Austin Process Server — Travis County & Central Texas

Austin is the state capital and one of the fastest-growing metros in Texas. Its courts and defendants reflect that: state agencies, tech employers, a large university population and new subdivisions spreading along I-35 and US-290. Lone Star Attorney Service serves process across Austin and Central Texas through our established statewide server network. Our out-of-county (OOC) team at our Houston headquarters manages every order, and we've been handling Texas service of process since 1995.

Central Texas coverage

  • Travis County: Austin, Pflugerville, Lakeway, Manor
  • Williamson County: Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander
  • Hays County: San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Dripping Springs
  • Surrounding counties: Bastrop and Caldwell

Service in Texas counties outside Harris County starts at $115.00. Current rates are on our Pricing page.

What you can expect on every Austin order

Austin-area orders follow the same turnaround standards as our Harris County jobs:

  • Standard service typically completed within 3–5 business days
  • Rush service available (call 713-779-1400 to confirm timing for a specific address)
  • Time-stamped photos and geo-location on every attempt
  • Real-time status updates, with the affidavit delivered within 48 hours of the serve

Hard-to-serve defendants in a fast-moving market

Austin's renter-heavy neighborhoods, short-term leases and frequent moves mean addresses go stale quickly. When we fail twice at the address you provide, we run a complimentary skip trace using public records and USPS data to find alternate addresses before we contact you. For a defendant who is deliberately avoiding service, we offer locate services and stakeouts. If the subject can't be located, we prepare, sign and notarize an affidavit of due diligence at no additional cost.

When personal service just isn't working, Texas procedure provides a next step. Under TRCP 106(b), the court may authorize substituted service on a motion supported by a sworn statement describing the unsuccessful attempts. The court can order delivery to anyone over 16 at the defendant's home or business, or any other method reasonably effective to give notice, including email, social media or other technology. We prepare 106 motions and orders ($65.00) and offer eService when the court authorizes it.

Serving entities through the Secretary of State

The Texas Secretary of State is based in Austin. When a Texas entity's registered agent can't be found at its registered office with reasonable diligence, Texas law (Business Organizations Code §5.251) makes the Secretary of State an agent for service on that entity. Certain nonresidents doing business in Texas can also be served through the Secretary of State under Civil Practice and Remedies Code §17.044. Your attorney can determine whether this route fits; we can prepare and file the package at your direction.

Returns built for Texas courts

Every return we prepare follows the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure:

  • TRCP 103: service by a process server certified under Supreme Court of Texas order, never a party or interested person.
  • TRCP 107: the return states the cause number, court, person served, date, time, place and manner of service, and is verified or signed under penalty of perjury. Before a default judgment, it must have been on file for ten days.
  • TRCP 99: a defendant served in a district or county court case generally must answer by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday after 20 days have passed, so the date and time on the return matter.

Filing, retrieval and paralegal support

We e-file original cases ($55.00) and returns of service ($6.00) with the court, so we can file a Travis or Williamson County case, serve it, and file the return in one workflow. We also offer document retrieval, document preparation for subpoenas, president's affidavits and non-military affidavits, and paralegal services at $85.00 per hour for drafting, filing, court research and records retrieval with statewide coverage.

Court-ready affidavits guaranteed. Call 713-779-1400 (we're available 24/7) or submit your order online now. Send the defendant's name and last known address, the case caption and cause number, the court and county, and the documents to be served.

Lone Star Attorney Service is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.