Foreign Civil Process

On June 1, 2003, the Department of Justice delegated the service of incoming foreign civil process to a private contractor, Process Forwarding International (PFI).

Although there may still be instances where the Department of Justice specially requests the Marshal to personally serve foreign civil process in the United States, this service of process function is now being handled through the Government contractor, PFI.

The Department of Justice has also authorized PFI to act on behalf of the United States to receive and serve outgoing civil process requests pursuant to the Inter-American Service Convention.

PFI is located at 633 Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98104.

PFI can also be reached via the web at www.pfiserves.com.

Private litigants, and not the U.S. Marshals Service, are still responsible for serving outgoing civil process requests to foreign countries either through the Hague Convention or other means. The U.S. Marshals Service does, however, make available its form USM-94, Service of Judicial Documents Abroad, for use by private litigants.

The USM-94, Request for Service Abroad of Judicial or Extrajudicial Documents is a form, accompanying American judicial process, that is recognized by the Central Authorities of many of the foreign countries who are signators to the Hague Service Convention. The form itself is no longer completed by the U.S. Marshals Service, but by the private litigant who wishes to effect service in a foreign country pursuant to the Hague Convention. More information and instructions on completing the form.  For Spanish version of USM-94, use USM-272A

USM-272, Request for Service Abroad of Judicial or Extrajudicial Documents Pursuant to the Additional Protocol to the Inter-American Convention on Letters Rogatory  |  USM-272, En Español