When a subject cannot be located for personal service of process, the plaintiff or their process server must typically demonstrate to the court that they made diligent efforts to locate and serve the individual, often called due diligence. If personal service repeatedly fails, the party may petition the court for alternative service (also called substituted service), which can include leaving documents with a competent adult at the subject’s residence, mailing the summons via certified mail, posting notice at the subject’s last known address, or in some cases publishing a notice by publication in a local newspaper. Courts generally require an affidavit of due diligence or affidavit of attempted service detailing the specific attempts, dates, times, and methods used before approving alternative methods. If a defendant is actively evading service, this is known as evasion of service, and courts may grant more flexible service methods once evasion is shown. Ultimately, if service cannot be perfected through any authorized method, the case may face dismissal without prejudice, or a default judgment may be barred until proper jurisdiction over the person is established through valid service.

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