Amended Pa.R.Civ.P. 1930.4 Allows for Service of Original Process by Commercial Carrier

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania recently adopted changes to Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1930.4. Service of Original Process in Domestic Relations Matters. Proposed amendments were originally published for public comment in March 2021 (see 51 Pa.B. 1131) in response to changes in the United States Postal Service policy for the delivery of certified mail. The amended rule was adopted on June 9, 2022 and went into effect on October 1, 2022 (see 52 Pa.B. 3579). 

According to the Domestic Relations Procedural Rules Committee’s Adoption Report, the newly amended rule reorganizes the text into an outline format, addresses the USPS’s policy change, incorporates a revision to maintain consistency with Pa.R.Civ.P. 401(b)(2), and – perhaps most notably – authorizes “a party to utilize commercial carriers, such as UPS and FedEx, to effectuate original process service.” Noting that commercial carriers utilize tracking services, the report explains that this new allowance is “intended to provide a contemporary, effective, and convenient form of service.” 

Following the amendment of Pa.R.Civ.P. 1930.4, the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania posted a fillable Form 3b.1 Affidavit of Service by Commercial Carrier on its Forms webpage (currently listed under Court Common Pleas Family Court - Domestic Relations > Divorce) for use in accordance with the rule.