Legal Aid of North Carolina

The words "service" or "serving" are legal terms that mean delivering the court papers to the Defendant. You CANNOT hand deliver the papers. You must serve the Defendant as required by North Carolina law and have legal proof that the Complaint and Civil Summons were delivered to the Defendant.

Ways to serve the court papers on the Defendant include: By Sheriff: The easiest method is to have the Sheriff in the county where the Defendant lives or works serve the Defendant for you.