Certificate of Service

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

State of Missouri — Circuit Court

[________________________________] County, [____] Judicial Circuit

COURT INFORMATION

Court: Circuit Court of [________________________________] County, Missouri
Division: [________________________________]
Case Number: [____________________________]

CASE CAPTION

[________________________________]
Plaintiff(s),

v.

[________________________________]
Defendant(s).

PART I: CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, [________________________________], do hereby certify that on [__/__/____], I served a true and correct copy of the following document(s) upon all parties or counsel of record in this action, in the manner designated below:

Document(s) Served

☐ Petition (Complaint)
☐ Answer to Petition
☐ Motion to Dismiss
☐ Motion for Summary Judgment
☐ Suggestions in Opposition to Motion
☐ Reply Suggestions
☐ Amended Petition
☐ Counterclaim / Cross-Claim
☐ Third-Party Petition
☐ Interrogatories (Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 57.01)
☐ Requests for Production of Documents (Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 58.01)
☐ Requests for Admission (Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 59.01)
☐ Discovery Responses
☐ Notice of Deposition
☐ Subpoena
☐ Suggestions in Support of Motion
☐ Proposed Order / Judgment
☐ Notice of Hearing
☐ Affidavit / Verification
☐ Exhibit(s): [________________________________]
☐ Other: [________________________________]

PART II: PARTIES SERVED

Party / Attorney 1

Name: [________________________________]
Role: ☐ Attorney for Plaintiff ☐ Attorney for Defendant ☐ Self-Represented Party ☐ Other: [____________]
Firm Name: [________________________________]
Mailing Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]
Email Address: [________________________________]
Fax Number: [________________________________]
Missouri Bar Number: [____]

Party / Attorney 2

Name: [________________________________]
Role: ☐ Attorney for Plaintiff ☐ Attorney for Defendant ☐ Self-Represented Party ☐ Other: [____________]
Firm Name: [________________________________]
Mailing Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]
Email Address: [________________________________]
Fax Number: [________________________________]
Missouri Bar Number: [____]

Party / Attorney 3

Name: [________________________________]
Role: ☐ Attorney for Plaintiff ☐ Attorney for Defendant ☐ Self-Represented Party ☐ Other: [____________]
Firm Name: [________________________________]
Mailing Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]
Email Address: [________________________________]
Fax Number: [________________________________]
Missouri Bar Number: [____]

(Attach additional page for more parties.)

PART III: METHOD OF SERVICE

Important Missouri Practice Note: Under Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01(a), attorneys and self-represented parties must maintain current mailing addresses, telephone numbers, facsimile numbers, and electronic mail addresses in their signature blocks and must keep this information current at all times. Service may be directed to any of these addresses.

Select ALL methods used. Complete the applicable declarations below.

A. Personal Delivery (Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01(b)(1))

☐ Personal Delivery to Attorney — I personally delivered a copy to the party's attorney.

☐ Delivery at Attorney's Office — I left a copy at the attorney's office with the attorney's clerk, receptionist, or secretary.

☐ Personal Delivery to Party — I personally delivered a copy to the party directly (used when party is self-represented or court orders direct service).

Name of Person Who Received: [________________________________]
Location of Delivery: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]
Time: [____] ☐ AM ☐ PM

Mo. R. 43.01(b)(1): Service by delivering a copy to the attorney or leaving at the attorney's office is complete upon delivery.

B. Service by United States Mail (Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01(b)(4))

☐ U.S. First-Class Mail — I served the document(s) by mailing a copy to the last known address of the party or attorney:

Mailing Address Used: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]
Date of Mailing: [__/__/____]
Location of Mailing (city, state): [________________________________]

Missouri Mail Extension — Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 44.01(e): When service is made by mail, 3 additional days are added to any response period triggered by service. Example: A 30-day response period becomes 33 days when triggered by mail service.

C. Service by Facsimile (Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01(b)(3))

☐ Facsimile Transmission — I served the document(s) by transmitting a copy via facsimile to:

Recipient Fax Number: [________________________________]
Date of Transmission: [__/__/____]
Time of Transmission: [____] ☐ AM ☐ PM
Pages Transmitted (including cover): [____]
Transmission Confirmation Number: [________________________________]

Missouri Fax Service: Under Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01(a), attorneys must state their fax number in their signature block and keep it current. Fax service is authorized when the recipient's fax number appears in the court record or has been communicated. Service is complete upon successful transmission.

