The Certificate of Service is the form the Oregon Judicial Department publishes for the person who served court papers in an Oregon circuit court family case to declare how, when and where the service was made. The server checks one of four methods (personal, substitute, office or mail service under ORCP 7D(2)), lists the documents served and signs a declaration made under penalty of perjury. On this page you can fill out the certificate of service online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by the Oregon Judicial Department at courts.oregon.gov.
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What is Certificate of Service, Oregon Family Case: Fill Out PDF?
The Certificate of Service (Family Case) is the Oregon circuit court form on which the person who delivered court papers declares, under penalty of perjury, that they served true copies on a Petitioner or Respondent, and records the method, date, time and address of service.
The Oregon Judicial Department publishes it as a statewide form; its Forms Center says any form on that site is accepted in all circuit courts. The page header names the county and case number, and the form refers to ORCP 7D(2), the rule it follows for the four methods of service:
- (a) Personal Service: handed to the Petitioner or Respondent in person.
- (b) Substitute Service: delivered to a person age 14 or older who lives at the party's address.
- (c) Office Service: left at the party's office with a person apparently in charge, during normal working hours.
- (d) Service by Mail, Return Receipt Requested: two true copies mailed, one first class and one certified, registered or express.
The server also checks which documents were served, such as the Petition and Summons, information about mediation, the Uniform Support Declaration or other documents named on the form. Methods (b) and (c) include an optional section for the follow-up mailing that ORCP 7D(2) requires. When someone other than the server did that mailing, that person completes a separate Certificate of Service Mailing instead. The form is a record of service, not a legal filing guide: the Forms Center notes that court staff cannot give legal advice, including which form to choose.
Who needs to file Certificate of Service, Oregon Family Case: Fill Out PDF?
The person who actually served the papers completes and signs this certificate. On the form, the server declares being a resident of a stated state, a competent person 18 years of age or older, not a party to or lawyer in the case, and not the employee of a party. A Petitioner or Respondent therefore cannot certify service they carried out themselves, and neither can their lawyer or the lawyer's or party's employee.
The form belongs to family cases in an Oregon circuit court. Use it for the service methods it lists: personal, substitute, office or mail service on a Petitioner or Respondent.
- If the server also did the follow-up mailing after substitute or office service, the server completes the mailing section on this form.
- If a different person did that mailing, that person completes a separate Certificate of Service Mailing; this form says so in both mailing sections.
- If the person serving is not a sheriff or sheriff's deputy, the server adds an address and phone number at the bottom of page 2.
Statewide forms do not cover every circumstance, and local courts may offer additional forms, according to the Oregon Judicial Department's Forms Center.
When to file Certificate of Service, Oregon Family Case: Fill Out PDF
You complete the certificate after the documents have been served, because it records the date, time and place of the service the server carried out. The follow-up mailing section, where it applies, records the date the server deposited the copies with the U.S. Postal Service, so it is completed only after that mailing has taken place. The form prints no separate due date and no time limit; the deadline for proving service comes from the court and the rules of the case, so check the summons and ORCP 7D(2), or ask the court clerk for your county. For service by mail with Return Receipt Requested, wait until you have the return receipt, since it must be attached to the certificate.
Documents you need
- The return receipt, attached to the certificate, when service was by mail (method d) and the documents were mailed Return Receipt Requested.
- A separate Certificate of Service Mailing, completed by the person who did the follow-up mailing, when someone other than the server mailed copies after substitute service (b) or office service (c).
How to fill out Certificate of Service, Oregon Family Case: Fill Out PDF
Enter the court and case details
At the top of page 1, enter the county and the Case No., and the names of the Petitioner and Respondent. These identify the circuit court case the certificate belongs to.
Check the method of service
Next to the party names, check (a) Personal Service, (b) Substitute Service, (c) Office Service or (d) Service by Mail. The form says to check a, b, c or d and complete all information for that method.
Enter the server's name and state
In the declaration, write your name after "I, (name)" and the state where you are a resident. By signing, you confirm you are 18 or older and not a party to, lawyer in or employee of a party in the case.
Check the documents served
Check every document you served: Petition and Summons, mediation information, Confidential Information Form filing notice, restraining order notice, Order to Show Cause, COBRA information or Uniform Support Declaration. Name any other documents on the Other lines.
