PROCESS SERVER INDIVIDUAL (110)
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.
For in-person application submission, applicants can download the Basic Individual License Application (in PDF)
- Child Support Certification Form (download)
- Granting Authority to Act Form (download)
If this application will be filed by someone other than the license applicant, the person filing the application must submit a Granting Authority to Act Form.
- 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.
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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.
