Process Server Review Board Education Curriculum Guidelines
In accordance to Section 7 of the Supreme Court’s Misc Docket number 05-9122:
A civil process service course that meets the following requirements, similar to the courses approved in
paragraph 6, may apply to the Board for approval by the Supreme Court.
For the course to recommended for approval the following, at a minimum:
I. A minimum of 7 hours of monitored instruction definition of relevant terms instruction on applicable laws
including the historical development of the law, with emphasis on practical training of proper service and return
of service and instruction of but not limited to:
Rules governing service and return:
1.1 TCRP 1, Objective Rules
1.2 6: No service on Sunday
1.3 15,
1.4 16, Endorsement of process,
1.5 103, Who may serve
1.6 105, Duty of officer or person receiving
1.7 106, Alternate methods of service
1.8 106b,
1.9 107, Return of service using completion and evaluation of sample returns depicting both correct and
incorrect returns of service
1.10 108, Defendant without state
1.11 108a, service in a foreign country
1.12 109, citation by publication
1.13 109a, other substituted service
1.14 116,
1.15 118, Amending returns
II. Justice Court Rules
2.1 536, Who may serve and method of service
2.2 536a, Duty of officer or person receiving and return of service
III. Articles of the Texas business Corporation Act:
3.1 2.11, Service of Process on Corporation
3.2 8.10, Service of Process on Foreign Corporation
IV. Civil Practices and Remedies Code
4.1 17.021, Service on Certain Non-Corporate Business Agents
4.2 17.022, Service on Partnership
4.3 17.024, Service on Political Subdivision
4.4 17.026, Service on Secretary of State
4.5 17.062, Substituted Service on Chairman of Texas Transportation Commission
4.6 22.001, Witness Fees
4.7 22.002, Distance for Subpoenas
4.8 22.003, Fees for Witnesses Summoned by a State Agency
4.9 22.004, Fee for Production or Certification of Documents
V. Rules regarding subpoenas:
5.1 176, Subpoenas
5.2 176.1, Form
5.3 176.2, Required Actions
5.4 176.3, Limitations
5.5 176.4, Who May Issue
5.6 176.5, Service
5.7 176.6, Response
5.8 176.7, Protection of Person from Undue Burden and Expense
5.9 176.8, Enforcement of Subpoena
VI. Instruction on a process server’s exposure to criminal liability:
VII. Instruction on unique issues involving family law cases;
7.1 Texas Family Code Chapter 82, Subchapter A., Application for a Protective Order
7.2 Texas Family Code Chapter 83, Temporary Ex Parte Orders
7.3 Texas Family Code 85.041, Delivery to Respondent
VIII. Basic competence testing upon completion of the course.
IX. The course curriculum and competence test shall be delivered to the PSRB along with the applicable
answers in written format for review and recommendation to the Supreme Court for approval.
X. It will also be required that all courses offered shall give instruction on the Code of Professional Conduct
for Private Process Servers, as approved by the Supreme Court.
XI. The methods and instruction for filing complaint against any private process server and the location for
which such complaint forms may be found.
XII. The location and content of the Process Servers Review Board website.
XIII. The location of and instruction on completion of the Supreme Court of Texas Private Process Server
Application.
XIV. The identification of the applicant or student of continuing education shall be verified both upon
attendance and testing by examination of state photo identification.
ANALYSIS:
The guidelines for training and continuing education are already spelled out in the Supreme Court's
order. Any new courses only need to be like the ones that are already approved. The PSRB is
second guessing what the Supreme Court has already decided is adequate. The above was created
to support the PSRB's recommendation for yearly training.