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Subpoena Domestication in All 50 States.

We know every state’s rule, UIDDA or not. Local counsel, where required, is in our fee; any witness fee goes on your invoice.

Free written quote first. No payment until you approve the quote.

All 50 states and D.C. NAPPS since 2023

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  • All 50 statesplus D.C.
  • UIDDA or notevery state’s rule
  • NAPPS membersince 2023

Included in Every Domestication

  • UIDDA and non-UIDDA statesClerk filing, commission or court order.
  • Local counsel where requiredIncluded in our fee.
  • The witness feeCalculated and put on your invoice.
  • Service on the witnessIf you choose Yes: up to three attempts.
  • The signed returnBack to you with the issued subpoena.

What to have ready

  • The issued subpoenawith every attachment
  • The witness’s addressin the discovery state
  • Your deadlineif there is one
  • The counsel listif not on the subpoena

Questions before you order? Call or email us.

What Is Subpoena Domestication? The Witness’s State Decides How.

Subpoena domestication turns a subpoena issued in one state into a subpoena of the state where the witness lives or the records are kept. A court there, or an officer it authorizes, issues a local subpoena on the same terms, so it can be enforced there.

A state court’s subpoena power stops at its border. Without that local issuance, a witness in another state has no duty to answer it, and a motion to compel has nowhere to go.

Most states follow the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (UIDDA). It replaced most court-to-court requests with one step: a party presents the foreign subpoena to the clerk where discovery is sought, and the clerk issues a local one.

Which office issues, which form it wants and whether a judge or an attorney must sign are set by the witness’s state, not by the state where your case is pending.

How to Domesticate a Subpoena. Five Steps, Every State.

The same five steps apply in every state. What changes from state to state is step three: who issues, on which form, and whether anyone must sign for you.

  1. Step 1: Issued at Home

    The subpoena starts in the court where your case is pending. Set a compliance date with room for issuance and service in the other state.

  2. Step 2: Find the Discovery County

    Under the UIDDA, you submit where discovery is sought: usually the county where the witness lives, works or keeps the records.

  3. Step 3: Submitted Their Way

    Most states issue through the clerk. Some let a local attorney issue, a few need a judge, and non-UIDDA states use a commission or order.

  4. Step 4: Served Under Local Rules

    The issued subpoena is served the way the discovery state requires, with the witness fee and mileage where that state calls for them.

  5. Step 5: Proof Back to You

    You receive the issued subpoena and a signed return of service, ready for your file and for any motion to enforce.

UIDDA States vs. Non-UIDDA States. We Handle Both.

Every state except Massachusetts, Missouri and New Hampshire has adopted the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (UIDDA) by statute or court rule, and so have Washington, D.C. and, since August 2026, Puerto Rico.

What the UIDDA Changed

Under the UIDDA, the clerk in the discovery county issues a local subpoena that carries the terms of yours. No court order, no local case and no admission of out-of-state counsel are needed to ask for it. Connecticut is the exception: local counsel files there, and our fee includes it.

Motions to quash, enforce or protect go to the court in the discovery state, under its own rules.

In Arkansas, for example, the circuit clerk issues without opening a case. A case number follows only if someone moves to enforce.

The Non-UIDDA States: Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire

Massachusetts issues no court subpoena: a notary public or justice of the peace issues the summons, with no court filing.

Missouri requires a circuit court order on an ex parte application, which our local counsel files with the local court.

New Hampshire follows its Uniform Foreign Depositions Law: the Superior Court, or a notary or justice of the peace on a commission.

UIDDA States That Still Need a Judge

In Kentucky, a subpoena for deposition testimony is signed by a District Judge; the clerk issues for records only. Vermont has a judge review each request.

Some West Virginia circuit clerks route a submission to a judge, which can mean a motion and a proposed order.

When a judge must sign, your quote says so, along with anything that court asks for.

Where an Attorney Issues or Files

In New York and New Jersey, our local attorney issues the subpoena directly. In Missouri and Connecticut an attorney is required: our local counsel files with the local court. Either way, counsel is included in our fee.

Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Rhode Island and California also let an attorney admitted there issue instead of the clerk.

Your written quote names the route for your witness’s state, and any counsel it needs, before anything is filed.

Background reading: the role of the UIDDA in subpoena domestication

Subpoena Domestication by State. All 50 States and D.C.

The law that governs a foreign subpoena in each state. Each state links to its page: who issues the subpoena there and what that court requires. Non-UIDDA states are marked.

