18+)
- Certified / registered mail
- Publication (by court order)
Service deadline (Maryland)
A summons is effective for service for 60 days after issuance and may be renewed if service is not completed (Md. Rule 2-113); unserved cases may face dormancy/dismissal under Md. Rule 2-507. The 60 days is a summons-validity period, not an absolute service bar.
UIDDA: Maryland 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
Md. Rule 2-121 (service of process); Md. Rule 2-124 (persons to be served)
UIDDA: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. §§ 9-401 to 9-407 (eff. Oct. 1, 2010)
Verification notes for Maryland: 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 (Maryland Judiciary self-help portal; underlying Md. Rules text not directly fetched)
Interstate service from Maryland
Maryland 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 Maryland
Other states with no license requirement
Check a different state
Verified against Maryland 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.