Personal service means hand-delivering the papers to the other party in the case.
Personal service is usually the way service must be done when you are starting a new case, but it can also be done if a case has already been started.
Who can do service by personal service depends on whether you are starting a new case or filing something in a case that has already been started.
The person being served does not have to sign anything.
Personal service can also be done by leaving the papers at the other party’s usual place of residence with a person of suitable age and discretion who also lives at the residence.
AFTER service is done, the person who personally served the forms must fill out an Affidavit of Personal Service that tells the court when, where, and how the papers were served. The server signs the Affidavit of Personal Service and returns it to you to file with the court.
If you do not have someone that can do service for you, you can ask the county sheriff or a professional process server to do the service for you. They may charge a fee.
There is a way for you to ask the other party to waive personal service of a summons. The other party can accept service from you so you can avoid the cost of hiring someone to do the service for you. This process is called Waiver of Service of Summons.