Philadelphia Process Server · Serving Since 1981
Need Someone Served
in Philadelphia?
Same Day Service Available.
Capitol Process Services has delivered summons, subpoenas, writs, and landlord-tenant notices across the First Judicial District since 1981. Upload your documents, and a trained Philadelphia-area server moves within 24 hours.
Why Philadelphia is Different
In most PA counties, the sheriff serves. In Philadelphia, we can.
Pa.R.C.P. 400.1
Private service, without the wait.
Under Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 400, original process in most counties must be served by the sheriff. Philadelphia is the carve-out. Rule 400.1 authorizes either the sheriff or a competent adult to serve original process in actions filed in the First Judicial District.
That means when you file in Philadelphia, you don’t have to wait behind every other filing sitting in the Sheriff’s Office queue. A trained private server can handle your summons and complaint directly, document each attempt with GPS and photo proof, and return an affidavit that holds up in court.
Documents We Serve
Every paper your Philadelphia case needs delivered.
Summons & Complaints
Original process for civil actions filed in the First Judicial District, plus out-of-county actions requiring Philadelphia service.
Subpoenas
Trial, deposition, and records subpoenas served on individuals, custodians of record, and corporate witnesses.
Writs & Orders
Writs of execution, writs of possession, contempt orders, and injunctive relief served with priority handling.
Landlord-Tenant
Notices to quit, complaints in ejectment, and Municipal Court landlord-tenant filings across the city.
Family & Domestic
Divorce complaints, custody petitions, PFA service under Rule 1930.4(b), and other family division matters.
Corporate & Registered Agents
Service on CT Corporation, CSC, and smaller registered agents throughout Center City and the collar counties.
Where We Serve
Every Philadelphia ZIP and the four collar counties. We know the blocks, the buzzers, the back entrances, and which
row-home addresses get mixed up with the one next door. Here are the neighborhoods we serve most often.
Collar Counties
Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Chester County service available with Philadelphia-tier turnaround. Skip trace and cross-county deputization handled by our office.
Courts We Work with Weekly
We know the dockets, the clerks, and the filing windows. Process serving isn’t the only thing we do in Philadelphia.
We file, retrieve records, and follow up with these courts as often as any firm in the city.
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
City Hall · Broad & Market Streets
Philadelphia Municipal Court
1339 Chestnut Street · Widener Building
U.S. District Court, E.D. Pa.
James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse · 601 Market Street
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
601 Market Street · Federal Filings
Family Court Division
1501 Arch Street · Family Court Building
Orphans’ Court Division
City Hall · Room 415
How it Works
From upload to affidavit, typically inside a week.
Upload
Send us your documents, the service address, and any special instructions. You’ll get written confirmation the same business day.
Serve
A trained Philadelphia-area server attempts delivery, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Every attempt is logged with GPS, time, and photo.
Affidavit
You receive a signed, notarized affidavit ready for filing. Wet-ink originals provided when the court requires them.
Hard Cases, Our Specialty
When the easy address doesn’t work, we don’t stop. Most of the serves that come to us have already failed elsewhere.
Evasive defendants, stale addresses, gatekeepers at the front door. Here’s how we handle them.
Evasive Defendants
Multi-time-of-day attempts, including early morning and evening windows. Neighbor interviews, vehicle checks, and patient surveillance when a subject is known to be ducking service.
Skip Trace & Address Verification
Before the first attempt, we can confirm whether a defendant still lives or works at the address you have. Cheaper than a bad serve, and often a lot faster.
Rush & Same-Day Service
When a hearing is Thursday and the papers need to be on someone by Tuesday, we move. Same-day service available in Philadelphia and the four collar counties.
Service by Special Order
When personal service cannot be made, we support Rule 430 motions for service by publication or alternative means, including documented due-diligence affidavits.
What Legal Professionals Say
Trusted Partner
“Capitol Process and Investigative Services is a trusted partner in the service to our clients. Their team of professionals are responsive, pro-active, and reliable. It’s been a pleasure to work with them.”
Eric Mitchell
Law Office of Eric Mitchell
Professional
“I have used the service of David Felter and Capitol Process for 19 plus years. Capitol Process is professional and always achieves a great result. Capitol Process service is unmatched. Capitol Process is in business to best serve its clients. We would recommend you to others.”
Bryn Sherman
Offit Kurman
Incredibly Reliable
“Our Firm has been using Capitol Process for over a decade and find the Company to be incredibly reliable, accommodating and professional. I often have several emergency filings a month and Capitol Process always comes through for me in a pinch.”
Jennifer Concino
Tobin O’Connor & Ewing
Ready to Have Papers Served
in Philadelphia?
Upload documents online or call our intake desk. Same business day confirmation,
first attempt within 24 hours of acceptance.
