How much does a process server cost in Miami?

The short answer

In Miami-Dade a routine serve on one person at one address runs $60 to $100 depending on how fast you need it. At Agera Legal Services the prices are flat: $60 standard (first attempt within three business days), $80 rush (first attempt within 24 hours) and $100 same day. Eviction notices are $85, a court filing run is $65 and mobile notary is $10 per signature. Every serve includes up to four attempts and the notarized affidavit of service.

What should be included in the price

• Multiple attempts. A single attempt is not service. Expect at least three or four at different times of day, including an evening and a weekend, before a job is closed as non-service.
• The affidavit. The notarized affidavit or return of service is the document the court needs. It should never be an add-on.
• Proof. GPS coordinates, time stamps and photos on every attempt. If a defendant later claims they were never served, that record is what protects your case.
• Status updates. You should not have to call to find out what happened. Our clients watch each attempt appear in the client portal.

Extras to ask about before you order

• Second address. If the person is not at the first address and you supply another, most servers charge a new fee. Ours is $35 for an additional address attempt on the same job.
• Skip tracing. Locating a current address when yours is bad. Priced per search; ask before ordering.
• Mileage. Some companies add mileage for Homestead, the Redland or Miami Beach. We do not; all twelve of our service areas are the same flat rate.
• Waiting time and stakeouts. Sitting on an address for an evasive defendant is billed hourly, $80 per hour with us, and only with your approval.

Standard, rush or same day?

Standard is right for most civil matters with weeks before a deadline. Rush is for a hearing next week or a deadline under ten days. Same day is for the papers that must be served today: an injunction, a subpoena for tomorrow's deposition, an eviction where every day is rent lost. In our system same-day and rush jobs go to the top of the field server's list with a first-attempt clock, so the priority is real, not just a label.

Why the cheapest serve is often the most expensive

A $40 serve that makes one attempt, produces a vague affidavit and gets challenged costs you a continuance, a re-serve and weeks. Service of process is the foundation of the case. Pay for the attempts, the proof and the affidavit, and you pay once.

More guides

• How to choose a process server in Miami-Dade: a 9-point checklist
• How to serve someone who is avoiding service in Miami-Dade
• Serving eviction notices in Miami-Dade: 3-day, 7-day and posting rules
• What an affidavit of service is and how it is filed in Miami-Dade