Service of process in Texas
In Texas, citation may be served by a sheriff or constable, by a process server certified under order of the Supreme Court of Texas, by a person authorized by written court order who is at least 18 years old, or by registered or certified mail under Rule 106. Private process servers are certified through the Judicial Branch Certification Commission. The rules set no fixed number of days to complete service after filing; the requesting party is responsible for service, and timeliness is measured against the statute of limitations under a due-diligence standard.
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 Texas?
Authority: Judicial Branch Certification Commission (JBCC), an agency of the Texas Judicial Branch
Private process servers must be certified by the JBCC (or otherwise authorized by written court order). Sheriffs and constables serve by virtue of office.
Who may serve process in Texas?
- County sheriff
- Marshal
- Licensed / registered process server
- Certified / registered mail
- Publication (by court order)
Service deadline (Texas)
No fixed number-of-days deadline. Tex. R. Civ. P. 99 makes the requesting party responsible for service; timeliness is governed by the common-law 'due diligence' doctrine relative to the statute of limitations.
UIDDA: Texas 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
Tex. R. Civ. P. 103 (who may serve); 106 (method); 99 (citation)
UIDDA: Tex. R. Civ. P. 201.3 (adopting UIDDA; eff. Aug. 31, 2025)
Verification notes for Texas: 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:
- uiddaCitation (Rule 201.3, eff. Aug. 31 2025 — sourced to law-firm analysis; spot-check the primary rule text)
Interstate service from Texas
Texas 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 Texas
Other states with licensing requirements
Check a different state
Verified against Texas 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.