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​​Service of Pro​​cess

DHCS Guidelines for Subpoenas, Summons and Complaints

Online Subpoena Center GovQA

Effective June 1, 2022, the Department of Health Care Services (the Department) will receive service of process requests online using the Subpoena Center/GovQA portal. Requestors can access the Subpoena Center​ to submit a request.

A valid email address is required when creating a customer account. The Department will send response emails via the Subpoena Center to the requestor, including a link to the portal where the Department will upload responsive documents for review and retrieval.

​The following items are required to properly serve subpoenas to the Department:

  1. All state court subpoenas require a check for $15.00 made out to the Department of Health Care Services. The Subpoena Center portal will not have a method of processing payments. After entering your service request in the GovQA platform, checks for processing your service (with the associated GovQA reference number in the memo line) should still be mailed to the Department as normal. Your requests will be processed as soon as the payment is received. Please mail the original check with the associated Subpoena Center/GovQA reference number in the memo line to the Department at Department of Health Care Services, Office of Legal Services, Subpoena Desk, P.O. Box 997413, MS 0010, Sacramento, CA 95899-7413. If payment is not received within (five) 5 business days, service will be rejected.
  2. State court subpoenas require a Notice to Consumer with a date no sooner than ten (10) days from the date of service, or an Authorization to Release Records.
  3. State court subpoenas for personal attendance of custodian of records require a check for $275.00 made out to the Department of Health Care Services.
  4. All subpoenas must have a Date of Birth, complete Social Security Number, or CIN (13 or 14 digit number with a letter in the middle; or first nine digits).
  5. Federal court subpoenas do not require a check.
  6. Authorization to Release Records must include:
    1. Copy of current, legible photo.
    2. If representative, evidence of the representative relationship (e.g. appointment of guardian ad litem or birth certificate).
Legal documents received without the information outlined in this notice will be returned to the requestor.  

Access secondary Service of Process methods on the Secondary Service page.​

Last modified date: 7/25/2022 3:10 PM