D. Service by Electronic Mail (Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01(b)(5))

☐ Electronic Mail (Email) — I served the document(s) by transmitting a copy to the electronic mail address of the party or attorney:

Recipient Email Address: [________________________________]
Date of Transmission: [__/__/____]
Time of Transmission: [____] ☐ AM ☐ PM

Missouri Email Service Rule: Under Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01(a), attorneys must list their electronic mail address in their signature block and keep it current. Email service is therefore broadly authorized in Missouri when the recipient has provided an email address in court filings. Service is complete upon sending.

Basis for Email Service:
☐ Recipient's email address appears in their court filings/signature block per Rule 43.01(a)
☐ Recipient has separately consented to email service in writing
☐ Service through Missouri eFlex electronic filing system

E. Service through Missouri eFlex Electronic Filing System

☐ Missouri eFlex E-Filing System — The above document(s) were filed electronically through the Missouri eFlex electronic filing and service system. Upon successful filing, the eFlex system automatically served all registered users of record in this case.

Names Served through eFlex: [________________________________]
Date/Time of eFlex Filing: [__/__/____] at [____] ☐ AM ☐ PM
eFlex Confirmation/Filing Number: [________________________________]

Missouri eFlex Note: Missouri's eFlex system is the state-approved electronic filing platform used in courts across Missouri. Attorneys registered in eFlex receive automatic electronic service upon document filing. Non-registered parties must be served separately by mail or other authorized method. Attorneys must verify that all parties are registered eFlex users; if not, alternative service must be documented here.

Non-eFlex Registered Parties Served Separately:
☐ All parties are registered eFlex users — no additional service required
☐ The following party/parties were served separately:
Party Name: [________________________________]
Method of Separate Service: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

PART IV: SERVICE ON SELF-REPRESENTED (PRO SE) PARTIES

Self-Represented Party Name: [________________________________]
Address Used for Service: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]

Method of Service:
☐ U.S. First-Class Mail to current address (+3 days extension applies to response periods)
☐ Personal delivery
☐ Electronic mail (recipient has provided email address in filings per Rule 43.01(a))
☐ Facsimile (recipient has provided fax number in filings per Rule 43.01(a))
☐ eFlex system (only if pro se party is registered in eFlex)
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Missouri Note — Rule 43.01(a): Missouri's requirement that all parties (including self-represented parties) include and maintain current contact information — including phone, fax, and email — in their signature blocks is broader than many states. When a self-represented party has provided email or fax in a filing, service by those means is authorized under Missouri law.

PART V: DECLARATION OF SERVICE BY MAIL

(Complete if any service was by U.S. Mail.)

I, [________________________________], declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Missouri that the following is true and correct:

I am over the age of 18 and am not a party to the above-captioned action. My address is:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

On [__/__/____], I served the document(s) identified in Part I of this Certificate by depositing a true and correct copy of each document in a sealed envelope, with first-class U.S. postage fully prepaid, addressed to each person listed in Part II, and deposited the same in the United States Mail at [________________________________] (city and state).

Declarant Printed Name: [________________________________]
Declarant Signature: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

PART VI: DECLARATION OF ELECTRONIC SERVICE

(Complete if service was by email or eFlex system.)

I, [________________________________], declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Missouri that the following is true and correct:

On [__/__/____] at [____] ☐ AM ☐ PM, I served the document(s) identified in Part I above by electronic means as follows:

☐ eFlex System: I filed the document(s) through the Missouri eFlex electronic filing system. The system generated automatic electronic service to all registered users identified in Part III.E. Filing was confirmed with number: [________________________________].

☐ Email Transmission: I transmitted the document(s) by electronic mail to the address(es) in Part III.D above. Service was authorized because the recipient's email address appears in court filings as required by Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01(a) / based on written consent / court order.

I received no error, bounce-back, or other notice that any electronic transmission was unsuccessful. If I receive such notice, I will promptly re-serve by an alternative method authorized under Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01.

