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The following is an informational guide for the service of court filings upon the Attorney General. In most cases, service may be made at any one of the Attorney General's offices listed below. However, there may be instances where service on the Attorney General must be made at the Sacramento office only or to the designated staff as listed here.
Please check statutes applicable to your case to be sure you are serving the office at the appropriate location.
Except as discussed below, the Attorney General has not agreed to electronic service of summons/complaints in civil cases per the Rule of Court and other applicable laws. In addition, the Attorney General has not agreed to receive service of summons/complaints in civil cases by facsimile.
Please be aware, the Office of the Attorney General cannot advise you whether or not you are required to serve this Office under a specific statute. If you are unsure about the requirements of service, we suggest that you consult with private counsel.
Please refer to the following statutes governing service of process on the Attorney General’s Office:
Code of Civil Procedure sections 414.10, 415.10, et seq.; 416.10, et seq.; 417.10, et seq. and 583.210. Further, instructions for service of court papers on the Judicial Branch of California website can be found at: Service of Court Papers.
See also Government Code sections 955.4; 955.6, and 955.8. Code of Civil Procedure section 1010.6
Data Security Breach: Civil Codes s. 1798.29(e) and s. 1798.82(e) - California law requires a business or state agency to notify any California resident whose unencrypted personal information, as defined, was acquired, or reasonably believed to have been acquired, by an unauthorized person. As of January 1, 2012, this law now requires a business or state agency to send an electronic sample of the breach notification sent to California residents, if the breach affected more than 500 residents. The sample should exclude any personally identifiable personal information.
Send an electronic sample of the breach notification
Civil Code § 2924m: Residential Foreclosure Sales to Eligible Bidders - California law requires that for foreclosure sales of real property containing one to four residential units where the winning bidder is an eligible bidder, as defined in Civil Code § 2924m, the trustee or an authorized agent must electronically send information to the California Attorney General within 15 days of the sale being deemed final.
Send information required by Civil Code § 2924m
28 U.S.C. § 1715: Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) Defendants obligated to provide notice following the filing of a proposed class action settlement can send notice to:
Notice Regarding Bankruptcy: Debtor's Store Closing or Going-Out-of-Business Sales 11 USC § 101 et seq. - To give notice to the California Attorney General of a motion or other bankruptcy proceeding that seeks authority for a debtor's store closing or going-out-of-business sales, present service to:
Business & Professions Code § 16750.2 - Requires service of notice on the AG within 3 days, if a violation of B&P § 16700 et seq (Cartwright Act) is alleged or the application or construction of the chapter is in issue in any proceeding in the Supreme Court of California or a state court of appeal, by the person who commenced that proceeding.
Business & Professions Code § 17209 and 17536.5 - Requires the service of briefs and petitions on the Consumer Protection Section of the Attorney General's office in appellate matters involving the construction, application, or alleged violation of Business and Professions Code sections 17200 et seq. and 17500 et seq.
NOTE: Please serve only appellate briefs and petitions; please do not serve records, appendices or other filings.
Serve appellate briefs and petitions electronically (the preferred method).
Or serve by mail to:
Business & Professions Code § 17508 - District Attorneys and City Attorneys sending advertising substantiation requests must provide a copy of the request to the Attorney General before sending it to the subject of the request. The request should be sent to:
California Rules of Court 8.29(c) - Requires service on the AG when a statute's constitutionality is questioned and when suit is brought against, or on behalf of, the state or a county, or when a state officer is sued in his/her official capacity.
In January 2007, the California Rules of Court were reorganized and renumbered. The language of former rule 44.5 was renumbered as Rule 8.29.
Civil Code § 51.1 - Mandatory service on State Solicitor General of each party's brief or petition and brief in causes of action based on violation of specific civil rights statutes. This service is required in any proceeding in the California Supreme Court, a state court of appeal or the appellate division of a superior court (actions under the Unruh, Ralph or Bane Civil Rights Acts; an anti-boycott cause of action; an action for sexual harassment in business or professional relations; and a civil rights action by a district attorney).
Please note, the Office of the Attorney General accepts service of process Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Our Office is closed on weekends and regular State holidays.