Bill > AB747

This bill, known as the Service of Process Accountability, Reform and Equity (SPARE) Act, introduces several significant changes to California's civil procedure laws regarding service of process, with most provisions becoming operative on January 1, 2027. The bill aims to address issues of improper, inadequate, or fraudulent service of legal documents by establishing more rigorous standards for process servers and providing enhanced protections for defendants. Key provisions include requiring county clerks to maintain publicly available registers of process servers, defining "reasonable diligence" in serving legal documents as making at least three good-faith attempts on different days and times, mandating that proof of service include photographs with GPS coordinates (when safely possible), and creating new mechanisms for defendants to challenge default judgments resulting from improper service. The bill also requires more detailed information in unlawful detainer complaints about the service of termination notices and shifts the burden of proving lawful service to the party seeking a default judgment. By implementing these reforms, the legislation seeks to ensure more transparent, accountable, and fair legal proceedings, particularly protecting defendants' constitutional right to be properly notified of legal actions against them.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB747