California's SPARE Act (AB 747) takes effect on January 1, 2027. From that date, a proof of service for personal delivery, substituted service, or unlawful detainer posting must include a photo of the site of every attempt, stamped with the date, time, and GPS coordinates. Substituted service on an individual also requires three good-faith attempts at personal delivery, on three different days, at three different times.
That's the summary. Here's the part that matters.
Until now, a proof of service was a sworn statement. Starting January 1, it's a sworn statement plus evidence. And when a defendant says they were never served, the evidence is what gets looked at.
The Legislature wrote AB 747 to stop "sewer service": a proof of service signed for a service that never happened. The defendant never learns about the case, a default gets entered, and they find out when their wages are garnished or the lockout notice arrives. It shows up most in consumer debt and eviction cases, which is why both get extra rules.
You don't run sewer service. That's not the point. The point is that the bar for every proof just went up, including yours, and a proof that was routine in December is a weak proof in January.
In a consumer debt case, at least one attempt must be made at the defendant's dwelling or usual place of abode, if that address is known or could be determined with reasonable effort (CCP 415.20(b)). Unlawful detainer posting carries a similar home-attempt rule, with some exceptions (new CCP 415.45(d)(1)). "Could be determined with reasonable effort" means a stale address from a 2019 credit application is a liability. Address research is now part of diligence, not a nice-to-have.
Before you can use substituted service on an individual, you show reasonable diligence by attempting personal delivery "in good faith, on at least three occasions on three different days at three different times." Three visits on one Saturday don't count. Three Tuesdays at 9 a.m. don't count either.
This applies to individuals under CCP 415.20(b). Substituted service on corporations and other entities under 415.20(a) does not carry the three-attempt requirement.
CCP 417.10, as amended, requires one or more photos of the site of each effected or attempted service. Each photo must:
The photo shows the place, not the person. Nobody has to be in the frame.
Two exceptions, both requiring a detailed written statement on or with the proof:
A missing photo with no statement is not an exception. It's a defect.
Substituted service still ends with mailing a copy. AB 747 spells out how: USPS first-class mail, Priority Mail with tracking, or Certified Mail with return receipt, postage prepaid. Check that your mailing step matches.
The Judicial Council has proposed a revised Proof of Service of Summons (POS-010) with new items for the photo, the stamp, and the no-signal and safety explanations, plus a new Declaration of Diligence (POS-012) that walks through each attempt. Family law and probate proofs get their own revisions. Watch for the final versions before January 1 and switch the day they're effective.
AB 747 amends CCP 585(b) to say the clerk can't enter default without proof of service of the summons. Not just service. Proof. Your default is now exactly as strong as the file behind it.
Everyone who serves civil process in California. The requirements attach to the service and the proof, not to the server's registration. That includes:
Separately, from January 1, county process server registries become publicly available statewide. Anyone can look your server up.
Since January 2026, SB 85 lets a court authorize service by email or other electronic means when a plaintiff can't serve by the methods in the code despite reasonable diligence (CCP 413.30). To get there, you have to set out every attempt by every method at every likely address.
An AB 747-grade record of attempts (dated, timed, photographed, located) is exactly that showing. Do diligence properly once and you've built the record for both substituted service and an alternative-service motion.
We built a one-page audit for step 3: Download the AB 747 Proof of Service Audit
Every attempt is logged with GPS, a timestamp, and a photo, as it happens. You see each attempt in your matter as it's made, not in a PDF a week later. Servers are vetted local professionals who know your courts. When the proof is ready, review it and file it in one click, in the same place you filed the complaint. And if the address is the problem, Address Research finds a better one.
No subscription. You pay per serve.
January 1, 2027. AB 747 was signed on October 10, 2025.
Three good-faith attempts at personal delivery, on three different days, at three different times (CCP 415.20(b)). In consumer debt cases, at least one must be at the defendant's home if it's known or could be found with reasonable effort.
Yes. Every effected or attempted service needs a photo of the site with a readable date, time, and GPS stamp, unless the server documents a lack of signal or a safety concern in a detailed statement.
Yes. The rules attach to the service and the proof of service, not to the server's registration status.
The three-attempt diligence standard doesn't apply to substituted service on corporations and other entities under CCP 415.20(a). Photo documentation still applies when a covered service method is used.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current rules, form versions, and effective dates with the statute and the Judicial Council before relying on it.