How to Fill Out and File the Connecticut Civil Summons (JD-CV-1)

To start a civil lawsuit in Connecticut Superior Court, you complete Form JD-CV-1 with the names and addresses of every party, a case type code, a return date, and the correct judicial district; hand the packet to a state marshal for service on the defendant; and then file the original summons, complaint, and marshal’s return with the clerk. The entry fee is $360 for most cases. Below is how to fill out and file the Connecticut civil summons (JD-CV-1) without tripping the deadlines that can kill a case before it begins.

When JD-CV-1 Is Not the Right Form

JD-CV-1 covers the bulk of civil actions filed in Superior Court, including contract disputes, personal injury claims, property matters, and foreclosures. It is not the form for family matters (divorce, custody, child support), prejudgment attachment, garnishment or replevy, name changes, probate or administrative appeals, arbitration proceedings, summary process (eviction), entry and detainer, or housing code enforcement. Each of those has its own dedicated form on the Judicial Branch website.¹

Filling In the Parties and Case Type

Type or print. Enter the full legal name and address of every plaintiff and defendant. For individuals, match the name to government-issued identification. For businesses, use the entity name on file with the Connecticut Secretary of the State; a misspelled corporate name can create grounds for dismissal. If you have more than two plaintiffs or more than four defendants, attach Form JD-CV-2 (Civil Summons Continuation of Parties) and include a copy with every copy of the summons.¹

Page two of the form lists case type codes organized by category: vehicular torts, non-vehicular torts, contract, administrative, property, and miscellaneous filings such as injunctions and declaratory judgments. Pick the code that most closely matches your claim. A motor vehicle accident falls under the “V” (vehicular torts) group, medical malpractice is T 28, and a foreclosure is P 00. Most categories include a catch-all option (like T 90 for miscellaneous non-vehicular torts) if nothing else fits. The right code gets your case on the correct docket.¹

One detail catches self-represented filers off guard. If you are not using a lawyer, the summons must be signed by a clerk of the court before you can have it served. Plan a trip to the courthouse for that signature before you hand anything to a marshal.¹

Choosing a Return Date

The return date is not a court appearance. It is the procedural anchor that every deadline in the case runs off of. Under Connecticut General Statutes Section 52-48, the return date for a civil action must fall on a Tuesday and cannot be more than two months after the date printed on the process.²

Working backward from that Tuesday:

The marshal must serve the defendant at least 12 days before the return date.³
The original summons, complaint, and marshal’s return must reach the clerk no later than the Wednesday that is six days before the return date.⁴

Miss either deadline and the case can be voided. Pick a return date far enough out to give the marshal time to find and serve the defendant, and to leave a cushion for filing afterward.⁵

Selecting the Judicial District

Connecticut has thirteen judicial districts, and the wrong one gives the defendant an easy basis to challenge venue. The general rule under Section 51-345: if either you or the defendant lives in Connecticut, you can file in the district where either of you resides. If neither party lives in Connecticut, venue goes to the district where the injury occurred, the transaction took place, or the property is located.⁶

Some border towns give residents a choice between two districts. A Manchester resident, for example, can file in either Hartford or Tolland; other paired towns are listed in Section 51-345.⁶ If you are unsure which district covers your town, the Judicial Branch publishes a lookup by town name.⁷

Getting the Papers Served

You cannot hand the papers to the defendant yourself. Connecticut requires a state marshal, constable, or other proper officer to deliver the summons and an attached copy of the complaint.

Serving an Individual

Under Section 52-57, the marshal serves an individual by leaving a true and attested copy of the summons and complaint either directly with the defendant or at the defendant’s usual place of abode in Connecticut. “Usual place of abode” means where the person actually lives, not a vacation home or a former address.⁸

Serving a Business

Corporate service goes to the company’s registered agent on file with the Secretary of the State. If the registered agent is an individual, the marshal can leave the copy at that agent’s usual place of abode. When a corporation has no registered agent, or the agent cannot be found with reasonable effort, service goes by certified mail to the corporate secretary at the company’s principal office.⁹

Marshal Fees

State marshals charge set minimum fees for civil process on private clients: $40 for the first defendant, $40 for each additional defendant at a different address, and $20 for each additional defendant at the same address. The marshal may also charge $1 per page to verify true and accurate copies, capped at $900.¹⁰ These fees are on top of the court’s entry fee.

