Certificate of Service — District of Columbia Superior Court

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

District of Columbia Superior Court

COURT CAPTION

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — CIVIL DIVISION

Case No.: [____________________]
Judge: [____________________]

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, [________________________________], hereby certify that on [__/__/____], I served
a true and correct copy of the following document(s):

Document(s) Served:

1. [________________________________]
2. [________________________________]
3. [________________________________]
   (add rows as needed)

upon all parties through their counsel of record, or directly if unrepresented,
as identified below, by the method(s) indicated under D.C. Superior Court
Civil Rules 5 and 5-I.

Delivery to assigned judge: ☐ Delivered [date, time, and manner: ________________________________] ☐ Not required for this filing

SECTION I — PARTIES / COUNSEL SERVED

Party / Counsel No. 1

Method of Service (check all that apply):

☐ eFileDC Electronic Service — Served through the court's authorized
e-filing system to the registered user(s) identified here: [________________________________].

• eFileDC Confirmation / Transaction No.: [________________________________]
• Date/Time Sent: [__/__/____] at [________] ☐ AM ☐ PM
• ☐ I have not learned that the service failed to reach the recipient

☐ Electronic Mail (Email) — Served by email pursuant to SCR-Civ 5(b)(2)(E)
with written consent of the receiving party or as permitted or required by administrative order.

• Email address(es) served: [________________________________]
• Date/Time Transmitted: [__/__/____] at [________] ☐ AM ☐ PM
• ☐ I have not learned that the service failed to reach the recipient

☐ Hand Delivery / Personal Service — Delivered in person to the above-named
party or counsel.

• Person who received delivery: [________________________________]
• Date/Time of Delivery: [__/__/____] at [________] ☐ AM ☐ PM
• Location of Delivery: [________________________________]

☐ U.S. First-Class Mail — Placed in the United States Mail, postage prepaid,
addressed to the above address.

• Mailed from: [________________________________]
• Date Mailed: [__/__/____]

☐ Certified U.S. Mail / Return Receipt Requested — Postage prepaid to the above address.

• USPS Tracking No.: [________________________________]
• Date Mailed: [__/__/____]

☐ Overnight Courier (FedEx / UPS / other commercial carrier; recipient consented to this method in writing under Rule 5(b)(2)(F))

• Carrier: [________________________________]
• Tracking No.: [________________________________]
• Date Tendered to Carrier: [__/__/____]

☐ Other (describe authorized method): [________________________________]

Party / Counsel No. 2

Method of Service (check all that apply):

☐ eFileDC Electronic Service

• Registered user served: [________________________________]
• eFileDC Confirmation / Transaction No.: [________________________________]
• Date/Time Sent: [__/__/____] at [________] ☐ AM ☐ PM

☐ Electronic Mail (Email)

• Email address(es) served: [________________________________]
• Date/Time Transmitted: [__/__/____] at [________] ☐ AM ☐ PM

☐ Hand Delivery / Personal Service

• Date/Time of Delivery: [__/__/____] at [________] ☐ AM ☐ PM
• Location: [________________________________]

☐ U.S. First-Class Mail

• Mailed from: [________________________________]
• Date Mailed: [__/__/____]

☐ Certified U.S. Mail / Return Receipt Requested — Postage prepaid to the above address.

• USPS Tracking No.: [________________________________]
• Date Mailed: [__/__/____]

☐ Overnight Courier (with written consent)

• Carrier: [________________________________] Tracking No.: [________________]
• Date Tendered: [__/__/____]

☐ Other: [________________________________]

(Duplicate Party / Counsel block as needed for additional parties)

SECTION II — MULTIPLE-PARTY SERVICE TABLE

(Use when serving three or more parties; attach continuation sheets if needed)

SECTION III — SELF-REPRESENTED (PRO SE) PARTY SERVICE

For a self-represented party who has not elected eFiling, record an authorized
service method used for that person. Confirm service on each intended recipient.

☐ The following self-represented party was served by an authorized method because
they are not receiving service through the court's eFiling system:

• Pro Se Party Name: [________________________________]
• Last Known Address: [________________________________]
• City, State, Zip: [________________________________]

• Method of Service:
  ☐ U.S. First-Class Mail — Date Mailed: [__/__/____]
  ☐ Hand Delivery — Date/Time: [__/__/____] at [________]
  ☐ Certified Mail — Tracking No.: [________________________________]
  ☐ Email (only if written consent obtained) — Date/Time: [__/__/____]

• Description of service attempt(s) if applicable: [________________________________]

SECTION IV — FILING NOTES

When a paper is served using the court's electronic filing system, Rule 5-I(b)
does not require separate proof of that service. Use this certificate to record
service by other methods and identify the recipients actually served. Under Rule
5(b)(2)(E), electronic service is complete upon sending but is ineffective if
the sender learns it did not reach the intended recipient.

