Rule 12. Proof of Service in the Trial and Reviewing Courts; Effective Date of Service

Rule 12. Proof of Service in the Trial and Reviewing Courts; Effective Date of Service

(a) Filing. When service of a document is required, proof of service shall be filed with the

clerk.

(b) Manner of Proof. Service is proved:

(1) in the case of electronic service through the court electronic filing manager or an

approved electronic filing service provider, by an automated verification of electronic

service, specifying the time of transmission and e-mail address of each recipient;

(2) in the case of service by e-mail, by certification under section 1-109 of the Code of

Civil Procedure of the person who initiated the transmission, stating the date of transmission

and the e-mail address of each recipient;

(3) by written acknowledgment from the person served;

(4) in case of service by personal, office, or residential delivery, by certification under

section 1-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure of the person who made delivery, stating the

time and place of delivery;

(5) in case of service by mail or by delivery to a third-party commercial carrier, by

certification under section 1-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure of the person who deposited

the document in the mail or delivered the document to a third-party commercial carrier or

courier, stating the time and place of mailing or delivery, the complete address that appeared

on the envelope or package, and the fact that proper postage or the delivery charge was

prepaid; or

(6) in case of service by mail by a self-represented litigant residing in a correctional

facility, by certification under section 1-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure of the person

who deposited the document in the institutional mail, stating the time and place of deposit

and the complete address to which the document was to be delivered.

that proper postage or the delivery charge was

prepaid; or

(6) in case of service by mail by a self-represented litigant residing in a correctional

facility, by certification under section 1-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure of the person

who deposited the document in the institutional mail, stating the time and place of deposit

and the complete address to which the document was to be delivered.

(c) Effective Date of Service. Service by electronic means or by personal, office, or

residential delivery is complete on the day of transmission. Service by delivery to a third-party

commercial carrier or courier is complete on the third court day after delivery of the package to

the third-party carrier. Service by U.S. mail is complete four days after mailing.

Amended effective July 1, 1971, and July 1, 1975; amended October 30, 1992, effective November

15, 1992; amended December 29, 2009, effective immediately; amended Dec. 21, 2012, eff. Jan. 1,

2013; amended Jan. 4, 2013, eff. immediately; amended September 19, 2014, eff. immediately;

amended Dec. 9, 2015, eff. Jan. 1, 2016; amended Oct. 6, 2016, eff. Nov. 1, 2016; amended June 22,

2017, eff. July 1, 2017.

Committee Comments

(December 29, 2009)

The rules on service and filing have been revised to provide for sending documents via third-

party commercial carrier. Under these rules, the term “delivery” refers to all the carrier’s

standard pick-up methods, such as dropping a package in a UPS or FedEx box or with a UPS or

FedEx contractor.

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