Service must be completed at least 12 days before the return date.³ After delivery, the marshal prepares a sworn return of service showing the date, time, and method. You need that return to file with the clerk.

Filing With the Clerk

Once the marshal hands back the original summons and signed return, assemble the filing packet: the original summons, the complaint, and the marshal’s return. File that packet with the clerk of the Superior Court in your chosen judicial district no later than six days before the return date.⁴ Miss that Wednesday cutoff and the case may never make it onto the docket.

The standard entry fee is $360. Two reduced rates apply: $230 if your only claim is for damages and the amount in dispute is less than $2,500, and $175 for summary process and landlord-tenant actions (which use a different summons form).¹¹

Both attorneys and self-represented parties can enroll in the Judicial Branch’s E-Services portal at eservices.jud.ct.gov to file electronically and pay the entry fee without a courthouse trip.¹² The clerk still has to sign the summons before service if you are self-represented, so coordinate that step even if you plan to e-file the packet later.

If You Cannot Afford the Fees

File Form JD-CV-120 (Application for Waiver of Fees/Payment of Costs) with your case. The form asks for monthly income, expenses, assets, and debts. Connecticut does not use a fixed income cutoff; a judge reviews your finances and decides whether you qualify as indigent.¹³

Sign the application under oath in front of a clerk, notary, or attorney, then bring it to the court where your case will be filed. A waiver can cover the filing fee, the entry fee, the cost of service, and even the cost of a transcript for appeal. If the application is denied, page two includes a section to request a hearing on the denial.¹³

After the Papers Are Filed

Once the clerk accepts your packet and fee, the court assigns a docket number and the case is open. The defendant has until two days after the return date to file an Appearance form (JD-CL-12).¹⁴ That filing tells the court the defendant knows about the case, plans to participate, and accepts the court’s authority going forward.

If no appearance is filed by that deadline, you can move for a default judgment. A default treats the defendant as having forfeited the right to contest your claims by ignoring the lawsuit, and the court can enter judgment in your favor without a trial on the merits. Accurate service is what makes this possible: if the marshal’s return shows proper delivery and the defendant still does not respond, the court has what it needs to proceed.

Protecting the Statute of Limitations

A civil action in Connecticut is considered “brought” on the date the defendant is served, not the date you file. If you are running up against a limitation period, Section 52-593a provides a safety valve. As long as you personally deliver the process to a state marshal or constable before the limitation period expires, and the marshal completes service within 30 days of that delivery, you do not lose the claim.¹⁵ The marshal has to endorse the delivery date under oath on the return of service. If the deadline is close, get the papers to the marshal with days to spare, not hours.

1
Connecticut Judicial Branch. Connecticut Civil Summons Form
2
Justia. Connecticut Code 52-48 – Return Day of Process
3
Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 896 – Civil Process, Service and Time for Return
4
Justia. Connecticut Code 52-46a – Return of Process
5
Connecticut Judicial Branch. Choosing a Return Day
6
Justia. Connecticut Code 51-345 – Venue
7
Justia. Connecticut Code 51-344 – Judicial Districts Established
8
Justia. Connecticut Code 52-57 – Service of Process on Individuals
9
Justia. Connecticut Code 33-663 – Service of Process on Corporations
10
State of Connecticut State Marshal Commission Manual. Section 4 – Civil Process
11
Justia. Connecticut Code 52-259 – Court Fees
12
Connecticut Judicial Branch. E-Services – Connecticut Judicial Branch
13
Connecticut Judicial Branch. Application for Waiver of Fees/Payment of Costs
14
Connecticut Judicial Branch. Filling Out and Filing an Appearance Form
15
Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 926 – Statute of Limitations