Declarant Printed Name: [________________________________]
Declarant Signature: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

PART VII: MISSOURI PROCEDURAL NOTES AND RULES REFERENCE

7.1 Rule 43.01 — Service of Pleadings and Other Papers

Every pleading subsequent to the original petition, every written motion other than ex parte motions, every written notice, and all similar papers shall be served upon each of the parties. Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 43.01(b) specifies five authorized methods of service on attorneys and self-represented parties:

1. Delivering a copy to the attorney
2. Leaving a copy at the attorney's office
3. Transmitting a copy by facsimile
4. Mailing a copy to the attorney's last known address
5. Transmitting a copy by electronic mail (if the attorney's electronic address is known)

Under Rule 43.01(a), all attorneys and self-represented parties are required to keep their contact information — including mailing address, telephone, fax, and email — current in the court record and in their signature blocks. This makes Missouri's approach to authorizing electronic service comparatively broad.

7.2 Rule 43.02 — Filing Requirement

All papers after the original petition must be filed with the court. The certificate of service is typically incorporated at the end of the filed document or attached as a separate page. Missouri practice commonly places the certificate of service at the conclusion of the pleading or motion being served.

7.3 Rule 44.01 — Time Computation and Mail Extension

• Day zero: The day of the act, event, or default from which the period begins to run is excluded (Rule 44.01(a)).
• Short periods: When a period is less than 7 days, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays are excluded.
• Weekends and holidays: If the last day of a period falls on Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday, the period runs to the end of the next business day.
• Mail extension: When service is made by mail, 3 additional days are added to the response or action period (Rule 44.01(e)).
• No extension for fax/email: No automatic extra days are added for fax or email service under Missouri rules.

7.4 Missouri eFlex Electronic Filing System

Missouri courts have implemented the eFlex electronic filing system in most circuit courts statewide. Key operational points:

• Missouri courts require e-filing by attorneys in most civil case types where eFlex is available.
• Registration with eFlex constitutes agreement to receive electronic service through the system.
• Parties registered in eFlex are served electronically when documents are filed; no separate mail service is required.
• Self-represented parties may register for eFlex but may not be required to do so.
• If eFlex is unavailable due to technical failure, attorneys should document the outage and file by the next available means.
• County-level implementation may vary; check the specific circuit court's local orders.

7.5 Missouri Practice — "Suggestions" Terminology

Missouri uses distinctive terminology for motion briefs: supporting briefs are called "Suggestions in Support" and opposing briefs are called "Suggestions in Opposition." This is a Missouri-specific convention worth noting when preparing certificates of service that identify these documents.

7.6 Service on Parties vs. Attorneys

Under Rule 43.01, service on a represented party must be made upon the party's attorney. Direct service on a represented party is not effective for purposes of the rules unless the court specifically orders direct service. Service on the party's attorney triggers all response deadlines.

7.7 Maintaining Contact Information

Rule 43.01(a) imposes an ongoing duty on all attorneys and parties to keep their contact information — address, phone, fax, and email — current in the court record. Failure to maintain current information may result in missed service notices and adverse procedural consequences. Missouri attorneys should update eFlex registration and court filings promptly upon any address or contact change.

PART VIII: SIGNATURE BLOCK

I certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Missouri that the foregoing Certificate of Service is true and correct, and that service was effected as described herein.

Executed on: [__/__/____]

Signature: [________________________________]

Printed Name: [________________________________]

Missouri Bar Number: [____]

Firm Name: [________________________________]

Mailing Address: [________________________________]

City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]

Telephone: ([____]) [____]-[________]

Facsimile: ([____]) [____]-[________]

Email Address: [________________________________]

Capacity:
☐ Attorney for Plaintiff [________________________________]
☐ Attorney for Defendant [________________________________]
☐ Attorney for Third-Party [________________________________]
☐ Self-Represented Party

APPENDIX: MISSOURI SERVICE METHODS — QUICK REFERENCE

Sources: Missouri Supreme Court Rules (courts.mo.gov); Missouri eFlex Electronic Filing System. Template last updated: 2026-03-06. This template does not constitute legal advice.