The Oregon FAPA Certificate of Service is a one-page Oregon Judicial Department form on which the person who served documents in a Family Abuse Prevention Act (FAPA) case declares that true copies were delivered to the Respondent in person. It records the date, time and place of service and which documents were served, and it is signed with a declaration subject to penalty for perjury. On this page you can fill out the form 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 Oregon FAPA Certificate of Service: Fillable PDF Form?
The Certificate of Service (Family Abuse Prevention Act) is the Oregon Judicial Department's one-page statewide form on which the person who delivered court documents to the Respondent in person declares the date, time and place of service and lists the documents served.
The form is headed "In the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of ____" and carries the case number and the names of the Petitioner and the Respondent. Its printed footer reads "FAPA – Certificate of Service, Page 1 of 1 (Aug 2019)". It is specific to Family Abuse Prevention Act cases and is not a general-purpose certificate of service for other kinds of cases.
The server states four things:
- who they are: a resident of a named 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;
- when and where they served the Respondent: the date, the time (am/pm) and the address or location, by delivering the documents in person;
- which documents they served, from a checklist covering a Restraining Order to Prevent Abuse and Petition, an Order Renewing Restraining Order and Petition to Renew, an Order to Show Cause re: Modifying Restraining Order with its Motion and Declaration in Support, and an "Other" line;
- that the statements are true to the best of their knowledge and belief, understanding that they are made for use as evidence in court and carry a penalty for perjury.
The Oregon Judicial Department lists the form among its statewide forms, which it says are accepted in all circuit courts.
Who needs to file Oregon FAPA Certificate of Service: Fillable PDF Form?
The person who delivered the documents to the Respondent completes and signs this certificate. The form says that person must be a competent adult, 18 years of age or older, who is not a party to or lawyer in the case and is not the employee of a party.
A sheriff or sheriff's deputy may be the server. The form asks for the server's address and phone number only if the person serving is not a sheriff or sheriff's deputy.
The form covers service on the Respondent by delivery in person. It is written for Family Abuse Prevention Act cases, so it fits service of the documents on its checklist: the restraining order and petition, the order renewing a restraining order and petition to renew, and the order to show cause about modifying a restraining order with its motion and declaration. Other documents served in the same case can be named on the "Other" line.
The Petitioner, as a party to the case, is not eligible to sign as the server. The form itself names no one who may sign on the server's behalf, so the person who actually made the delivery signs.
When to file Oregon FAPA Certificate of Service: Fillable PDF Form
Complete the certificate after the documents have been delivered to the Respondent in person, because the form states the date, time and place at which service already happened. The server also signs and dates it with a declaration of truth, so it cannot be prepared accurately in advance.
The form prints no deadline for completing it or returning it, and it gives no separate due date. If you need to know when the court expects proof of service in your case, ask the circuit court handling it; court staff cannot give legal advice, including which form to choose, according to the Oregon Judicial Department's Forms Center.
How to fill out Oregon FAPA Certificate of Service: Fillable PDF Form
Enter the county and case number
At the top, write the county in "For the County of" and the court's case number on the Case No line.
Enter the Petitioner and Respondent
Write the name of the Petitioner and the name of the Respondent in the caption, as they appear in the case.
Enter the server's name and state
In the first statement, write your name after "I," and the state where you are a resident.
Confirm the server's eligibility
The same paragraph declares that you are a competent person 18 or older, not a party to or lawyer in the case, and not the employee of a party. Complete the form only if all of that is true.
Enter the date, time and place
Write the date and the time of service and circle or mark am or pm. Then enter the address or location where you delivered the documents in person to the Respondent.
Check the documents served
Under "I served true copies of the original," check every box that applies: the restraining order and petition, the renewal order and petition, or the order to show cause with its motion and declaration. Where the form lists the Notice to Respondent/Request for Hearing, the Instructions for Contesting a Family Abuse Prevention Act Restraining Order and the Notice of Confidential Information Form (CIF) Filing, they are served with those documents.
Name any other documents
If you served anything not on the checklist, check Other and name all forms or documents served.
Date, sign and print your name
Enter the date, sign on the Signature of Server line and print your name. This is the declaration that the statements are true, made for use as evidence in court and subject to penalty for perjury.
Add server contact details if needed
If the person serving is not a sheriff or sheriff's deputy, write the server's address and phone number in the last section. A sheriff or deputy leaves it blank.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check names, case number, date, time and checked boxes, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and give it to the court as the circuit court directs.
How to submit Oregon FAPA Certificate of Service: Fillable PDF Form
The form prints no mailing address, portal, e-filing instruction or fee, so it names no submission channel of its own. It is headed for the circuit court of the Oregon county where the case is pending and carries that case's number.
- Court forms: the Oregon Judicial Department Forms Center states that any statewide form on its site is accepted in all circuit courts, and that additional forms may be available through local courts.
- Interactive forms: the Forms Center says interactive forms (iForms) are available for some filings and can be electronically filed. It does not tie them to this certificate.
- Questions: court staff cannot give legal advice, so contact the circuit court where your case is pending about how it receives completed certificates.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the court's own channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Having a party to the case, a lawyer in the case or an employee of a party sign as the server; the form requires someone who is none of these.
- Using a server under 18 years of age; the declaration says the server is 18 or older.
- Leaving out the server's address and phone number when the person serving is not a sheriff or sheriff's deputy.
- Checking only some boxes when more than one set of documents was served; the form says to check all that apply.
- Writing a time without marking am or pm, or leaving the address or location of service blank.
- Using the certificate for anything other than delivery in person; the form states the Respondent was served by delivering the documents in person.
- Not naming every other document served on the "Other" line when the checklist does not cover it.
- Forgetting the signature, the date next to it or the printed name of the server.
Frequently asked questions
What is a certificate of service for a FAPA case in Oregon?
It is the Oregon Judicial Department's one-page form on which the server declares that true copies of the listed documents were delivered to the Respondent in person, with the date, time and place. It is specific to Family Abuse Prevention Act cases in the circuit court.
Who can serve the documents and sign the certificate?
A competent person 18 or older who is not a party to or lawyer in the case and not the employee of a party. A sheriff or sheriff's deputy may serve too; only other servers must add their address and phone number to the form.
Can I serve the Respondent by mail and use this form?
This form is written for service by delivering the documents in person to the Respondent; its statement reads that way. It has no option for mail or any other method, so ask the circuit court how to document service that was not made in person.
Which documents can I list on the Oregon FAPA certificate of service?
The checklist offers the Restraining Order to Prevent Abuse and Petition, the Order Renewing Restraining Order and Petition to Renew, and the Order to Show Cause re: Modifying Restraining Order with its Motion and Declaration in Support. An "Other" line covers any additional documents served.
Does a sheriff have to give an address and phone number on the form?
No. The last section asks for the server's address and phone number only if the person serving is not a sheriff or sheriff's deputy. A sheriff or deputy still completes the date, time, place, documents served and signature.
Where do I file the completed certificate of service?
The form prints no address or filing channel. It is headed for the circuit court of the county where the case is pending, and the Oregon Judicial Department says statewide forms are accepted in all circuit courts. Contact that court about how it receives the certificate.
Can I fill out the FAPA certificate of service online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not affiliated with the Oregon Judicial Department, and it does not file or serve anything; you deliver the signed form through the court's channels.
Can court staff tell me whether this is the right form?
No. The Oregon Judicial Department's Forms Center says court staff cannot give legal advice, which includes telling you which form to choose. It points to its Self-Help Center for information about what forms you may need.
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