What sets the price?
A process-serving price is built from a few inputs. Affid publishes its rates, so you can see how each input affects the total before you submit a request.
Third-party costs, such as court or witness fees, are not part of the service rate. They are covered later in this guide.
- The service, such as Legal Document Service, Subpoena Service or Stakeout for Service
- The requested due date, which selects the Routine, Rush or Same-Day tier
- Whether the address is classified as regular or remote / rural
- How many recipients are served at the same address
- Add-ons such as printing, a fee advance, skip trace or stakeout hours
Affid’s published rates.
Legal Document Service, Subpoena Service and Rush Service use the rates below. Each rate is per recipient and address and includes up to 4 attempts. Your requested due date selects the tier, counted in calendar days in Pacific time.
A tier is a pricing band for the requested timing. It is not a promise of when the first attempt happens or that service will be completed, and it does not mean every attempt is made on the same day. Work ends when service is completed.
Court filing, courtesy copy delivery, court records retrieval and legal courier use the same location and due-date rates. The attempt allowance and the recipient discount apply to process serving only.
| Tier | Requested due date | Regular address | Remote / rural address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine | Due in 7 or more calendar days | $100 | $150 |
| Rush | Due in 3–6 calendar days | $150 | $250 |
| Same-Day | Due today or within 2 calendar days | $230 | $330 |
Regular or remote / rural address.
The same tier costs more at a remote or rural address. For Routine service, the rate is $100 at a regular address and $150 at a remote / rural one.
For an estimate, a full street address is matched using the U.S. Census Geocoder. An address inside a Census urban area receives the regular rate; one outside receives the remote / rural rate. A ZIP-only check shows both rates, and Affid confirms the classification before the assignment.
Serving more than one person.
The first recipient at an address is charged the full rate. Each additional recipient at the same address is 50% of that rate. Rates are per recipient and address, so a second address is priced on its own.
For example, two recipients at the same regular address with Routine timing cost $100 + $50 = $150 before any add-ons.
List each recipient, the papers for each and whether the addresses are the same, so the estimate matches the work.
Add-ons and extras.
Add-ons are itemized with the service payment. Only the items you request, plus any printing beyond the included pages, are added.
| Add-on | Price | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Printing | First 50 pages included, then $0.25 per page | Counted automatically from the documents you upload in the portal. |
| Fee advance | The requested amount + $15 per check | Funds for witness, court or government fees, collected in full with the service payment. |
| Skip trace | $80 per recipient | Charged per recipient researched, when you request it. |
| Stakeout for Service | $80 per hour | Ordered as its own service for a defined on-site window. Rush adds $100 and Same-Day adds $150. |
Court, witness and other third-party fees.
Affid’s service rate does not include court fees, witness fees or other government charges. Those amounts are set by the court, agency or law that applies to your matter, not by Affid.
If your assignment needs one of those fees paid, enter the requested advance and the number of checks in the portal. The advance is collected in full with the service payment, plus $15 for each check. For Subpoena Service, any witness fees are confirmed separately.
What other ways to serve cost.
Under Code of Civil Procedure section 414.10, any person who is at least 18 and not a party to the action may serve a summons. California Courts lists a friend, relative or coworker, a county sheriff or marshal, and a professional process server as possible servers. It notes that a sheriff or marshal usually charges a fee, though sometimes service is free, and that a professional process server charges a fee.
For the sheriff, Government Code section 26721 sets the fee for serving process at the amount in section 26720.9, which is currently $50, with no additional fee for substitute service when it is authorized. California Courts’ civil guide says the sheriff charges to serve papers unless you have a fee waiver.
Get an exact price for your address.
The quickest way to see your price is to enter the address, service and due date. The instant quote gives an address-based price for your request, and the pricing page lists every published rate and fee.
A quote or a requested due date does not itself confirm scheduling or successful service. Review the service, recipients, address, deadline and fees before you pay in the client portal.
Official sources.
Follow the instructions for your case and check the relevant court’s current requirements. These links provide the official information referenced in this guide; Affid is not affiliated with the courts.
This guide explains how Affid prices process serving and which costs are separate. It is not legal advice. Court, sheriff and witness fees are set by others and can change, so confirm the current amount with the court, the office involved or your legal adviser.
