Served 123 LLC domesticates and serves out-of-state subpoenas across all 58 California counties under the Interstate and International Depositions and Discovery Act (Code Civ. Proc. §§ 2029.100–900). We obtain the California subpoena — through the clerk on Judicial Council form SUBP-030 or through California counsel — and serve it personally under section 1985.
California has no fixed objection clock — a challenge is a petition to quash (§ 2029.600). What actually derails a subpoena here is defective personal service (§ 1985), a missed consumer notice (§ 1985.3), or a request barred by § 2029.300(e). We screen and handle all three.
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To domesticate a subpoena in California, you have two routes under the Interstate and International Depositions and Discovery Act (Code Civ. Proc. §§ 2029.100–900). Submit your foreign subpoena with a Judicial Council SUBP-030 application and the filing fee to the clerk of the superior court in the county where discovery is sought, and the clerk promptly issues a California subpoena — or have a retained California attorney issue it directly under § 2029.350. No reciprocity is required; the issued subpoena is then personally served under § 1985.
California adopted the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act as a statute — the Interstate and International Depositions and Discovery Act, Code of Civil Procedure §§ 2029.100–2029.900 (enacted by Stats. 2008, ch. 231; the domestication provisions operative January 1, 2010). Section 2029.700 calls it the “California version of the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act.” It lets an out-of-state litigant obtain an enforceable California subpoena for depositions, testimony, records, and premises inspection — without a motion or a hearing.
California is one of the few states with two issuance routes. Under § 2029.300, you submit your foreign subpoena to the clerk of the superior court in the county where discovery is sought, together with a Judicial Council application (Form SUBP-030) and the filing fee, and the clerk promptly issues a matching California subpoena. Alternatively, under § 2029.350, a California-licensed attorney retained in the matter who receives the foreign subpoena may issue the California subpoena directly. Either way the request is not an appearance, and Served 123 LLC manages every step across all 58 counties.
From intake to proof of service — exactly what happens on every California order.
Use the order form above or email info@served123.com. Include the originating state (or country), the California county where discovery is sought, and your subpoena as a PDF. We confirm the matter qualifies under §§ 2029.100–900 — including the § 2029.300(e) limits — at intake.
We prepare the mandatory Judicial Council forms — the SUBP-030 application plus the right subpoena (SUBP-035 business records, SUBP-040 personal appearance, or SUBP-045 appearance with documents) — incorporating your foreign subpoena’s terms and carrying all counsel information, the out-of-state caption, and the case number, exactly as § 2029.300(d) requires.
We obtain the issued California subpoena one of two ways: through the clerk of the superior court in the correct county on the SUBP-030 application with the § 70626 filing fee (the request is not an appearance), or — where you prefer — through retained California counsel issuing it directly under § 2029.350. Court costs are advanced and included.
Our authorized representative retrieves the issued California subpoena in person, confirms it is enforceable, and sends you a copy. No court appearance is required.
We dispatch through our California process-server network for personal service under § 1985 (§ 2029.400), with up to three diligent attempts per address. Witness fees — $35 per day plus $0.20 per mile for a personal appearance, or $15 for business records — are tendered as required and quoted in advance. For a person’s records, we serve the required consumer notice (§ 1985.3).
You receive a signed, court-ready proof of service confirming completion in full compliance with California law — ready for immediate filing in your home-state case.
Most states have a single path to a domesticated subpoena. California has two — and the right one depends on whether you want a clerk-issued subpoena or a California attorney to issue it directly. We handle either, and screen every request against the state's issuance limits first.
Submit your foreign subpoena, a Judicial Council SUBP-030 application, and the § 70626 fee to the clerk of the superior court in the discovery county. The clerk promptly issues a matching California subpoena. The request is not an appearance, and no California attorney is required.
Clerk issues → 1–3 daysHave a retained attorney who is an active member of the California State Bar issue the subpoena directly on receiving your foreign subpoena — no clerk filing. Useful when you already have California counsel or need the subpoena in hand the same day.
Attorney issues → same dayA recent shield provision bars the clerk from issuing a subpoena that is based on another state's law targeting gender-affirming health care, or that seeks sensitive-services information in a foreign penal civil action. It is a California-specific guardrail most vendors don't screen for — we check every request against § 2029.300(e) before filing, so nothing bounces at the counter.
Before 2010, getting California discovery for an out-of-state case meant a commission and a noticed motion. The IIDDA replaced that with a clerk filing — or a California attorney's signature.
