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

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What Is "Proof of Personal Service?"

Text

Form ID: EA-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/EA-200-INFO
Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ea200info.pdf
Alternate Download URLs: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ea200infoc.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ea200infok.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ea200infos.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ea200infov.pdf
Form Detail Page:
What Is "Proof of Personal Service?"
(EA-200-INFO)
Explains how to serve the other side by "personal service."
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Tiếng Việt
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Effective: January 1, 2026
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How-to instructions for Elder Abuse
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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”? 
(Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse Prevention)
EA-200-INFO What Is “Proof of Personal Service”?
What is “Service”? 
Service is the act of giving your legal papers to the other party. There are many kinds of service—in person, by mail, and 
others. This form is about personal or “in-person” service. The following types of restraining order forms must be served 
“in person”: Request for Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse Restraining Orders (form EA-100), Notice of Court Hearing 
(form EA-109), Temporary Restraining Order (form EA-110), Request for Elder or Dependent Adult Restraining Order 
Allowing Contact (form EA-300), and Notice of Court Hearing to Allow Contact (form EA-309). That means that 
someone must personally serve (give) a copy of the forms to the person to be restrained. These forms cannot be served by 
mail. 
Service lets the other person know: 
What orders you are asking for
The hearing date
How to respond
Why do I have to get the orders served? 
The police cannot arrest anyone for violating an order unless that person knows about the order.
The judge cannot make the orders permanent unless the restrained person was served.
How to serve 
Ask the server to: 
Walk up to the person to be served. 
Make sure it is the right person. Ask the person’s name. 
Give the person copies of all papers checked on form EA-200, Proof of Personal Service.
Fill out and sign the Proof of Personal Service form.
Give the signed Proof of Personal Service to you.
Who can serve? 
Ask someone you know, a process server, or a law enforcement agency to  
personally serve (give) a copy of the forms to the person to be restrained. You  
cannot send the forms to that person by mail. The server must: 
Be 18 years of age or older
Not be you or anyone whom you are asking to be protected by the orders.
A “registered process server” is a business you pay to deliver court forms. Look for  
“Process Serving” in the Yellow Pages or on the internet. (If a law enforcement 
agency or the process server uses a different proof of service form, make sure it lists 
the forms served.)
The sheriff or marshal may be authorized to serve the court’s orders for free. 
Another peace officer may also serve the orders for free. See selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/
EA-restraining-order/sheriff-serves-request for additional information regarding 
free service by a sheriff, marshal, or other peace officer. 
Don't serve it by mail! 
What if the person won’t take the papers or tears them up?
If the person won’t take the papers, just leave them near the person. 
It doesn’t matter if the person tears them up. Service is still complete.
EA-200-INFO,  Page 1 of 2

For your protection and privacy, please press the Clear 
button after you have printed the form.
Rev. January 1, 2026 What Is “Proof of Personal Service”? 
(Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse Prevention)
EA-200-INFO What Is “Proof of Personal Service”?
Look at a calendar. Subtract the number of days in item 5 on form EA-109 or the number of days in item 6 on form 
EA-309 from the hearing date. That is the final date to have the orders served. It is always okay to serve earlier than that 
date. If nothing is checked or written in item 5 on form EA-109 or item 6 on form EA-309, you must serve the orders at 
least five days before the hearing.
First, look at the hearing date on form EA-109 
(item 3 on page 1) or form EA-309 (item 5 on 
page 2).
3     Notice of Hearing
Date: ________
Dept.: ________
Hearing 
Date �
Next, look at the number of days in item 5 on page 2 of  
form EA-109 or in item 6 on page 2 of form EA-309.
At least         five                           days before the hearing,
5   Service of Documents By the Person in   1
When do the orders have to be served? 
It depends. To know the exact date, you have to look at two things on form EA-109, Notice of Court Hearing or form 
EA-309, Notice of Court Hearing to Allow Contact : 
Who signs the Proof of Personal Service?
Only the person who serves the forms can sign form EA-200, Proof of Personal Service. You do not sign it; the  
restrained person does not need to sign it.
What do I do with the completed Proof of Personal Service?
If someone other than the sheriff serves the papers, you should:
Make several copies.
File the original with the court before your hearing.
Bring a copy of the completed Proof of Personal Service to your hearing.
Ask the clerk to enter the Proof of Personal Service (unless for form EA-300) into the California Law Enforcement 
Telecommunications System (CLETS), a special computer system that lets police all over the state find out about the 
orders protecting you. 
If the clerk tells you that the court cannot enter it into the computer, take a copy of the Temporary Restraining Order 
(form EA-110) and Proof of Personal Service (form EA-200) to your local police. They will put the information into 
the state computer system. That way, police all over the state will know that your restraining order has been served.
Always keep an extra copy of the restraining orders with you for your safety.
Note: Restraining orders to allow contact (which use the EA-300 form series) are not entered into CLETS.
If the sheriff or another peace officer serves the papers, they will send proof of service to the court for you. The sheriff 
will also send proof of service to CLETS for you.
What happens if I can’t get the orders served before the hearing date?
Before your hearing, fill out and file form EA-115, Request to Continue Court Hearing (or form EA-315, if you are trying 
to serve forms EA-300 or EA-309). This form asks the court for a new hearing date and makes your orders last until then. 
Ask the clerk for the form. After the court has reissued the orders, attach a copy of form EA-116, Order on Request to 
Continue Hearing, (or form EA-316) to a copy of your original orders. Ask the clerk to enter form EA-116 into CLETS, 
or the clerk may ask you or your attorney to deliver a copy to the police. That way, the police will know your orders are 
still in effect. 
EA-200-INFO, Page 2 of 2

Retrieval chunks

• #1

  Form ID: EA-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/EA-200-INFO Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ea200info.pdf Alternate Download URLs: h…

• #2

  Give the person copies of all papers checked on form EA-200, Proof of Personal Service. Fill out and sign the Proof of Personal Service form. Give the signed Proof of Personal Service to you. Who can serve? Ask someone you know, a process server, or a law enforcement agency to personally serve (give) a copy of th…

• #3

  It depends. To know the exact date, you have to look at two things on form EA-109, Notice of Court Hearing or form EA-309, Notice of Court Hearing to Allow Contact : Who signs the Proof of Personal Service? Only the person who serves the forms can sign form EA-200, Proof of Personal Service. You do not sign it; the…