What eviction process serving is
Filing starts nothing until the tenant is served. The response clock runs from service, not from the day you paid the filing fee. This is where cases stall most often.
Key facts
- Lifecycle stage: Service.
- EvictIQ field operations: Georgia (metro Atlanta). We do not operate field crews in every state.
- Exact claims only: 10,000+ completed evictions; 72-hour service of tenant after filing on average (Georgia service).
- Not a law firm. Not legal advice. No date guarantees. No price list on this page.
What this service is
Courts do not start the tenant’s answer period when you file. They start it when service is completed under that state’s rules — personal service, substituted service, posting, or publication, depending on what the statute allows after failed attempts.
A real service operation logs attempts (time, date, location), returns an affidavit to the court, and has a path when the tenant is evading. A mailbox drop or a text is not service.
In Georgia, EvictIQ’s published operational figure is 72-hour service of tenant after filing on average. That is a Georgia field number, not a nationwide promise.
When this step is needed
You need process serving after the court issues the summons. Until the tenant is served under that state’s rules, the case does not move — no matter how long ago you filed.
You also need it when a first attempt failed or the tenant is evading. Defective service resets the clock. A mailbox drop or a text is not service.
How the process usually works
- Wait for the court to issue the papers that must be served.
- Use someone authorized in that county — often not a party to the case.
- Log each attempt with time, date, and location.
- Complete personal, substituted, or later-allowed methods as the statute requires.
- Return the affidavit of service to the court so the answer period can run.
Courts and executing offices set their own calendars. These are operational steps, not a guaranteed timeline.
What this step usually covers
- Attempts that begin once the court issues the summons
- Attempt logs with time, date, and location
- Affidavit of service returned to the court and to the owner
- An escalation path when a tenant is evading service
- Clear reporting when service cannot be completed on the first methods
These are the jobs the step exists to do. They are not a nationwide menu EvictIQ staffs in every county.
What you must verify locally
- Who is authorized to serve in that county (sheriff, constable, private server)
- What methods count after failed personal attempts
- How the affidavit must be filed and by when
- Whether your court will reset the clock if service is defective
We do not publish a stale per-state timetable. Statutes change.
What this does not include
- Legal advice, courtroom representation, or an attorney-client relationship
- A guaranteed hearing date, writ date, or setout date — courts and executing offices set their own calendars
- Self-help lockouts, utility shutoffs, or removal of belongings outside a court-issued writ
- A published price. Scope and price are written after intake, before work starts
Georgia we can handle. Elsewhere we route.
If the property is in Georgia, EvictIQ can take this step end to end. If it isn't, we'll tell you what to look for in a local attorney or service — we do not operate field crews in every state.
Related services
All eviction services — the full catalog, grouped by category on the hub.
Eviction Filing Assistance
Preparing and filing the possession case in the court that covers the property.
Eviction Hearing Coordination
Tracking the date, assembling the file, and making sure the right person appears.
Court Filing Coordination
Volume filings run as one queue instead of a pile of separate matters.
Common questions
When does the eviction clock start?
The response clock usually runs from service, not from filing. That is why service is the step most likely to stall a case.
Can I serve the tenant myself?
Many states do not allow a party to the case to serve the papers. Confirm who is authorized where the property sits. Do not invent a method the court will reject.
Does EvictIQ serve tenants in every state?
No. EvictIQ field work is Georgia (metro Atlanta). The 72-hour service of tenant after filing on average figure is a Georgia operational observation, not a national guarantee. Outside Georgia, find a local server who knows that county’s rules.
Need help with this step?
Tell us where the property is and where the case stands. Georgia we handle; elsewhere we route.
- A coordinator reviews it, usually the same business day
- You get a written scope and price before anything is filed
- Georgia Process Serving
We'll tell you so rather than take the lead. What to look for locally: a provider who knows which office executes writs in your county, who gives you cycle-time variance rather than an average, and who refuses to guarantee a completion date.
Working a real case?
Georgia we handle end to end. Anywhere else, we'll tell you what to look for in a local provider.