Certificate of Service

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

State of Alabama — Circuit Court / District Court

SECTION 1: COURT HEADER AND CASE CAPTION

IN THE [CIRCUIT / DISTRICT] COURT OF [________________________________] COUNTY, ALABAMA
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

[________________________________],
      Plaintiff,

v.                                             Case No. [________________________________]

[________________________________],
      Defendant.

SECTION 2: DOCUMENT(S) SERVED

The following document(s) were served:

SECTION 3: CERTIFICATE STATEMENT

I hereby certify that on [__/__/____], I served a true and correct copy of the above-listed document(s) on the following counsel/parties of record in accordance with Rule 5(b) of the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure and the applicable electronic filing rules of this Court.

SECTION 4: PARTIES / COUNSEL SERVED

Recipient 1

Name: [________________________________]
Capacity: ☐ Attorney for Plaintiff ☐ Attorney for Defendant ☐ Pro Se Party ☐ Other: [________________]
Firm/Organization: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]
Alabama State Bar No. (if attorney): [____________________]

Method of Service:

☐ AlaFile Electronic Service — Document transmitted through AlaFile. Service on registered users is automatic upon filing.
(AlaFile Filing Confirmation No.: [________________________________])

☐ Email (written consent under ARCP Rule 5(b)(2)) — Sent to: [________________________________]
(Written consent on file. Email sent at [____:____] [AM/PM] CST/CDT.)

☐ First-Class U.S. Mail — Sealed envelope, postage prepaid, deposited at:
Location: [________________________________], Alabama
Time: [____:____] [AM/PM]

☐ Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested — Cert. No.: [________________________________]

☐ Hand Delivery — Delivered at:
Location: [________________________________]
Time: [____:____] [AM/PM]
Delivered by: [________________________________]

☐ Commercial Carrier — Via: [________________________________]
Tracking No.: [________________________________]
(Note: Commercial carrier service authorized by 2023 amendment to Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure.)

Recipient 2

Name: [________________________________]
Capacity: ☐ Attorney for Plaintiff ☐ Attorney for Defendant ☐ Pro Se Party ☐ Other: [________________]
Firm/Organization: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]

Method of Service:

☐ AlaFile — Conf. No.: [________________________________]
☐ Email (consent on file) — Sent to: [________________________________] at [____:____] [AM/PM]
☐ First-Class U.S. Mail — Deposited at [________________________________], Alabama
☐ Certified Mail — Cert. No.: [________________________________]
☐ Hand Delivery — At [________________________________] at [____:____] [AM/PM]
☐ Commercial Carrier — Tracking No.: [________________________________]

Recipient 3 (if applicable)

Name: [________________________________]
Capacity: ☐ Attorney for Plaintiff ☐ Attorney for Defendant ☐ Pro Se Party ☐ Other: [________________]
Address / Email: [________________________________]

Method of Service:

☐ AlaFile — Conf. No.: [________________________________]
☐ Email — Sent to: [________________________________]
☐ First-Class U.S. Mail — Deposited at [________________________________]
☐ Commercial Carrier — Tracking No.: [________________________________]
☐ Hand Delivery
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Add additional recipients as needed.

SECTION 5: ALAFILE — ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

AlaFile is Alabama's mandatory electronic filing system for circuit and district courts:

☐ All parties' counsel are registered AlaFile users — service was completed automatically upon filing
☐ Some parties are not registered AlaFile users — manual service was used for those parties (described above)
☐ The party is self-represented (pro se) and not registered in AlaFile — alternate service used

AlaFile Filing Confirmation:

• AlaFile Confirmation No.: [________________________________]
• Date/Time of Submission: [__/__/____] at [____:____] [AM/PM] CT
• Document Accepted: ☐ Yes ☐ Pending ☐ No (describe: [________________])

AlaFile Service Mechanism:
When a party's attorney is a registered AlaFile user, the system sends a "Notice of Electronic Filing" (NEF) to all registered users upon submission. This NEF constitutes valid service under Alabama law. Non-registered parties and pro se litigants entitled to notice must receive paper service separately.

SECTION 6: SELF-REPRESENTED PARTY SERVICE

(Complete if any party is self-represented and not registered in AlaFile.)

