Rules of civil procedure and service of process requirements for South Carolina.
Last updated October 22, 2026
South Carolina rules for serving a summons and complaint are in the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure (SCRCP), mainly Rule 4. Subpoenas are covered by Rule 45. Statutes in Title 15, Chapter 9 of the South Carolina Code add rules for serving corporations, service by publication and Sunday service.
South Carolina doesn't license or register private process servers. Any adult who isn't a party or an attorney in the case can serve a summons. This page covers who can serve, service methods, serving businesses, subpoenas and proof of service.
Disclaimer: Laws change, and this page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Check the current South Carolina court rules and South Carolina Code, Title 15, Chapter 9 or ask an attorney before relying on it.
South Carolina process servers
Process-serving software: ServeManager
ServeManager is process-serving software used by agencies across South Carolina. It tracks every attempt with date, time, GPS and photos, and generates affidavits of service from the job, with the date, time and place details Rule 4(g) asks for.
No. South Carolina has no state license, registration, bond or training requirement for private process servers. Under SCRCP 4(c), a summons can be served by:
Other process, such as writs and orders, is different. It must be served by a sheriff, deputy or other law enforcement officer, or by an adult the court designates. Subpoenas follow Rule 45.
For a step-by-step guide to getting started, see Become a Process Server in South Carolina.
The summons and complaint must be served together. The plaintiff gives the server the copies needed (SCRCP 4(d)).
Hand a copy of the summons and complaint to the defendant. You can also deliver it to an agent the defendant appointed, or one the law names, to receive service.
Leave copies at the defendant's dwelling house or usual place of abode with a person of suitable age and discretion who lives there. Leaving papers with a visitor or a neighbor doesn't meet the rule.
The plaintiff, or anyone allowed to serve under Rule 4(c), can serve an individual or a business by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, with delivery restricted to the addressee. Service is effective on the delivery date shown on the return receipt.
A default judgment can't be based on mail service unless the return receipt shows the defendant accepted it. If the defendant shows someone else signed, the default must be set aside. If the mail is refused or comes back undelivered, serve another way.
Since 2013, an individual or a business can also be served by a commercial delivery company that qualifies as a designated delivery service under 26 U.S.C. § 7502(f)(2). Service is effective on the delivery date in the company's delivery record. The same default limits apply as for certified mail: the record must show the defendant accepted delivery, with their signature or an electronic image of it.
If the defendant can't be found in South Carolina after due diligence, the plaintiff can ask for an order of publication supported by an affidavit (§ 15-9-710). The summons is published in a designated newspaper at least once a week for three weeks. A copy is also mailed to the defendant's residence unless it's unknown and can't be found with reasonable diligence (§ 15-9-740). See What is service by publication?
A summons can be served anywhere in South Carolina, and outside the state when a statute allows it (SCRCP 4(f)). Service on someone outside the state follows the statute or court order that provides for it (SCRCP 4(e)). Personal service of the summons out of state takes the place of publication and mailing, and is complete on the day it's made (S.C. Code § 15-9-750).
Service in another country is covered by SCRCP 4.1, adopted in 2022. It allows service under the Hague Service Convention or another international agreement, under the foreign country's own law, or by another method the court orders.
If the defendant or their attorney signs a written acceptance of service that states the place and date, and gives it to the person making service, no other proof is needed.
You can serve a summons, complaint or other court papers on Sunday. You can't serve someone who is going to, coming from or attending a church or other religious service that day (§ 15-9-17).
Any person 18 or older who isn't a party can serve a subpoena, anywhere in South Carolina (SCRCP 45(b)). It's served using the methods for a summons in Rule 4(d) or by acceptance under Rule 4(j).
The server must make proof of service promptly and give it to the person who issued the process. A sheriff or deputy signs a certificate. Anyone else signs an affidavit.
The proof must state:
For mail service, the proof shows the date and place of mailing and attaches the return receipt or returned envelope. For commercial delivery, the person who started the service files an affidavit identifying the papers, with a delivery record showing the date, time and place of delivery, the name of the person served and their signature or an electronic image of it.
Failing to file proof doesn't make the service invalid. The court can allow the proof to be amended (SCRCP 4(i)).
If service is made outside South Carolina but inside the United States, the affidavit can be sworn before a notary public who affixes their seal, a clerk of a court of record, a commissioner of deeds for South Carolina, or anyone in South Carolina authorized to take affidavits (SCRCP 4(h)).
Browse all South Carolina process servers to find agencies near the court or the person you need served.
This page is a general overview of South Carolina law, not legal advice. Laws change. Check the current rules or talk to an attorney about your case.
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