Alabama, Ala. Code § 12-21-400 et seq. Alaska, Alaska R. Civ. P. 45.1 Arizona, Ariz. R. Civ. P. 45.1 Arkansas, Ark. R. Civ. P. 45.1 California, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 2029.100 to 2029.900 Colorado, C.R.S. §§ 13-90.5-101 to 13-90.5-107 Connecticut, Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-655 to 52-660 Delaware, 10 Del. C. § 4311 Florida, Fla. Stat. § 92.251 Georgia, O.C.G.A. §§ 24-13-110 to 24-13-116 Hawaii, Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 624D Idaho, I.R.C.P. 45(j) Illinois, Ill. S. Ct. R. 17; 735 ILCS 35/1 et seq. Indiana, Ind. Code § 34-44.5-1-1 et seq. Iowa, Iowa R. Civ. P. 1.1702 Kansas, K.S.A. 60-228a Kentucky, KRS 421.360 Louisiana, La. R.S. 13:3825 Maine, 14 M.R.S. §§ 401 to 408 Maryland, Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 9-401 et seq.; Md. Rules 2-422.1 and 2-510.1 Massachusetts Not UIDDA, G.L. c. 233, § 45 Michigan, MCL 600.2201 et seq.; MCR 2.305(E) Minnesota, Minn. R. Civ. P. 45.06 Mississippi, Miss. Code Ann. § 11-59-1 et seq. Missouri Not UIDDA, Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 57.08 Montana, Mont. R. Civ. P. 28(c) Nebraska, Neb. Ct. R. Disc. § 6-330(A) Nevada, NRS 53.100 to 53.200 New Hampshire Not UIDDA, RSA 517-A (Uniform Foreign Depositions Law) (not UIDDA until Jan. 1, 2027) New Jersey, N.J. Ct. R. 4:11-4(b) New Mexico, Rule 1-045.1 NMRA New York, N.Y. C.P.L.R. 3119 North Carolina, N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 1F North Dakota, N.D.R.Ct. 5.1 Ohio, Ohio R.C. 2319.09 Oklahoma, 12 O.S. §§ 3250 to 3257 Oregon, ORCP 38 C; UTCR 5.140 Pennsylvania, 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 5331 to 5337 Rhode Island, R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 9-18.1-1 to 9-18.1-8 South Carolina, S.C. Code Ann. § 15-47-100 et seq. South Dakota, SDCL §§ 15-6-28.1 to 15-6-28.6 Tennessee, Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 24-9-201 to 24-9-207 Texas, Tex. R. Civ. P. 201.3 Utah, Utah Code § 78B-17-101 et seq. Vermont, V.R.C.P. 45(f) Virginia, Va. Code §§ 8.01-412.8 to 8.01-412.15 Washington, RCW ch. 5.51 Washington, D.C., D.C. Code §§ 13-441 to 13-449 West Virginia, W. Va. Code §§ 56-12-1 to 56-12-8 Wisconsin, Wis. Stat. § 887.24 Wyoming, W.R.C.P. 28(c)

Texas is the newest UIDDA state: Tex. R. Civ. P. 201.3 took effect August 31, 2025, and a request to inspect premises there still needs a court order. Massachusetts has a UIDDA bill pending but not enacted.

Puerto Rico adopted the UIDDA procedure in 2026 (P.R. R. Civ. P. 40.6, as amended by Ley 178-2026, in force 08/13/2026): a subpoena from a UIDDA state is served in Puerto Rico under Rule 40.3 by the requesting party. Commissions and letters rogatory remain for countries and states that have not adopted the act. Courts change their procedures, and each state page records what the court requires now.

Every state, UIDDA or not. Get a free quote

Commissions and Letters Rogatory

Before the UIDDA, every interstate subpoena needed a commission: an order from your court appointing someone in the other state to take the testimony. A letter rogatory is the formal request from one court to another for that help.

Both are still used. New Hampshire relies on them, Massachusetts also accepts a commissioner appointed under your state’s authority, and international discovery runs on letters rogatory or treaties.

A commission names the officer or court in the other state, so its wording has to match what that state accepts. Getting it right the first time saves a second order from your court.

When We Ask You for One

If the witness’s state requires a commission, your quote says so and names the wording that state accepts. Your court issues it; we prepare everything that follows.

Do You Need Local Counsel?

In most UIDDA states, no: asking the clerk to issue is not an appearance and needs no admission of out-of-state counsel. Counsel matters where a judge must review the request, and in Missouri and Connecticut, where an attorney must file it.

Counsel, Included in Our Fee

In New York and New Jersey, our local attorney issues the subpoena directly. In Missouri and Connecticut an attorney is required: our local counsel files with the local court. Either way, counsel is included in our fee.

