CH-200-INFO - What Is "Proof of Personal Service?"

Summary

What Is "Proof of Personal Service?"

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Form ID: CH-200-INFO
Title: What Is "Proof of Personal Service?"
Effective Date: 2026-01-01
Mandatory Form: no
Languages: 汉语, 한국어, español, Tiếng Việt
Info Page: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/CH-200-INFO
Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch200info.pdf
Alternate Download URLs: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch200infoc.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch200infok.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch200infos.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch200infov.pdf
Form Detail Page:
What Is "Proof of Personal Service?"
(CH-200-INFO)
Explains how to serve the other side by "personal service."
Get form CH-200-INFO
汉语
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(Chinese Simplified)
한국어
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(Korean)
español
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(Spanish)
Tiếng Việt
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(Vietnamese)
Effective: January 1, 2026
Go to
How-to instructions for Civil Harassment
Go to
Civil Harassment Form Packets
Go to
How-to instructions for Proof of Service
PDF Text:
Judicial Council of California, courts.ca.gov 
Rev. January 1, 2026, Optional Form What Is "Proof of Personal Service"? 
(Civil Harassment Prevention)
CH-200-INFO What Is "Proof of Personal Service"?
What is "service"?
Service is the act of giving your court papers to the other 
party in your case. There are different ways to serve the 
other party: in person, by mail, and others.
Why do my court papers need to be served?
Before a judge can grant a civil harassment restraining 
order (which can last up to five years), the person you want 
a restraining order against must know about your request 
and have a chance to go to court to explain their side. 
Also, if a restraining order is in place, the police cannot 
arrest the restrained person for violating the restraining 
order until the restrained person is served with the order.
What is "personal service"?
Personal service is when someone, known as a server, 
personally delivers your court papers to the other party.
Form CH-109;
Form CH-100;
Form CH-110;
Form CH-120 (leave this form blank);
Form CH-120-INFO; and
Form CH-250 (leave this form blank).
In most cases, these forms must be served on the other 
party by personal service:
Who can serve my court papers?
Any adult who is not protected by the restraining order can 
serve your court papers. You cannot serve your own 
court papers.
!
Some situations may be dangerous. Think about 
people’s safety when deciding who you want to 
serve your papers.
The court granted you a fee waiver; or
The restraining order is based on stalking, violence, or a 
credible threat of violence.
A sheriff or marshal will serve your court papers for free if:
Another peace officer may also serve the orders for free. 
See selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/CH-restraining-order/sheriff-
serves-request for additional information regarding free 
service by a sheriff, marshal, or other peace officer.
How do I have my court papers served?
Step 1: Choose a server
The person who gives your court papers to the other 
party is called a server. Your server must be at least 18 
years old. They must not be protected by the restraining 
order or involved in your case. This means that you 
cannot serve your own court papers.
Step 2: Have your server give your court 
papers to the other party
Give your server these instructions:
1 Before you serve the forms, note which forms you 
have, including the name of the form and the form 
number. See form CH-200 for a list of forms.
2 Find the person you need to serve. Make sure you 
are serving the right person by asking the person’s 
name.
3 Give the person the papers. If the person refuses to 
take the papers, put them on the ground or 
somewhere next to the person. The person doesn’t 
have to touch or sign for the papers. It is okay if they 
tear them up.
4 Fill out form CH-200 completely and sign.
5 File form CH-200 with the court or give form 
CH-200 to the person who is asking for the 
restraining order so they can file it.
Step 3: File proof with the court
The court needs proof that service happened and that it 
was done correctly. If your server was successful, have 
your server fully complete and sign form CH-200. The 
person you want restrained does not sign anything.
File form CH-200 with the court in your case as soon as 
possible. This information will automatically go into a 
restraining order database that police have access to.
If the sheriff or marshal served your court papers, they 
may use another form for proof besides form CH-200. 
Make sure a copy is filed with the court and that you get 
a copy.
A registered process server is a business you pay to deliver 
papers. To hire a process server, look for “process server” 
on the internet or in the yellow pages.
CH-200-INFO,  Page 1 of 2

Rev. January 1, 2026 What Is "Proof of Personal Service"? 
(Civil Harassment Prevention)
CH-200-INFO What Is "Proof of Personal Service"?
When is the deadline to serve my court 
papers?
It depends. To know the exact date, you need to look at two 
items on form CH-109. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Look at the court date listed under 
item 3 on page 1.
Step 2: Look at the court date listed under 
item 6 on page 2.
Step 3: Look at a calendar
Subtract the number of days in item 6 from the court 
date. That’s the deadline to have your court papers 
served. It’s okay to serve your court papers before 
the deadline.
If nothing is written in item 6, you must have your 
court papers served at least five days before your 
court date.
What happens if I can't get my court papers 
served before the court date?
You will need to ask the court to reschedule (continue) 
your court date. Fill out and file form CH-115 and 
form CH-116. These forms ask the judge for a new court 
date and to make any temporary orders last until the end of 
the new court date.
If the judge gives you a new court date, the person you 
want restrained will have to be served with form CH-115, 
form CH-116, and the original papers you filed. You 
should keep a copy of form CH-115, form CH-116, and a 
copy of your original paperwork. That way, the police will 
know your orders are still in effect.
For more information on asking for a new court date, read 
form CH-115-INFO.
If you’ve tried many times to serve the restrained person, 
and you can show the judge that the restrained person is 
avoiding (evading) service or cannot be located, you may 
ask the court to allow you to serve another way. If you 
want to make this request, at your first court date tell the 
judge details about your attempts to have the restrained 
person served. The judge may require a written statement 
for this.
What if the other party is avoiding (evading) 
service or cannot be located?
Read form CH-205-INFO, What If the Person I Want 
Protection from Is Avoiding (Evading) Service or Cannot 
Be Located?, for more information.
CH-200-INFO,  Page 2 of 2

Retrieval chunks

• #1

  Form ID: CH-200-INFO Title: What Is "Proof of Personal Service?" Effective Date: 2026-01-01 Mandatory Form: no Languages: 汉语, 한국어, español, Tiếng Việt Info Page: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/CH-200-INFO Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch200info.pdf Alternate Download URLs: h…

• #2

  Some situations may be dangerous. Think about people’s safety when deciding who you want to serve your papers. The court granted you a fee waiver; or The restraining order is based on stalking, violence, or a credible threat of violence. A sheriff or marshal will serve your court papers for free if: Another pea…

• #3

  (Civil Harassment Prevention) CH-200-INFO What Is "Proof of Personal Service"? When is the deadline to serve my court papers? It depends. To know the exact date, you need to look at two items on form CH-109. Follow these steps: Step 1: Look at the court date listed under item 3 on page 1. Step 2: Look at the c…