Complete (a) for personal service
Enter the date and time, check Petitioner or Respondent, enter the person's name and the address, county and state where you handed them the documents in person.
Complete (b) for substitute service
Enter the date, time, address, county and state, and the name of the person age 14 or older who lives there and received the documents.
Complete (c) for office service
Enter the date, time, the office address and the name of the person apparently in charge with whom you left the documents during normal working hours.
Add the follow-up mailing if you did it
Under (b) or (c), complete the mailing section only if you personally did the follow-up mailing: the date, whether it went to the Petitioner or Respondent, their name and the home or business address. If someone else mailed, that person completes a separate Certificate of Service Mailing.
Complete (d) for service by mail
Enter the date you deposited two true copies with the U.S. Postal Service, one first class and one certified, registered or express, the party served, their name and home address. Attach the return receipt if mailed Return Receipt Requested.
Sign, date and add contact details
Enter the date, sign as server and print your name. If you are not a sheriff or sheriff's deputy, add your address and phone number on page 2.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that only one method is selected and its section is complete, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and deliver it as described under How to submit.
How to submit Certificate of Service, Oregon Family Case: Fill Out PDF
The form itself prints no filing address, portal or fee. Its caption carries the county and case number, which identify the circuit court and case where the certificate belongs, so it goes with that court's file for the case.
- Court where the case is pending: use the county and Case No. entered at the top of page 1 to identify the court and the case.
- Online filing: the Oregon Judicial Department's Forms Center says interactive forms (iForms) can be electronically filed for some filings; it does not say this applies to this form.
- Local court forms and questions: local courts may have additional forms, and the Forms Center says court staff cannot give legal advice or tell you which form to choose.
If service was by mail with Return Receipt Requested, attach the return receipt to the certificate. If someone other than the server did a follow-up mailing, that person's separate Certificate of Service Mailing goes with it. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the court's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Completing the follow-up mailing section when a different person did the mailing; that person must complete a separate Certificate of Service Mailing.
- Having a party, the party's lawyer or an employee of a party sign as server; the declaration states the server is not a party, lawyer or party's employee.
- Leaving out the return receipt when service was by mail, Return Receipt Requested; the form says it must be attached.
- Checking substitute service but naming someone who is under 14 or does not live at the address; the form requires a person age 14 or older who lives there.
- Checking office service for papers left outside normal working hours or with someone who is not apparently in charge of the office.
- Not checking which documents were served, or not naming the documents under Other or the clerk-provided option.
- Omitting the server's address and phone number when the server is not a sheriff or sheriff's deputy.
- Checking more than one of (a), (b), (c) or (d) for a single service, or completing the wrong method's section.
Frequently asked questions
What is a certificate of service in an Oregon family case?
It is the form on which the person who served court papers declares, under penalty of perjury, how, when and where they delivered true copies to the Petitioner or Respondent. The Oregon Judicial Department publishes this Certificate of Service (Family Case) for statewide use.
Who can complete and sign the certificate of service?
The person who did the serving, if they are 18 or older, competent, and not a party to or lawyer in the case or an employee of a party. The declaration on the form states each of these points, so a party cannot sign for their own service.
Which methods of service does this form cover?
Four: (a) personal service, (b) substitute service on a person age 14 or older who lives at the address, (c) office service on a person apparently in charge during normal working hours, and (d) service by mail, Return Receipt Requested. Check one and complete its section.
What if someone else did the follow-up mailing?
That person must complete a separate Certificate of Service Mailing. Both the substitute service and office service sections say to complete the mailing part of this form only if the server also did the follow-up mailing required by ORCP 7D(2).
Do I attach anything to the certificate of service?
If service was by mail with Return Receipt Requested, you must attach the return receipt; the form notes this. The form asks for no other attachment, but a separate Certificate of Service Mailing is needed when a different person did the follow-up mailing.
Do I need to give an address and phone number as the server?
Yes, unless the person serving is a sheriff or sheriff's deputy. The last line of page 2 asks for the server's address and phone number when the server is not a sheriff or deputy.
Can I fill out the certificate of service online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the Oregon Judicial Department and does not file the certificate; the court receives it only through the court's own channels.
Where do I file the certificate of service?
The form prints no address; it carries the county and case number of the circuit court case, so it goes with that case. The Oregon Judicial Department says some filings can be made electronically through iForms and that court staff cannot give legal advice.
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