Representing Yourself?

Under the UIDDA, a party presents the foreign subpoena to the clerk, so a party without a lawyer can ask for issuance too. In Missouri and Connecticut, our local counsel files for you, inside our fee. We prepare the request for you the same way we do for a law firm.

If the witness moves to quash, that is a motion in the discovery state’s court. Your counsel decides how to answer it. We are not a law firm and do not give legal advice.

Records, Testimony and Deposition. Each Has Its Own Rules.

Many states treat a subpoena for documents differently from one for testimony. Telling us which you have, or uploading it, lets the quote name the right form.

Records Subpoenas (Duces Tecum)

A subpoena for documents only. Depending on the state, the custodian may answer with a business records affidavit instead of appearing.

Medical records can carry extra notice rules before they are produced, such as notice to the patient.

Subpoenas to a Company

When the witness is a business, the subpoena is served on a person the discovery state allows to accept it for the company, such as a registered agent or an officer.

Give the company’s name as it appears on the subpoena, with the address where it does business in that state.

Testimony Subpoenas (Ad Testificandum)

A subpoena that commands a person to appear and testify. The place set for the deposition must meet the discovery state’s limits on how far a witness can be made to travel.

Where the discovery state requires a witness fee and mileage for attendance, we calculate it and add it to your invoice.

Deposition Subpoenas With Documents

Testimony plus records. Some states use different forms or officers for each part: in Kentucky a judge signs for testimony, and in California we prepare the Judicial Council forms the clerk requires.

List the documents exactly as your schedule does: the subpoena issued in the discovery state carries the same terms.

Common errors that get a packet rejected: avoiding mistakes in subpoena domestication

Notice to Other Parties and the Counsel List

Under the UIDDA, the issued subpoena must carry the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all counsel of record and of any party without counsel. A packet without that list is a common reason a clerk sends it back.

Many states also require notice to the other parties before a records subpoena is served. Your home court’s notice rules still apply as well.

What We Check Before Filing

The counsel list, the caption, the compliance date and any notice the discovery state requires, before anything reaches the clerk. If the counsel list is missing or out of date, we ask you for a current one before filing rather than send a packet the clerk may refuse.

What Controls Timing

The issuing clerk or judge controls when a subpoena issues. The county’s intake method matters too: counter, mail or e-filing, and whether a judge must sign.

The compliance date on your original subpoena matters most. If it may pass before issuance and service, the subpoena must be reissued with a new date, and your quote says so before anything starts.

What We Control

We submit as soon as the papers are complete and your quote is approved. If you chose service, the first attempt follows issuance.

Plan the compliance date first. A date that leaves room for issuance and service in the other state avoids a second trip through your home court.

What to Send and What You Get Back. One Upload, One Return.

The form above takes all of it. If something is missing, we ask before anything goes to the court. Email works too: send the papers to info@served123.com with the witness’s address.

What to Send Us

  • The issued subpoena, with every attachment
  • The witness, at the address in their state
  • The counsel list, if it is not on the subpoena
  • Your deadline, and whether we serve it

What You Get Back

  • The issued subpoena from the witness’s state
  • A signed return of service, if you chose Yes
  • An affidavit of non-service, if not served

If the witness cannot be served there, the affidavit of non-service lists each attempt.

Keep every schedule and exhibit exactly as issued. The subpoena in the discovery state carries the same terms, so what you attach now is what the witness receives.

Not sure which county the address falls in? Send the address: we confirm the county and its court before anything is filed.

Send the papers, get the issued subpoena. Get a free quote

Domestication and Service of Process in One Order

Answer Yes on the form and the issued subpoena is served on the witness under the discovery state’s rules, with up to three attempts and a signed return of service.

Service follows the discovery state’s rules on who may serve, how the papers are delivered and what the return must say, so the proof holds up in that state’s courts.

One quote covers the filing, any witness fee and the service. See service of process for the service options and our pricing page.

Several witnesses in one state, or witnesses in several states, can go on the same order: add each one on the form with “+ Add another witness”. Each state is its own filing, and the quote lists each one line by line.

Each witness gets a separate return of service, signed by the person who served the papers in that state.

Federal Subpoenas: No Domestication Needed

A subpoena in a federal case is issued by the court where the action is pending and may be served anywhere in the United States under Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(b)(2).

The limit is where compliance can be required: within 100 miles of where the witness lives, works or regularly does business in person, under Rule 45(c). We can serve it as it is.

