{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998/rule-6.4",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998/rule-6.4.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1998/3132",
  "legislation_title": "The Civil Procedure Rules 1998",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998",
  "path": "rule/6.4",
  "kind": "rule",
  "number": "6.4",
  "heading": "Who is to serve the claim form",
  "text": "(1) The court will serve the claim form except where—\n(a) a rule or practice direction provides that the claimant must serve it;\n(b) the claimant notifies the court that the claimant wishes to serve it; or\n(c) the court orders or directs otherwise.\n(2) Where the court is to serve the claim form, it is for the court to decide which method of service is to be used.\n(3) Where the court is to serve the claim form, the claimant must, in addition to filing a copy for the court, provide a copy for each defendant to be served.\n(4) Where the court has sent—\n(a) a notification of outcome of postal service to the claimant in accordance with rule 6.18; or\n(b) a notification of non-service by a bailiff in accordance with rule 6.19,\nthe court will not try to serve the claim form again.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 6 substituted (1.10.2008) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2008 (S.I. 2008/2178), rule 1(2), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in rule 6.4(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/521), regs. 1(1), 4(6) (with reg. 18) (as amended by S.I. 2020/1493, regs. 1(1), 9(2)(b)); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/3132/rule/6.4",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:12:59.276840+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}