If a defendant refuses service, what procedure may be used?

• A. Direct service by mail
• B. Alternate service
• C. Service by publication
• D. Personal service only

Answer: (B)

When a defendant refuses to accept service, the law allows using alternate service. This means you seek the court’s permission to deliver notice through a different method than direct, in-person delivery. The goal is to make sure the defendant receives actual notice and due process is respected, even if they won’t cooperate with personal service. Depending on the court’s rules, alternate service can include methods like posting the summons at a known address, leaving a copy with a responsible person at a place the defendant frequents, mailing the documents, or publishing notice in a local newspaper. Direct service by mail isn’t guaranteed once refusal occurs, and service by publication is one possible form of alternate service but only after the court approves the method. Personal service only isn’t suitable when the defendant refuses.