When a federal subpoena commands attendance, Rule 45(b)(1) requires tendering one day’s attendance fee and the mileage allowed by law with it. If it commands documents or an inspection, Rule 45(a)(4) requires notice and a copy to each party before it is served.

A motion to quash or modify a federal subpoena goes to the court for the district where compliance is required, under Rule 45(d)(3).

Subpoena Domestication FAQ. Answered Plainly.

What attorneys, paralegals and people handling their own case ask before they send a subpoena across state lines.

What does it mean to domesticate a subpoena?

It means having a subpoena issued in one state reissued by the state where the witness or the records are, so it can be enforced there. A court in that state, or an officer it authorizes, issues a local subpoena on the same terms as yours. Most states do this under the UIDDA.

The Uniform Law Commission approved the UIDDA in 2007 to replace most court-to-court requests with one filing in the discovery state.

Is an out-of-state subpoena enforceable without domestication?

No. A state court subpoena has no force outside its own state. A witness in another state has no duty to comply until that state issues it, and a court there can only enforce a subpoena it issued.

Domestication gives the witness’s state a subpoena of its own, so its courts can compel compliance or hear an objection.

Which states have not adopted the UIDDA?

Massachusetts, Missouri and New Hampshire.

Massachusetts uses a summons from a notary or justice of the peace, with no court filing; Missouri, a circuit court order that our local counsel applies for; and New Hampshire RSA 517-A.

Massachusetts has a UIDDA bill pending but not enacted.

Do I need a local attorney to domesticate a subpoena?

In most UIDDA states, no: the clerk issues on submission and asking is not an appearance.

In New York and New Jersey, our local attorney issues the subpoena directly. In Missouri and Connecticut an attorney is required: our local counsel files with the local court. Either way, counsel is included in our fee.

Do federal subpoenas need to be domesticated?

No. A subpoena in a federal case is issued by the court where the action is pending and may be served anywhere in the United States under Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(b)(2). Compliance is limited to 100 miles under Rule 45(c).

An attorney admitted in the issuing court may sign the subpoena as an officer of that court under Rule 45(a)(3).

What documents do you need from me?

The subpoena issued by your court with every attachment and schedule, the witness name and address, the counsel list if it is not on the subpoena, and any deadline. Upload them with the form or email them to info@served123.com.

If the witness is a company, give its name exactly as it appears on the subpoena and the address where it does business in that state.

Who issues the subpoena in the discovery state: the clerk, an attorney or a judge?

Usually the clerk of the county where discovery is sought.

In New York and New Jersey, our local attorney issues it directly; Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Rhode Island and California also let a local attorney issue. In Missouri and Connecticut, our local counsel files the request. Kentucky testimony subpoenas and Vermont requests go before a judge.

Your quote names the issuing office for your witness’s county, and anything it asks for, before anything is filed.

Who pays the witness fee, and how is it calculated?

The party who issues the subpoena pays it. The amount follows the witness’s state: a daily fee, often with mileage. When a fee is required, we calculate it and put it on your invoice, and it goes to the witness with the subpoena.

The subpoena witness fee guide lists each state’s rule.

Can you serve the subpoena after it is issued?

Yes. Answer Yes on the form and we serve the issued subpoena under the discovery state’s rules, with up to three attempts and a signed return of service.

The first attempt follows issuance. If the witness cannot be served, you receive a signed affidavit of non-service. Service follows the discovery state’s rules on who may serve and what the return must say.

What if the witness objects or moves to quash?

A motion to quash or modify is decided by a court in the discovery state, under its own rules. Responding to it is legal work for your counsel or local counsel; we are not a law firm and do not give legal advice.

What controls how long domestication takes?

The issuing clerk or judge controls when the subpoena issues, along with the county’s intake method. We submit as soon as your papers are complete and your quote is approved, and the first attempt at service follows issuance.

A county that issues at the counter usually moves faster than one that takes filings by mail or e-filing, and a judge’s signature adds its own step.

Can you domesticate subpoenas in several states for the same case?

Yes. Each witness state is its own filing under its own procedure. Upload each subpoena and add each witness on the form with “+ Add another witness”. One written quote lists every state, every court and any witness fee before anything starts.

Still deciding? Call (800) 321-2377 or get a free quote.

Subpoena Ready? Send It With the Witness’s Address.

Upload the out-of-state subpoena and name the witness. Your free written quote names the procedure, any counsel, any witness fee and every line before anything starts.

Get a Free Quote Online

Questions first? Call or email us.

The court that issues the subpoena controls when it issues. Served 123 LLC is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.