California Assembly Bill 747 will raise the documentation and accountability standards for service of process beginning January 1, 2027. For litigation support service providers conducting serves in California, readiness will require more than advising process servers to take a photo. Dispatch workflows, mobile technology, proofs of service, exception handling, quality control, server credentials, and recordkeeping all need to work together.
The good news is that providers have time to prepare, and the requirements are manageable with the right processes and technology in place.
What Is California AB 747?
AB 747, formally known as the Service of Process Accountability, Reform and Equity Act, or SPARE Act, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 10, 2025. The law is intended to strengthen due process and deter improper or fraudulent service. It creates clearer standards for reasonable diligence, requires photographic and location evidence for specified service attempts, increases transparency around process server registration, and establishes a clearer path for challenging defaults based on improper service.
What Service Activity Does AB 747 Cover?
The new photographic documentation requirements apply when a summons and complaint are served within California under Code of Civil Procedure sections 415.10, 415.20, or 415.45. Those sections address personal service, substituted service, and court-authorized posting in unlawful detainer actions.
AB 747 does not impose the same photo requirement on every document delivery or every type of service. Providers should configure workflows according to the document, method, and governing code section rather than applying a vague “photo required” rule to every job.
What Changes Under AB 747?
Photographs and location data become part of the proof
For covered personal service, substituted service, and posting activity, the proof of service must include one or more photographs of the site of each successful or attempted service. Each photograph must contain a readable stamp that automatically records:
- The date
- The time
- GPS or equivalent location coordinates
The photograph must be taken as close as practicable to the time of the attempt or completed service.
At a residence, at least one photograph must show the door or the entrance if the door is not reasonably accessible. At a business, the photograph must show the door to the specific office or place of business or its entrance if the door is not reasonably accessible. If the server photographs an entrance because the door cannot reasonably be reached, the proof must specifically explain why.
The statute calls for a photograph of the service site; it does not require photographing the person served.
Exceptions must be documented in detail
AB 747 anticipates field conditions in which ordinary documentation may not be possible.
If no GPS, cellular, or equivalent signal is available, the server must provide a detailed statement on or with the proof explaining why the photo lacks a readable location stamp. If taking a photograph would compromise the server’s safety, no photograph is required, but the server must document the attempt or service and explain in detail why taking the photo would have been unsafe.
Legal services providers therefore need workflows that prompt servers to provide these details and that carry the explanation into the proof.
“Reasonable diligence” gains a defined minimum
Before using substituted service under section 415.20(b), the process server must show reasonable diligence by making at least three good faith attempts at personal delivery. A good faith attempt is defined as:
- On three different days
- At three different times
- With each attempt documented as required
In a consumer debt action, at least one attempt must be made at the defendant’s dwelling or usual place of abode when that location is known or could be identified with reasonable effort.
The law applies a similar three-attempt standard before posting in an unlawful detainer action. With specified exceptions, at least one attempt must be made at the residence when it is known or could be known with reasonable effort.
The scheduling logic of your system now becomes part of compliance. A system should help prevent an attempt pattern that fails the statutory standard.
Substituted service mailing options expand
After substituted service, the follow-up mailing may be sent through the U.S. Postal Service by first-class mail, Priority Mail with tracking, or Certified Mail with return receipt requested. Providers should capture the selected method, date, address, and any tracking or return-receipt information.
Process server registration becomes easier to verify
Beginning January 1, 2027, county clerks must maintain a publicly accessible record of process servers, including their registration numbers. A proof of service that is signed by a server who is required to be registered must include their registration number.
Litigation support service providers should treat registration numbers and expiration dates as structured compliance data, validate them before assignment, and review them regularly.
The stakes of deficient service increase
AB 747 allows a party claiming they were not lawfully served to seek relief from a default or default judgment. Once that party offers evidence rebutting the process server’s return, the party seeking the default or judgment must prove lawful service by a preponderance of the evidence. A default judgment that is void for lack of proper service may be challenged at any time.
That means the service record may become evidence long after the job closes. Providers should consult with their clients about retention policies, but records should be complete, secure, retrievable, and connected to the correct matter.
