(a) General Requirements for GPS. A process server licensed pursuant to this subchapter must comply with the requirement of § 20-410 of the Administrative Code to carry at all times during the commission of his or her licensed activities, and operate at the time process is served or attempted, a device to establish electronically and record the time, date, and location of service or attempted service as follows:
(1) Equipment.
(i) The process server must obtain a mobile device, such as a telephone or personal digital assistant, that utilizes the software necessary to make an electronic record of the location where, and the time and date when, the record is made as determined by Global Positioning System ("GPS") technology or Assisted-Global Positioning System ("A-GPS") technology, and labels the record with the network date and time maintained by the mobile device, the DCWP license number of the process server, the DCWP license number of the process serving agency that has distributed the process for service, the name of the plaintiff or petitioner, the name of the defendant or respondent, the docket number (if any), the name of the person to whom process is delivered and a unique file identifier of the process being served.
(ii) The mobile device must be equipped with the software necessary to make an electronic record of the location where and time and date when the record is made, as determined by triangulated cell tower signals, if at the time of the effected or attempted service of process a GPS signal is not available.
(iii) The mobile device software must automatically add that location, time and date information to the electronic record as soon as a GPS or cellular signal reaches the device if neither a GPS nor a cellular signal is present at the time the process server causes the electronic record to be made.
(2) Operation of Equipment.
(i) On every occasion that a process server attempts or effects service of process, the process server must ensure that the mobile device makes an electronic record of the GPS location, time and date of the attempted or effected service immediately after attempting or effecting service. If no GPS signal is available at the time of attempted or effected service of process, the location, time and date will be determined by triangulated cell tower signals.
(ii) Each electronic record must be labeled with:
(a) the GPS or cellular network date and military time maintained by the mobile device;
(b) the DCWP license number of the process server;
(c) the DCWP license number of the process serving agency that distributed the process for service;
(d) the name of the plaintiff or petitioner;
(e) the name of the defendant or respondent;
(f) the docket number, if any;
(g) the name of the person to whom process is delivered; and
(h) a unique file identifier of the process being served.
(3) Contract for Services. The process server must enter into a contract with an independent third party who will provide services and perform functions described in paragraph (4) of this subdivision that enable the process server to meet the data storage and retrieval requirements set forth in such paragraph ("the GPS Contractor"), provided, however, that if the process server performs process serving activities distributed to him or her by a licensed process serving agency, the process server may utilize the device and facilities for the electronic record of service that the process serving agency obtains under a contract with a GPS Contractor.
(4) Data Storage and Retrieval. The electronic record must be automatically transmitted electronically from the mobile device to the GPS Contractor as soon as a GPS or cellular signal is available and location, date and time are entered into the electronic record. The GPS Contractor must store the electronic record according to the following terms:
(i) the original digital file must be maintained by the GPS Contractor unaltered for a period of not less than seven years;
(ii) neither the process server nor the process serving agency will be permitted to alter the original data, but may obtain copies of the original data file;
(iii) the GPS Contractor must maintain the records in a manner that will permit retrieval by the DCWP license number of the process server, which will be specified as a seven-digit number, where the first number must be zero if the process server's license number is less than seven digits, the DCWP license number of the process serving agency from whom the process served was received, or, if not received from a process serving agency, the name of such other person or firm from whom the process served was received, the name of the plaintiff or petitioner, the name of the defendant or respondent, the docket number (if any), the name of the person to whom process is delivered and a unique file identifier of the process being served;
(iv) the GPS Contractor must maintain the records in a manner that will ensure that their integrity is adequate for admissibility in a judicial proceeding under the rules of evidence applicable in the state of New York;
(v) the GPS Contractor must produce upon request by the Department, and to any other party according to an appropriate order or subpoena, a copy of the electronic records, or any reasonably described part involved, certified to be true and accurate;
(vi) the GPS Contractor must provide to the Department upon request a street map in hard copy format and access to an interactive electronic street map that display the locations where the digital records were recorded with a date and time provided by GPS or cellular date and time;
(vii) the GPS Contractor must provide to the Department upon request, and to any other party according to an appropriate order or subpoena, the following information as an MS Excel spreadsheet in a format provided by the Department on its website:
(a) Plaintiff or petitioner, which must be specified by the last name of the first plaintiff, or, if not a natural person, the name of the entity, except that the field may contain the name of every plaintiff or petitioner in the case, provided that the entire record is searchable by a wildcard search of the name of any plaintiff or petitioner;
(b) Defendant or respondent, which must be specified by the last name of the first defendant, or, if not a natural person, the name of the entity, except that the field may contain the name of every defendant or respondent in the case, provided that the entire record is searchable by a wildcard search of the name of any defendant or respondent;
(c) the full index number, entered with all information necessary to identify the case, such as XXXXXX/XX, unless the case is a Civil Local matter, in which case, it will include the prefix of CV, CC, LT, MI, NC, RE, SC, or TS;
(d) the date that service was effected or attempted according to the device, entered as MM/DD/YYYY;
(e) the time that service was effected or attempted according to the device, entered in military time;
(f) the date that service was effected or attempted according to GPS or cellular signals, entered as MM/DD/YYYY;
(g) the time that service was effected or attempted according to GPS or cellular signals, entered as military time;
(h) the location where service was effected or attempted, which must include building number, street name, city, ZIP code, which must be five digits, and latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates returned by the GPS device. All address information must be CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System) processed to insure its accuracy with software graded to be CASS Certified by the National Customer Support Center of the United States Postal Service;
(i) the name of the intended recipient of the process, which must be entered in two data fields such that the first data field is the last name of the intended recipient, or, if not a natural person, the name of the entity, and the second data field is the first name of the intended recipient if a natural person;
(j) the name of the person to whom process was delivered, which must be entered in two data fields such that the first data field is the last name of the person, and the second data field is the first name of the person; and
(k) the DCWP license number of the process server, specified as a seven-digit number, where the first number must be zero if the process server's license number is less than seven digits, the DCWP license number of the process serving agency from whom the process was received or, if not received from a process serving agency, the name of such other person or firm from whom the process served was received.
(b) Provision of Equipment and Services by Process Serving Agency. A process serving agency licensed according to this subchapter may provide to licensed process servers the device and services required by subparagraph (a) according to a contract with an independent third party. For purposes of this Rule, a third party will not be considered independent if any officer or owner of ten percent or more of the shares of the licensed process serving agency has any interest, direct or indirect, in the third party.
(c) Report to Department.
(1) Within sixty days after the effective date of this Rule a licensed process server must submit to the Department in a form approved by the Commissioner a certification that he or she has secured the contract required by this Rule and identifying the name, address and account number of the GPS Contractor(s) providing the required device and services. After sixty days after the effective date of this Rule, no process server license will be issued or renewed unless the applicant submits such a certificate.
(2) A licensed process server must submit to the Department an amended certification within two days of entering into a contract with a different GPS Contractor.
(3) In place of submitting the certificates required by the preceding provisions, the licensed process server may submit a certification in a form approved by the Commissioner affirmed by an owner or officer of a licensed process serving agency that the device and services the process server is required to obtain are provided by the agency under a contract with an independent third party.
(d) Compliance with all laws. Compliance with the requirements of this Rule does not relieve a licensed process server of the obligation to make or maintain records required by any other federal, state, or local law, rule or regulation.
(Amended City Record 9/23/2022, eff. 10/23/2022)