☐ A self-represented (pro se) party was served. Details:

Pro Se Party Name: [________________________________]
Mailing Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]

Method:
☐ First-Class U.S. Mail — Deposited at [________________________________], Alabama on [__/__/____]
☐ Certified Mail — Cert. No.: [________________________________]
☐ Hand Delivery — At [________________________________] on [__/__/____]
☐ Email — Email: [________________________________] (written consent on file since [__/__/____])

Per Alabama procedure, a party not registered with AlaFile is entitled to service by mail or hand delivery. Confirm the party's current mailing address on file with the court.

SECTION 7: MULTIPLE-PARTY SERVICE TABLE

(Use this table when serving multiple parties.)

SECTION 8: DATE AND TIME OF SERVICE

Date of Service: [__/__/____]
Time of Service / Transmission: [____:____] [AM/PM] Central Time (CST / CDT)
City/Location of Mailing or Delivery: [________________________________], Alabama

SECTION 9: MAIL RULE — TIME COMPUTATION (ARCP RULE 6(e))

Alabama 3-Day Mail Rule:

When any party is required to act within a prescribed period after service by mail, ARCP Rule 6(e) adds 3 calendar days to that period.

Note: When counting the 3-day extension, exclude the date of mailing. Count 3 full calendar days. If the 3rd day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline extends to the next business day. ARCP Rule 6(a).

SECTION 10: CERTIFICATION

I certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Alabama that the foregoing is true and correct.

Date: [__/__/____]

Respectfully submitted,

_____________________________________________
[________________________________]
Alabama State Bar No. [____________________]
[________________________________] (Law Firm)
[________________________________] (Street Address)
[________________________________], Alabama [________] (City, ZIP)
Telephone: ([____]) [____]-[________]
Email: [________________________________]
Attorney for [________________________________] / Pro Se [Party]

SECTION 11: E-FILING INSTRUCTIONS (ALAFILE)

How AlaFile Service Works:

1. Attorney logs into AlaFile at alacourt.gov or via the AlaFile portal.
2. Attorney uploads the document and submits the filing.
3. AlaFile timestamps the filing and sends a confirmation to the filer.
4. AlaFile simultaneously sends an electronic "Notice of Electronic Filing" (NEF) to all registered parties.
5. Receipt of the NEF constitutes valid service on registered parties under Alabama procedure.
6. For parties not in AlaFile, the filer must serve by mail, hand delivery, or other permitted means.

Retention of Records:
Retain AlaFile confirmation emails and transaction IDs in the litigation file for the duration of the case plus the applicable retention period.

SECTION 12: COUNTY-SPECIFIC NOTES

Jefferson County (Birmingham):
Jefferson County Circuit Court may have local administrative orders regarding electronic filing and service. Verify current requirements on the Jefferson County Court's website.

Mobile County:
Mobile County Circuit Court follows AlaFile procedures. Check for any standing orders regarding family law or complex litigation matters.

Madison County (Huntsville):
Standard AlaFile procedures apply. Confirm any local rules with the court clerk.

All Counties:
Confirm whether the court has any standing orders or administrative procedures that supplement or modify the standard AlaFile service rules.

SECTION 13: PRACTITIONER NOTES

AlaFile and Automatic Service:
When a document is filed through AlaFile, registered users receive a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) to their registered email address. This constitutes valid service. The filing attorney does not need to take any additional step to serve registered parties — the system handles it automatically. However, a certificate of service must still be filed to document that service occurred.

3-Day Mail Rule:
Alabama's 3-day mail rule (ARCP Rule 6(e)) applies whenever a party must take some action within a certain period after receiving service by mail. Plan deadlines accordingly. When service is by AlaFile or email, no extra days are added.

Commercial Carrier — 2023 Amendment:
The Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure were amended effective August 14, 2023, to allow service of process (initial service of summons and complaint) by commercial carrier (e.g., FedEx, UPS). This is separate from service of subsequent pleadings under Rule 5. Verify whether commercial carrier service satisfies the specific service rule at issue.

Certificate vs. Affidavit:
A Certificate of Service (attorney certification) is sufficient for service of pleadings, motions, and other papers under ARCP Rule 5. An Affidavit of Service (sworn proof) may be required for service of process (initial summons) under ARCP Rule 4. Do not confuse these.

Local Court Orders:
Alabama counties may have county-specific administrative orders that affect filing and service requirements. Always check for current local standing orders, especially in high-volume courts like Jefferson, Mobile, and Montgomery counties.

This template was prepared for use in Alabama state court practice. It is not a substitute for independent legal research and attorney judgment. Verify all citations and procedures against current Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure and AlaFile requirements.