Fed. R. Civ. P. 4 provides for alternative methods of serving the summons and complaint
in a civil action. Methods established by the Rule itself are preferred, particularly Rule 4(d)
Waiver of Service; Duty to Save Costs of Service; Request to Waive, and should be attempted
before service is attempted pursuant to the Ohio mail methods authorized by Fed. R. Civ. P.
4(e)(1).
Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(e)(1) authorizes service pursuant to the law of the state in which the
district court is located for a summons or other like process upon the defendant in an action
brought in the courts of general jurisdiction of Ohio. Rules 4.1 and 4.3(B) of the Ohio Rules of
Civil Procedure provides for service by the Clerk mailing the summons and complaint by
certified mail. An attorney who attempts to effect service in this Court pursuant to the law of
Ohio must comply with the following procedure:
(a) Plaintiff's attorney shall address the envelope to the person to be served, shall
enter as the return address the address of the issuing location for The Office of the Clerk,
and shall place a copy of the summons and complaint or other document to be served in
the envelope. Plaintiff's attorney shall also affix to the back of the envelope the domestic
return receipt card, PS Form 3811, July 1983, (the "green card") showing the Name of
Sender as "Clerk, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio" at the
appropriate address with the certified mail number affixed to the front of the envelope.
The instructions to the delivering postal employee shall require the employee to show to
whom delivered, date of delivery, and address where delivered. Plaintiff's attorney shall
affix adequate postage to the envelope and deliver it to the Clerk who shall cause it to be
mailed. The envelope should be unsealed when it is delivered to the Clerk so that the
Clerk can verify the contents prior to mailing.
(b) The Clerk shall enter the fact of mailing on the appearance docket and make a
similar entry when the return receipt is received. If the envelope is returned with an
endorsement showing failure of delivery, the Clerk should forthwith electronically file a
Return of Service Unexecuted which shall serve as notice to the attorney of record or if
there is no attorney of record, the party at whose instance process was issued (who shall
be copied by regular mail), that service was not obtained.
(c) If service of process is refused or was unclaimed, the Clerk shall forthwith
electronically file a Return of Service Unexecuted which shall serve as notice to the
attorney of record or if there is no attorney of record, the party at whose instance process
was issued (who shall be copied by regular mail), that service was not obtained. If the
attorney, or serving party, after notification by the Clerk, files with the Clerk a written
request for ordinary mail service, and submits to the Clerk an envelope containing the
summons and complaint or other document to be served, with adequate postage affixed to
the envelope, the Clerk shall send the envelope to the defendant at the address set forth in
the caption of the complaint, or at the address set forth in written instructions to the
Clerk. The attorney or party at whose instance the mailing is sent shall also prepare for
the Clerk's use a certificate of mailing which shall be signed by the Clerk or a Deputy
Clerk and filed at the time of mailing. The attorney or party at whose instance the
mailing is sent shall also endorse the answer day (28 days after the date of mailing shown
on the certificate of mailing) on the summons sent by ordinary mail.
If the ordinary mail is returned undelivered, the Clerk shall forthwith notify the attorney,
or serving party, by mail.
The attorney of record or the serving party shall be responsible for determining if service
has been made under the provisions of Rule 4 of the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure and this
Local Rule.
This Local Rule is confined to the domestic service of the summons and complaint in a
civil action in this Court by certified mail or ordinary mail, pursuant to the law of Ohio, and is
not intended to affect the procedure for other methods of service permitted by the Fed. R. Civ. P.
or the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure.
Effective 9/16/20. See Historical Notes for full revision history.