Discovery Documents: Rule 5(d)(2)(D) requires a Certificate Regarding
Discovery as an attachment to a discovery motion, an opposition to a
dispositive motion based on the need for discovery, or a motion to extend
scheduling dates. The certificate must not be filed separately.

Rule 5(d)(7)(A) addresses separately filed and served documents under seal.

SECTION V — TIME COMPUTATION / MAIL RULE

Under SCR-Civ 6(d), when a response period runs from service by mail under
Rule 5(b)(2)(C), leaving a paper with the clerk under Rule 5(b)(2)(D), or
another means consented to under Rule 5(b)(2)(F), three (3) days are added
after the period otherwise expires under Rule 6(a). Rule 6(d) does not add
three days for electronic service under Rule 5(b)(2)(E).

Compute the original deadline under Rule 6(a), then add the three days when
Rule 6(d) applies. Check the particular response rule and any court order.

CERTIFICATION AND SIGNATURE

I certify as a member of the Bar of this court that the service and delivery
stated above occurred on the dates and by the methods indicated.

Date: [__/__/____]

Signature: [________________________________]

Name: [________________________________] D.C. Bar No.: [____________________]

Firm: [________________________________] Attorney for: [________________________________]

Address: [________________________________]

Telephone: [________________________________] Email: [________________________________]

PRACTITIONER NOTES

1. Electronic Filing. Represented parties generally must file electronically
under Rule 5(d)(5)(F), subject to its court and administrative-order exceptions.
Self-represented parties may elect electronic filing under Rule 5(d)(5)(G).

2. Proof of Service. Under Rule 5-I(a), proof generally must be filed before
other action is taken on a paper served under Rule 5; it must show the date and
manner of service on the parties and delivery to the judge. Rule 5-I(b) waives
separate proof for papers served through the court's electronic filing system.

3. Email Consent. Rule 5(b)(2)(E) permits other electronic service when
permitted or required by administrative order or consented to in writing.
Record the authority and the address used.

4. Default Situations. Under Rule 5(a)(2), a later pleading asserting a
new claim against a party in default must be served under Rule 4.

5. Retain Records. Preserve available filing confirmations, transmission
records, and mailing or delivery records.

6. Rule 5(b) — Permitted Methods. Rule 5(b)(2) permits: (A) handing
the paper to the person; (B) leaving it at the person's office with a clerk
or person in charge, or in a conspicuous place if no one is in charge, or,
if the person has no office or the office is closed, at the person's dwelling
with a resident of suitable age and discretion; (C) mailing it to the last
known address; (D) leaving it with the clerk's office if the person has no
known address; (E) serving a registered electronic-filing user or using other
electronic means permitted or required by administrative order or consented
to in writing; or (F) using another means consented to in writing. Verify
the chosen method and its completion rule for each recipient.

7. Rule 5(a) — What Must Be Served. Under Rule 5(a), orders
required by their terms to be served, every pleading subsequent to the
original complaint, every paper relating to discovery required to be served
upon a party unless the court otherwise orders, every written motion except
one which may be heard ex parte, and every written notice, appearance, demand,
offers of judgment, and similar papers must be served on each party unless an
applicable exception applies. Confirm which documents require service in your case.

Sources and References

• DC Superior Court Civil Rule 5: https://www.dccourts.gov/sites/default/files/rules-superior-court/Civil%20Rule%205.%20Serving%20and%20Filing%20Pleadings%20and%20Other%20Papers.pdf
• DC Superior Court Civil Rule 5-I (Proof of Service): https://www.dccourts.gov/sites/default/files/rules-superior-court/Civil%20Rule%205-I.%20Proof%20of%20Service.pdf
• DC Superior Court Civil Rule 6: https://www.dccourts.gov/sites/default/files/rules-superior-court/Civil%20Rule%206.%20Computing%20and%20Extending%20Time%20Time%20for%20Motion%20Papers.pdf
• DC Superior Court eFiling: https://www.dccourts.gov/superior-court/e-filing