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: You must have a Process
Server Individual license if you serve personally or by substituted service five
(5) or more processes in any one-year period. Attorneys admitted to practice in
New York State are exempt from this licensing requirement.
This
description is only a general explanation of which individuals need to have a
Process Server Individual 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.
When You File Your DCA License
Application: Below are requirements when filing your license
application:
Basic Individual License Application
NEW: Process Server Individual
applicants can now submit new license applications online.Important: If you are a government employee and choose to
submit your application online, you will be charged the full license fee.
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 a 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 (Individual) Background Information Form
(download) All
applicants must complete the Process Server (Individual) 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 your outside employment and submission
of your application for a Process Server license to the Department of Consumer
Affairs. DO NOT CONTACT COIB IF YOU ARE NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF
THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
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.
Current color passport-size photograph of License
Applicant License Applicants can be photographed in the DCA
Licensing Center at no cost.
Please note that you can upload an
image file if you submit your license application online.
Fingerprints and Processing Fee Process Server
Individual applicants 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. You 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.
New York City Process Server's Registry Ledger This is a bound
book that you must maintain in accordance with the regulations of this
license. The following company has provided registry books for licensees or
has communicated to the Department of Consumer Affairs an interest in doing
so. Listing this company must not be considered a recommendation. All
applicants are advised to investigate and compare this and other companies
before making a decision.
Fairmont Press, Inc. 121 Varick Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY
10013 (212) 255-2300
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 Individual
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 Individual
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 photograph. Please note that the image file you upload must be digital
passport photo quality. A digital camera with a resolution of 1 mega-pixel will
be more than adequate. If you do not upload the photograph as part of the
application form submission, you must e-mail the photograph or visit the
DCA Licensing Center to be photographed at no cost within five (5) business
days after successfully filing the application form online. 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.
