Summons and complaints intended for the U.S. Department of State or its personnel may only be received and accepted by the Executive Office of the Office of the Legal Adviser. Subpoenas, court orders, and other demands or requests for official information or action may only be received and accepted by the Office of the Legal Adviser.

Following the instructions for process serving any summons or complaint is crucial. Any attempt at providing a Process Service that does not meet these criteria is deemed unsuccessful. As a result, the officer serving the plaintiff must either decline the Process Service or return the papers together with a note instructing the plaintiff to follow the Process Service guidelines.

Remember that the Department is not an authorized agent for serving Process Service with respect to civil actions against Department employees acting solely in their personal, non-official capacity, in the event of misdirected or misleading Process Service. However, papers like summons or complaints addressed to Department staff in connection with court proceedings resulting from the performance of official Duties May Be Turned Into The Office Of The Legal Advisor.