Service of Process in Lehigh County (Allentown, PA)
Civil and domestic litigation in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania falls under the jurisdiction of the 31st Judicial District, seated at the Lehigh County Courthouse, 455 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101 in Allentown. Serving a population of approximately 377,000 across urban, suburban, and rural corridors along I-78, I-476 (NE Extension), US-22, US-222, PA-309, PA-100, private process servers execute personal hand delivery under Pa.R.C.P. Rule 402(a)(1), adult household member substituted delivery at the residence under Rule 402(a)(2)(i), and corporate officer or registered office intake under Rule 424 and 15 Pa.C.S. § 109.
Within Lehigh County, private process servers hold statutory authority to serve all witness and document subpoenas (Rule 234.2), domestic relations petitions (Rule 1930.4), injunction and partition suits (Rule 400(b)), pre-suit eviction notices (68 P.S. § 250.501), federal court pleadings (FRCP Rule 4(c)(2)), out-of-state writs (Rule 404), and Philadelphia-commenced lawsuits (Rule 400.1(a)(1)). For Common Pleas actions governed by Rule 400(a), runners handle Prothonotary filing and Rule 430(a) diligent search affidavits in Allentown.
Process Server Cost in Lehigh County
- Thirty-Day Writ Lifespan (
Pa.R.C.P. Rule 401): A Writ of Summons or Complaint must be served within thirty days of filing or reissued via Praecipe to Reinstate under Rule 401(b). Flat rates across Lehigh County are $69 Standard (3–5 business days), $119 Priority Rush (24 hours), and $169 Same-Day Emergency, with zero per-mile surcharges compared to County Sheriff deposits under 42 P.S. § 21101. - Subpoena & UIDDA Discovery (
Pa.R.C.P. 234.2&42 Pa.C.S. § 5335): Subpoenas compelling testimony require simultaneous payment of $5.00 per day plus $0.07 per circular mile (42 Pa.C.S. § 5903). Subpoenas duces tecum for hospital charts or business records under Rule 4009.22 must include the signed Rule 4009.25 Certificate Prerequisite after the twenty-day objection period (Rule 4009.21). Out-of-state subpoenas are domesticated directly at the Lehigh County Prothonotary’s Office in Allentown. - Family Court (
Rule 1930.4) & Eviction Notices (68 P.S. § 250.501): Private servers deliver divorce, custody, and support pleadings statewide and execute personal or posted service of 10-day nonpayment and 15/30-day lease termination Notices to Quit prior to Magisterial District Court filings. Every return conforms to Pa.R.C.P. Rule 405 and 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904.
Cities We Cover in Lehigh County
Service covers all boroughs, townships, and census-designated places across Lehigh County: Allentown (City (Third Class — County Seat)), Emmaus (Borough), Macungie (Borough & Lower/Upper Macungie Twps), Whitehall (First Class Township), Bethlehem (West), Whitehall Township, Catasauqua, Slatington, Coopersburg, Upper Macungie, Lower Macungie.