Parties who reject or refuse service by certified mail are considered properly served and a default order may be entered.

the unopened envelope will come back with a message stating rejected or refused.

the unopened envelope will come back with a message stating unclaimed or unsuccessful, or.

the green card or electronic receipt will show delivery,.

One of three things will occur when serving by certified mail:

The person to be served actually signed the receipt.The proof of receipt shows that delivery was restricted to the addressee, and.Service by certified mail is not considered good service unless all of the following requirements are met:

This will allow time to send the pleadings to a process server if the certified mail is returned as unclaimed or unsuccessful. A best practice is to set the hearing at least eight weeks from the date of mailing. Once the party is located, staff sets the hearing far enough in the future for service to occur. Certified mail is usually not appropriate if case history indicates a low probability of acceptance of service by mail. Certified mail is used when service to the AOR or by Acknowledgment and Waiver is not appropriate or is unsuccessful. Certified mail, return receipt requested, delivery restricted to the addressee (referred to in this article as certified mail), is proper service in legal actions, except where a party is incarcerated in a Department of Corrections (DOC) institution.

Check certified mail receipt