How a Michigan Process Server Documents Each Service Attempt

What the server writes down at every try, how attempts are spaced, and what the signed proof says when the papers are delivered

Every time a Michigan process server tries to hand over court papers, the server writes down the date, the time, the place and what happened. When the papers are delivered, those facts go into a signed proof of service. This page walks through that record from the server's side.

The rules the server works under sit in Chapter 2 of the Michigan Court Rules, mainly MCR 2.102 through MCR 2.105, with the verification rule in MCR 1.109. This page describes what those rules ask of the person carrying the papers. How they apply to a particular case is a question for the court and the attorney handling it.

Who makes the attempts

A process server is a person the rules allow to carry the papers. MCR 2.103(A) reads: "Process in civil actions may be served by any legally competent adult who is not a party or an officer of a corporate party." So the person knocking on the door is never someone named in the case. More on this is in Who Can Legally Serve Court Papers in Michigan.

What the server writes down at every attempt

An attempt is any trip to an address to deliver the papers, whether or not anyone answers. For each one, the server notes:

  • The date and the time, to the minute.
  • The place, by street address, or by a plain description when the stop is not at one address, such as a parking lot or a job site.
  • Who came to the door, if anyone, and what they said about the person named on the papers.
  • What the server could see from the door or the street, such as lights on, a car in the driveway, or mail piling up.
  • The result: delivered, no answer, person not home, or a wrong address.

Time-stamped photos of an attempt are available on request.

The place comes straight from the proof of service rule. MCR 2.104(A) says: "The place of service must be described by giving the address where the service was made or, if the service was not made at a particular address, by another description of the location." A server who logs every stop the same way already has that detail when the serve is completed.

Why attempts are spread across days and hours

Many people are home only at certain hours. A server who goes back at the same time every day tends to find the same empty house. So attempts are spread out: an early morning, an evening, a weekend day, and the person's workplace when that address is known.

The calendar matters too. Under MCR 2.102(B)(8), a summons must show "the last date on which the summons is valid," and MCR 2.102(D) reads: "A summons expires 91 days after the date the summons is issued." The server plans every attempt inside that window, so the last valid date is one of the first things the server reads on the summons. More on the window is in The 91-Day Summons Window in Michigan.

The same subrule lets the judge order a second summons "on a showing of due diligence by the plaintiff in attempting to serve the original summons." The attempts are the server's work. Whether any request goes to the judge is the attorney's decision, and the dated log is the server's record of what was tried.

What a completed serve looks like

For a person, the most common method is delivery by hand. MCR 2.105(A)(1) allows service by "delivering a summons and a copy of the complaint to the defendant personally." The server confirms who the person is, hands over the papers, and writes down the moment it happened.

Then the server signs a statement of what took place. Under MCR 2.104(A)(3), proof of service may be made by "a written statement of the facts of service, verified under MCR 1.109(D)(3). The statement shall include the manner, time, date, and place of service, and indicate the process server's official capacity, if any."

The verification is what makes the log matter. MCR 1.109(D)(3) allows a document to be verified by "oath or affirmation of the party or of someone having knowledge of the facts stated," or by a signed and dated declaration under the penalties of perjury. Every completed serve we handle returns a signed, notarized affidavit of service, so each fact in it has to match what the server wrote down at the door. More on the proof itself is in Proof of Service in Michigan: What MCR 2.104 Requires.

When the papers cannot be delivered

Some serves do not complete. The person may have moved, may work odd hours, or may be avoiding the door. In that case the client gets back the full log: every date, time, place and result.

That log can matter later. MCR 2.105(J)(1) reads: "On a showing that service of process cannot reasonably be made as provided by this rule, the court may by order permit service of process to be made in any other manner reasonably calculated to give the defendant actual notice of the proceedings and an opportunity to be heard." Under MCR 2.105(J)(2), that request "must set forth sufficient facts to show that process cannot be served under this rule." Whether to make that request, and what goes in it, belongs to the attorney. The server's part is a clean, dated record of what was tried.

MCR 2.105(J)(3) adds a limit the server follows to the letter: "Service of process may not be made under this subrule before entry of the court's order permitting it." So on a general civil summons, a server does not leave the papers at the door or with a neighbor unless a court order allows it, and then does exactly what the order says. More on court-ordered methods is in Substituted Service Under MCR 2.105.

Hard serves

A person who avoids service usually has a pattern, and the log shows it. The car is home on weekday evenings, nobody answers before 9 a.m., or the workplace has a front desk that turns visitors away. Our servers use those patterns to plan the next attempt and to locate an evasive person.

When repeat visits are not enough, a stakeout can be added to the process-serving job as an add-on. The stakeout gets its own entries in the log, with the same date, time and place details. More on this is in What to Do When the Defendant Avoids Service of Process.

Places with their own rule

Some addresses change who hands over the papers. Under MCR 2.103(C), "If personal service of process is to be made on a person in a governmental institution, hospital, or home, service must be made by the person in charge of the institution or by someone designated by that person." At an address like that, the server works through the person in charge and records who that was, along with the date, time and place.

What to send with a service request

A better first attempt starts with better details. Sending the following with the request lets the server plan the attempts well inside the summons window.

  • The papers: the summons, the complaint, and anything else that must be served with them.
  • The last valid date on the summons, so attempts can be spaced across the time that is left.
  • Each person to be served: full name, home and work addresses, the hours they are usually there, and a recent photo or description if you have one. More on this is in What Your Process Server Needs Before the First Attempt.
  • How to get in: a gate code, a front desk, or a building manager, when you know it.
  • How to reach you, by phone or email, in case a detail changes.

What a process server does not do

Our part is narrow on purpose. We take papers that are ready, try to deliver them in a manner the rules allow, write down every attempt, and return a signed, notarized affidavit of service for each completed serve.

We do not choose the method of service for a case, prepare or file motions, or give legal advice. We are not a law firm and we are not the court, and we cannot look up a case, a hearing date or a judge. Talk to your attorney about your case.

If your papers are ready to serve, request a process server or call (248) 268-0097.

Sources

This article describes what the Michigan Court Rules say about the person serving process, the attempts that lead up to a serve, and the proof of service. It quotes the rule language as published in the Michigan Court Rules updated September 2, 2026. It is general information about process serving, not legal advice. Service requirements differ between states and can differ by venue, so confirm the requirements for your matter with the court handling it or with your attorney.