AB 747 also adds information requirements for unlawful detainer complaints. The complaint must state the method, date, time, and location of service of the termination notice. Providers serving this market should make sure clients can readily obtain those details.
What Does AB 747 Mean for Litigation Support Providers?
The ability to comply with the new law is a baseline for being able to do business in California. Your customers will be looking to you to know the law and be prepared to follow it.
The law turns field documentation into an end-to-end workflow requirement. A compliant photograph must remain connected to the right attempt, preserve its readable stamp, accompany the correct proof, and remain retrievable. Providers should review field technology, workflow rules, proof preparation, quality control, and partner management. Systems should apply the right requirements by job type, schedule attempts correctly, connect evidence without manual file matching, and flag incomplete records before filing. Employees, independent contractors, affiliates, dispatchers, and operations teams will all need training.
Providers should also monitor the California Judicial Council and local court guidance for revised forms, filing instructions, or implementation details before the operative date. The statute establishes the requirements; court procedures will determine how those materials must be assembled and submitted in practice.
What Does AB 747 Mean for Process Servers?
For process servers delivering documents in California, documentation becomes part of each covered attempt. Servers must take the right photograph at the right time, confirm that its stamp is readable, and record a detailed explanation whenever signal, access, or safety prevents standard documentation.
The safety exception should not become a routine shortcut. A general statement such as “unsafe area” may not provide the required detail. Servers should record objective, situation-specific facts and ensure their registration information is current.
Will AB 747 Affect Process Servers Outside California?
AB 747 directly governs the covered service activity described in the California statute. An out-of-state provider that dispatches work to California or a server who crosses into California to complete service will need a California-ready workflow for covered jobs.
California is not the first jurisdiction to use location technology as an accountability tool. New York City, for example, requires licensed process servers to maintain electronic records that include GPS information. National providers should expect clients to compare documentation standards across jurisdictions, and other lawmakers may consider California’s approach.
That does not mean providers should automatically apply California requirements nationwide. State and local laws differ, and photographs of homes, businesses, or other service locations create privacy, security, storage, and disclosure considerations. The stronger approach is to build a configurable platform and a clear jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction policy.
How LegalConnect by Proceed Supports AB 747 Readiness
LegalConnect gives litigation support service providers an integrated foundation for the new requirements. Our mobile app for process servers allows servers to confirm GPS locations, attach photographs, and update order statuses from the field. Those updates flow into a centralized system where providers can manage orders, documents, vendors, communications, and proofs of service. LegalConnect is preparing its workflows for AB 747 so providers can capture required field evidence, maintain visibility across each attempt, and deliver complete service records without stitching together disconnected tools.
Contact LegalConnect to review your current workflow and build a practical path to January 1, 2027.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Organizations should consult qualified counsel about how AB 747 applies to their work.
Sources: California Legislature—AB 747 enrolled text and status; CalMatters Digital Democracy—AB 747 summary and legislative history; New York City process-server educational materials; LegalConnect platform features.
AB 747 Readiness Checklist for Litigation Support Providers
Implement this checklist before the January 1, 2027, operative date.
Use a litigation support service platform that accounts for the following:
- Required California job types and service methods identified
- Field technology captures photos with an automatically recorded, readable date, time, and GPS or equivalent location stamp
- Correct door or entrance image required for every covered attempt or completed service
- Exception workflows for unavailable signals, inaccessible doors, and server-safety concerns
- Scheduling controls for three attempts on different days and at different times when reasonable diligence is required
- Rules for attempts at residences and for applicable consumer debt and unlawful detainer matters
- Follow-up mailing method, date, address, tracking details, and return receipt required
- Proof of service generation that ties photos and explanations to the correct attempt and matter
- Quality control checks for images, readable stamps, attempt histories, exceptions, mailing records, and proofs
- Verified process server registration numbers and expiration dates
Make sure your business has taken care of the following:
- Secure retention and retrieval policies
- Train employees, contractors, affiliates, dispatchers, and operations teams
- Update vendor agreements, written procedures, and customer communications
- Monitor California Judicial Council forms and local court implementation guidance
- Run test jobs and audit the complete workflow
