Policy on Appointment of Process Servers
Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 9-11-4, a court may appoint individuals to serve process in the courts or in specific cases. The individuals who serve process are performing an important function which provides a foundation for the case to proceed. Defendants must be served timely and properly for the court to have jurisdiction over them. Untimely or improper service can significantly impact all parties to a case and can result in the complete preclusion of a claim or in the entry of an invalid judgment. The Court has an interest in appointing trained, knowledgeable, professional individuals to serve process.
In the State Court of Bibb County, individuals who wish to be appointed as a process server may file a Petition for Appointment. If granted, an Order will be entered appointing the person as a process server for all civil cases in the State Court of Bibb County. The Court will not routinely sign orders for an individual to be appointed as a process server in a single case. In limited circumstances, including cases involving service of process beyond the State of Georgia, the Court may grant a Motion for the Appointment of an individual to serve process for the specific case.
The Court has prepared forms to be used for the appointment of process servers. These forms are available from the Clerk’s Office and on the Court’s website.