Rules of civil procedure and service of process requirements for Maryland.
Last updated October 22, 2026
Maryland's rules for serving a summons and complaint are in the Maryland Rules. Circuit court service is in Title 2, Chapter 100, mainly Rules 2-121 to 2-126. District Court service follows matching rules in Title 3, mainly Rules 3-121 to 3-126.
Maryland doesn't license process servers. Any competent adult who isn't a party can serve.
Disclaimer: Laws change, and this page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Check the current Maryland Rules or the Maryland Judiciary's service page, or ask an attorney before relying on it.
Maryland process servers
Process-serving software: ServeManager
ServeManager is process-serving software used by agencies across Maryland. It tracks every attempt with date, time, GPS and photos, and generates affidavits of service from the job.
No. Maryland has no state license, registration or certification for process servers. Under Md. Rule 2-123(a), service can be made by a sheriff or by any competent private person 18 or older, including an attorney of record, who isn't a party to the case. The party who filed the case can't serve the papers personally.
Some process must be carried out by the sheriff, such as anything that needs execution beyond delivery, mailing or publication (Rule 2-123(b)). If the sheriff is disqualified, the court can appoint an elisor to serve instead (Rule 2-123(c)).
For a step-by-step guide, see Become a Process Server in Maryland.
Serve a copy of the summons, the complaint and all other papers filed with it (Md. Rule 2-121(a)). District Court service works the same way under Rule 3-121.
Hand the papers to the person being served.
Leave the papers at the person's dwelling house or usual place of abode with a resident of suitable age and discretion. The adult must actually live there.
Mail the papers by certified mail marked "Restricted Delivery — show to whom, date, address of delivery." Service is complete on delivery, and the person served must sign for it. The mailing has to be done by an eligible adult, not the party.
If an affidavit shows the defendant is evading service, the court can order service by mailing the papers to the defendant's last known home address and delivering a copy to a person of suitable age and discretion at the defendant's place of business.
If an affidavit shows good-faith efforts under Rule 2-121(a) failed and the evasion method doesn't apply or isn't practical, the court can order any other means of service that is reasonably calculated to give actual notice.
In cases about property (in rem or quasi in rem), when the defendant's whereabouts are unknown after reasonable good-faith efforts, the court can order service by posting or publication. See What is service by publication?
When Maryland law allows service outside the state, it can be made by any of the methods above, or in a way the court or the other jurisdiction prescribes if it's reasonably calculated to give actual notice.
Process can be served on a Sunday or holiday. A writ of distraint, eviction or possession can't be served on a Sunday.
Use the business's full legal name from its state registration on court papers, not a trade name. Look up resident agents with the SDAT business entity search. The Judiciary's tip sheet on serving a business walks through the steps.
A subpoena can be served by a sheriff of any county or by any person who isn't a party and is at least 18. Serve it by delivering a copy to the person named or to their authorized agent (Md. Rule 2-510).
Since January 1, 2025, an attorney of record who is a registered MDEC user can download a subpoena form already signed and sealed by the clerk and fill it in before service (223rd Rules Order, amending Rules 2-510(b)(3) and 3-510(b)(3)).
The person who served the papers files proof of service promptly, and in any case within the time the person served has to respond. The proof states the name of the person served, the date, and the place and manner of service. For certified mail, include the original return receipt.
A private server files proof by affidavit, and the affidavit must also state the server is 18 or older. The Judiciary's affidavit forms also ask for a description of the person served, how you know they're an adult, and the server's name, address and phone number (CC-DR-055, DC-CV-002).
If service can't be made, file a return no later than 10 days after the summons expires. Failing to file proof doesn't make otherwise valid service invalid.
Find agencies in Baltimore, or browse the Maryland process server directory.
This page is a general overview of Maryland law, not legal advice. Laws change. Check the current rules or talk to an attorney about your case.
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