The complete Code of Civil Procedure framework that governs domesticating and serving an out-of-state subpoena in California — the authority we work from on every order.
| Authority | Subject | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| § 2029.100 | The Act | Names the Interstate and International Depositions and Discovery Act |
| § 2029.200 | Definitions | Defines foreign subpoena and 'State' (includes a federally recognized Indian tribe); 'foreign jurisdiction' includes a foreign nation; a subpoena covers testimony, records, and premises inspection |
| § 2029.300 | Clerk issuance | Submit the foreign subpoena + Form SUBP-030 + the § 70626 fee to the superior court clerk in the discovery county; the clerk promptly issues; the request is not an appearance |
| § 2029.300(e) | Shield carve-out | No subpoena issues where it targets gender-affirming care, or seeks sensitive-services data in a foreign penal civil action (SB 497, 2025) |
| § 2029.350 | Attorney issuance | A retained, active California State Bar attorney who receives the foreign subpoena may issue the California subpoena directly |
| § 2029.300(d) | Subpoena contents | Incorporates foreign terms; carries all counsel info; bears the out-of-state caption and case number; names the issuing court; on a Judicial Council form |
| § 2029.390 | Official forms | Judicial Council forms SUBP-030 (application) and SUBP-035 / 040 / 045 (subpoenas), effective January 1, 2010 |
| § 2029.400 | Service | The issued subpoena is personally served in compliance with California law, including § 1985 |
| § 2029.500 | Applicable law | California's Civil Discovery Act and subpoena law (Titles 3 and 4) govern compliance, costs, and sanctions |
| § 2029.600 | Disputes | Protective orders and requests to quash, modify, or enforce are filed as a petition in the discovery county's superior court |
| § 2029.650 | Review | A ruling on a petition is reviewable only by extraordinary writ to the court of appeal; no order under the article is appealable |
| §§ 2029.700, 2029.900 | Uniform act & operative date | Together the 'California version of the UIDDA'; the domestication provisions are operative January 1, 2010 (enacted Stats. 2008, ch. 231) |
Statutory text verified against the California Code of Civil Procedure, including the 2025 SB 497 amendment to § 2029.300(e), at the time of writing. Witness fees: $35 per day plus $0.20 per mile for a personal appearance (Gov. Code § 68093); $15 for business records (Evid. Code § 1563). California statutes may be amended; we confirm current law on every order.
A clerk's refusal to issue or a petition to quash can cost weeks and blow your discovery window. These are the California-specific errors we screen out before anything is filed.
Filed in the wrong one of California's 58 counties. We file with the superior court clerk where discovery is sought.
The application and subpoena must be on the mandatory forms (SUBP-030 plus SUBP-035/040/045) and incorporate the foreign subpoena's terms. We prepare the right forms.
Subpoenas for a person's records trigger consumer-notice requirements under § 1985.3. Skipping them makes the subpoena defective. We serve the required notice.
California requires personal service under § 1985 (§ 2029.400) — not mail or sub-service. We serve personally.
Personal-appearance subpoenas require the $35-per-day and $0.20-per-mile fee; business-records subpoenas require the $15 fee. We tender them.
Under § 2029.300(e), California won't issue a subpoena that targets gender-affirming care or seeks sensitive-services data in a foreign penal action. We screen for it before filing.
End-to-end handling — no gaps, no hidden handoffs.
We confirm your matter qualifies under Code Civ. Proc. §§ 2029.100–900 — including the § 2029.300(e) limits — before anything is filed.
We prepare the mandatory Judicial Council forms (SUBP-030 application plus SUBP-035, 040, or 045) so the subpoena incorporates your foreign terms and carries all counsel information.
We obtain the issued California subpoena through the superior court clerk in the right county — or, where you prefer, through retained California counsel under § 2029.350.
Personal service in compliance with § 1985, through our California process-server network, with up to three diligent attempts per address.
A signed proof of service confirming completion in compliance with California law — ready for your home-state file.
Our in-house team responds within minutes during business hours with real-time status at every stage.
Every major subpoena type we domesticate in California under California's IIDDA.
Requires a person to produce documents, records, or ESI for inspection and copying. Business-records subpoenas are expressly covered by the IIDDA.
Requires personal appearance and testimony. Witness and mileage fees ($35 per day plus $0.20 per mile) apply.
Compels attendance at a recorded deposition under California's IIDDA — often combined with document production in a single subpoena.
Directs an entity in California to designate a representative to testify. It can also compel inspection of premises under the person's control (§ 2029.200).
From solo practitioners to Fortune 500 legal teams — all relying on Served 123 LLC for California domestication across all 58 California counties.
Running multi-state cases that need testimony or records from witnesses across all 58 California counties.
In-house teams handling cross-jurisdictional discovery through California's Superior Courts.
Claims teams pulling California medical records, depositions, and expert subpoenas under California's IIDDA.
Organizations needing end-to-end California domestication and records production.
Attorneys who need dependable California coverage without a local vendor network in all 58 California counties.
Support firms outsourcing California subpoena domestication for their attorney clients.
California has 58 counties, each with a superior court clerk who issues domesticated subpoenas. We file in the county where the witness lives or works, or where the records are held. A sample of the counties we work in most often:
California's superior courts cover all 58 counties. Send your subpoena and where the witness is located, and we file with the right superior court clerk.
The questions attorneys ask most about domesticating a subpoena in California under the IIDDA.
Send the originating state or country, the California county where discovery is sought, and your subpoena PDF. We prepare the Judicial Council forms, obtain the California subpoena through the clerk or California counsel, and serve it personally under § 1985 — usually within days.
Served 123 LLC is a process service and litigation-support company, not a law firm. This page is general information about California procedure, not legal advice.
