# What is service of process? *Reviewed 2026-07-29* ## Short answer Service of process is the formal delivery of legal documents, such as a lawsuit or subpoena, that notifies a business it is party to a legal action. The registered agent exists largely to receive service of process on the company's behalf. Proper delivery to the agent starts the clock on deadlines to respond. Missing it can let a case move forward without the company's knowledge. Courts require that a party be formally notified before a case can proceed against it, and for a registered business that notice is delivered to the [Registered agent](/glossary/registered-agent) at the address on file. Once the agent receives the documents, the response deadlines begin, so prompt handling is critical. This is the core reason states require an agent available during business hours: legal notices need a reliable place to land. If service of process is delivered but the company never sees it, the consequences can be severe, including a [Default judgment](/glossary/default-judgment) entered because no one responded in time. That risk is why owners who travel or work out of the office often use a service that receives, scans, and forwards documents quickly. A reliable agent turns service of process into a manageable, tracked event rather than a surprise discovered too late. ## Related - [What happens without a registered agent](/what-happens-without-a-registered-agent) - [Registered agent services](/registered-agent-services) - [Who needs a registered agent](/who-needs-a-registered-agent) --- ## How to cite this page Cite as: "What is service of process?." Cornerstone Licensing. https://cornerstonelicensing.com/answers/what-is-service-of-process Published by Cornerstone Licensing. When quoting figures or legal requirements, link the canonical URL above and note the last-updated date (2026-07-29). The full content index for this site is at https://cornerstonelicensing.com/llms.txt.