How to Complete California Form POS-015: Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt

To fill out California Form POS-015, the Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt (Civil), a non-party sender completes the top notice section with the court, case, and party information, identifies the person being served and the documents enclosed, signs and dates the notice, and then mails two copies of the form to the recipient along with the summons, complaint, and a prepaid return envelope. The recipient completes the bottom Acknowledgment of Receipt section and mails one signed copy back. Service counts only if the recipient signs and returns it, and the form is authorized under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 415.30.¹

What To Gather Before You Start

Pull these together before you open the form:

The court-stamped summons and complaint you plan to serve.
The full name of the Superior Court, the county and branch, and the court’s street and mailing addresses.
The case number the clerk assigned when the complaint was filed.
The last known mailing address of the person or entity you’re serving.
Someone to act as the sender who is not a party to the case. The plaintiff or petitioner cannot sign and mail the form. An attorney of record, a paralegal, or any adult not named in the lawsuit can do it.²
Two copies of Form POS-015. The statute requires two to go in the mailing.¹
A return envelope addressed to the sender with postage already paid.

Download the current version of the form from the California Courts self-help site.³

Filling Out the Sender’s Section

The sender completes the top half of the form. Work through the fields in order.

In the top-left header, enter contact information for whoever is handling the mailing. If an attorney is sending it, that means the attorney’s name, State Bar number, firm name, street address, phone, fax, and email. If a non-attorney is sending it, put that person’s name and contact details in the same block.²

In the court caption, fill in the Superior Court of California, the county, the branch name, and the court’s addresses. Enter the plaintiff/petitioner and defendant/respondent names exactly as they appear on the filed complaint. Enter the case number. Verify it against the filed complaint. A wrong case number can cause the clerk to reject the filing later.

On the “TO” line, type the name of the specific person or entity being served. If you’re serving an entity, name the entity here; the person authorized to accept service will sign for it below.

Enter the date of mailing. Use the date you’ll actually deposit the package at the post office, not the date you’re filling out the form.

Under documents served, check box 1 if you’re serving a copy of the summons and complaint. Check box 2 and describe each additional document if you’re including anything else in the package.

The sender signs at the bottom of the notice section. Again, this signer must not be a party to the case.²

Leave the Acknowledgment of Receipt section at the bottom blank. That half belongs to the recipient.

What To Include in the Mailing

Every item below has to be in the envelope, or the service attempt won’t hold up:

A copy of the summons.
A copy of the complaint.
Two completed copies of Form POS-015.
A return envelope, pre-addressed to the sender, with postage prepaid.

Send everything by first-class mail or airmail with prepaid postage to the recipient’s address.¹ Note the exact date you deposit the package with the U.S. Postal Service, and keep the postal receipt. That date starts the 20-day clock on the recipient’s obligation to return the signed form.

What the Recipient Fills Out

The recipient receives both copies of the form and completes the Acknowledgment of Receipt section on one of them. Three entries are required: the date the documents were received, the recipient’s signature, and the recipient’s printed name.² If the recipient is accepting service for a corporation, partnership, or other entity, the signature goes in the entity’s name and the signer includes their title.¹

The recipient mails the signed copy back to the sender in the prepaid envelope and keeps the second copy. The form itself puts the recipient on notice that failing to return the signed acknowledgment within 20 days of the mailing date can make them liable for the cost of personal service.

When Service Is Complete

Service is legally complete on the date the recipient signs the acknowledgment. Not the date you mailed the package. Not the date the signed form arrives back in your mailbox.¹ The recipient’s response deadline in the lawsuit (typically 30 days to answer a complaint) runs from the date they wrote next to their signature, so read it carefully when the form comes back.

Filing the Signed Form With the Court

Take the returned, signed POS-015 to the court clerk for filing. It goes into the case file as proof that the defendant or respondent was properly notified. Ask the clerk to stamp a copy for your own records before you leave. If anyone later questions whether service was valid, that stamped copy is your evidence.

Do not use Form POS-030 (Proof of Service by First-Class Mail) for summons service; its instructions direct you to Form POS-010 for summons-related proof of service.⁴ With the acknowledgment method, the signed POS-015 is itself the proof of service.

If the Recipient Doesn’t Sign

If the recipient ignores or refuses to return the form within 20 days of the mailing date, the service attempt fails. You’ll need another method: personal delivery by a process server, substituted service, or service by publication, depending on your situation.

The person who failed to return the acknowledgment becomes liable for the reasonable expenses of completing service another way. On motion, with or without notice, the court is required to award those expenses unless the recipient shows good cause for not returning the form. This right to recover costs applies regardless of who wins the underlying case.¹ Recoverable expenses include the cost of a process server or service by publication. The statute says “reasonable expenses,” not attorney fees.

When Not To Use This Form

This method is voluntary, and it depends entirely on the recipient’s cooperation. If you have reason to think the other side will ignore the mailing or refuse to sign, arrange personal service from the start rather than spending 20 days waiting.

The right person also has to sign. An individual signs personally, or someone they’ve authorized to accept service signs for them. For a corporation or other entity, the signer must be authorized to receive service of process on the organization’s behalf.¹ A signature from a receptionist or other person without authority may not survive a challenge to service.

1
California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 415.30
2
Judicial Council of California. Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt — Civil
3
California Courts | Self Help Guide. Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt—Civil (POS-015)
4
Judicial Council of California. Proof of Service by First-Class Mail—Civil