Process Server Cost: Average Fees Explained

A process server delivers court papers, such as a summons and complaint, to the person being sued so the case can move forward. You can hire a private server or ask the county sheriff's office to do it. The price depends on who serves the papers, how fast you need it, and how hard the person is to find.

Private server prices on this page come from service companies, which publish their own rates, so they are indicative and not a fixed market price. The standard range is from Famous Legal Services, checked on Oct 14, 2026. Sheriff fees come from official county pages, with the county named in each label. This page covers costs only and is not legal advice. For questions about how or when to serve papers in your case, talk to a licensed attorney or the court clerk.

For standard service, Famous Legal Services lists a range of $50 – $125. Prices go up when the job is urgent or the person is hard to reach.

Faster service costs more, and some jobs need extra work to find the person first.

Rush service, with an attempt within a few days, is $100 – $175. Same day or emergency service is $150 – $275, especially in large metro areas. If the person has moved, a skip trace to locate them adds $25 – $75 on top of the base fee. In Houston, one local company says rush and same day service can add $50 – $130 to the base fee, which shows how much rush charges vary by market.

Many people use the sheriff because the fee is lower and set by the county. Fees differ widely by place.

One service company puts typical sheriff fees at $40 – $75. The county pages show how much the amount varies: Cook County, Illinois charges $60 for e-filed service and $95 for in-person or mailed requests, both per defendant. Dunklin County, Missouri lists $35 for a summons, plus mileage. Salt Lake County, Utah lists $20 for general service that includes a summons and complaint.

Check your own county sheriff's civil process page. Fees can change, and some counties charge mileage or ask for exact payment before service.

A sheriff is usually the lower cost option on paper. The tradeoff, according to private servers, is speed and flexibility: sheriff offices can take longer, make fewer attempts, and may not offer rush service. A private server costs more but can often offer faster attempts and status updates. These are claims made by service companies, so ask for specifics about attempts and timing from either option.

• Urgency. Standard, rush, and same day service are priced in tiers.
• Location. Big cities and distant addresses cost more, and mileage can be added.
• Number of attempts. A fee often covers a set number of attempts. Extra tries may cost more.
• Skip tracing. Finding a person who moved is a separate charge.
• Number of people. Ask whether the fee covers one person at one address.
• Proof of service. Ask whether the affidavit or return of service is included.

Get a written quote for the same job from two or three companies. Ask what the price includes: number of attempts, mileage, the affidavit of service, and any charge for waiting at an address. Ask for the first attempt timeframe in writing if a court deadline is involved. Confirm whether the server is registered or licensed where your case is filed, since rules differ by state.

Keep a copy of the signed proof of service, because the court will ask for it.