DCA Licensing Center 42 Broadway, 5th
Floor New York, NY 10004 For more information, call 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK
outside of New York City).
LICENSE DESCRIPTION: A person or business
must have a Process Server Organization license if the person or business
assigns, distributes, or delivers process to another for actual
service.
This description is only a general explanation of which
businesses need to have a Process Server Organization license.
Note: New York City businesses must comply with all relevant
federal, state, and City laws and rules. All laws and rules of the City of New
York, including the Consumer Protection Law and Rules, are accessible using the
Public Access Portal. For convenience,
sections of the New York City Licensing Law (and Rules, if enacted) are
available as a downloadable
handout. The Law (and Rules) are current as of January 2009.
Please note that businesses are responsible for knowing and complying with
the most current laws, including any City Council amendments. The Department of
Consumer Affairs (DCA) is not responsible for errors or omissions in the
handout. The information is not legal advice. You can only obtain legal advice
from a lawyer.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Before You File Your DCA License
Application: You must obtain the following required documents before
filing your application. Although DCA does not require submission of these
documents in order to process your application in person or online, DCA reserves
the right to request and examine the documents under section 20.104 of the New
York City Administrative Code.
Applicable Business Certificates based on your Business's
Legal Structure
Sole Proprietorships operating under a name other than your own must file a
Business/Assumed Name Certificate with the clerk of the county in which your
business is conducted.
Sole Proprietorships doing business under your own name—and not under a
trade or Doing-Business-As (DBA) name—do not need a Business Certificate.
General/Business Partnerships must file your Partnership Certificate with
the clerk of the county in which your business is conducted.
Corporations, Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies, or Limited
Liability Partnerships must register and remain active with the New York State
Department of State. Active status will be verified by DCA prior to license
issuance. You can confirm the status of your business entity at NYS
Web site. If applicable, you must also file an Assumed Name Certificate
for your business.
Businesses incorporated out of state must obtain a Certificate of Doing
Business in Good Standing from your home state’s Secretary of State and file
this with an application for Authority to Conduct Business in New York with
the New York State Secretary of State.
When You File Your DCA License
Application: Below are requirements when filing your license
application:
Basic License Application
NEW: Process Server Organization
applicants can now submit new license applications online.
Applying for the license online does not mean the license is automatically
approved. A major credit card is required to submit applications online. Service
fees apply. After reviewing application requirements, please click the Apply
Online link at the bottom of this Web page to submit your application
online.
Photo Identification (ID) of License Applicant Acceptable forms
of ID include:
driver’s license or non-driver’s license identification issued by a
State Department of Motor Vehicles
license or permit issued by a government agency
passport
alien card/green card
a City, State, or Federal employee ID card
Process Server (Organization) Background Information Form
(download) All applicants must complete the Process
Server (Organization) Background Information
Form.
NOTE: Applicants who are employed by the
City of New York must provide a letter from the Conflicts of Interest Board
(COIB) stating that COIB approves the business ownership of the individual(s)
named on the application and submission of your application for a Process
Server Organization license to the Department of Consumer Affairs. DO
NOT CONTACT COIB IF YOU ARE NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY OF NEW
YORK.
Child Support Certification Form (download) If
your business is a SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP or GENERAL or LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, the
proprietor or each individual general partner must submit a
Child Support Certification Form.
Granting Authority to Act Affirmation (download)
If this application will be filed by someone other than
the license applicant, the license applicant must submit a Granting Authority
to Act Affirmation.
Fingerprints and Processing Fee All sole proprietors, general
partners, directors, corporate officers, and all shareholders owning 10% or
more of company stock must be fingerprinted at the Department of Consumer
Affairs (DCA) Licensing Center. EXCEPTIONS: Any person
who currently holds or has held within the past three years a DCA license that
required fingerprinting does not need to be fingerprinted. Any person
fingerprinted at the DCA Licensing Center within the past three years does not
need to be fingerprinted. Each person who must be fingerprinted must
visit the DCA Licensing Center, located at 42 Broadway, 5th Floor, in lower
Manhattan, and pay a $75 processing fee by check or money order, payable to
NYC Department of Consumer Affairs.
Your fingerprints will
be checked for any criminal record that you may have. Note that a conviction
will not necessarily prevent you from being granted a license. However,
failure to reveal a conviction can constitute grounds for the denial of your
application.
License Fee For in-person application submissions, the License
Fee must be paid by credit card, money order, or check. Cards accepted include
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Card. Checks or money orders
must be payable to NYC Department of Consumer Affairs. The chart below lists
the amount due depending upon when your license application is filed.
Note: An odd year is any year ending in an odd digit; for
example, 2009, 2011, etc. An even year is any year ending in an even digit;
for example, 2010, 2012, etc.
Please note that service
fees apply if you submit your license application online. A major credit card
is required to submit applications online.
Process Server Organization
License
License Term
License Expiration Date
If You File Your Application Between These Dates:
Your License Fee is:
2 years
February 28 in an even year (February 29 in a leap year)
From March 1 in an even year to August 31 in an even year
$340
From September 1 in an even year to February 28 in an odd year
$255
From March 1 in an odd year to August 31 in an odd year
$170
From September 1 in an odd year to February 28 in an even year
(February 29 in a leap year)
$85 OR *$425
*Note: If you are applying for a license between September 1
in an odd year and February 28 in an even year (February 29 in a leap year), you
can pay the prorated fee for the license period about to end ($85) PLUS the fee
for the new two-year license period ($340), for a total of $425. If you pay both
fees, you will not need to renew the license until February 28 (or
February 29 in a leap year) of the next even year.
Online Applicants: If you submit your license application
online between September 1 in an odd year and February 28 in an even year
(February 29 in a leap year), you will be required to pay the combined fee
totaling $425. You will not need to renew the license until February 28
(or February 29 in a leap year) of the next even year.
APPLICATION FILING
PROCESS:
ONLINE
SUBMISSION: Please make sure that you have
reviewed and recorded the information required to submit a license application
online before clicking the button below. Note: After
successfully filing the application form online, Process Server Organization
applicants must visit the DCA Licensing Center within five (5) business days to
be fingerprinted. As outlined in the “When You File” section, applicants must
submit a completed Process Server (Organization) Background Information Form.
Applicants should follow instructions on the printed confirmation page. Your
license application will not be complete without these requirements.
You will be routed to the New York City Business Express
Web site.
IN-PERSON SUBMISSION: Applications may be filed in person at the DCA Licensing Center
at the address above between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday, and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on
Wednesday.
