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FL-982Optional

Order for Publication or Posting

California · Judicial Council of California · Effective January 1, 2013

This form is used to ask the court for permission to serve legal papers by publishing them in a newspaper or by posting them in a public place. It is used when the person being sued cannot be served in any other way.

The court describes it as: States the court's decision (an order) that you can publish or post a summons if you are unable to complete service in other ways.

Open the official PDFfrom Judicial Council of California

Where this fits in a case

Judgment

Stage: Judgment

This form is used when a person needs to serve legal documents but cannot find the person they are supposed to serve through normal methods.

Either party may file.

Common questions

Who fills out this form?
This form is for court use, but it requires information from the petitioner and respondent regarding the case details. The court makes the final order.
What happens after the court signs this order?
If the court grants it, the petitioner must follow specific steps, such as paying to publish in a newspaper or posting the notice for a set time.
If the court denies the request, what does that mean?
If the court denies the request, it means that other ways of serving the papers are possible. The form notes that other methods of service are possible.

Revision history

No changes recorded since we started tracking this form on October 9, 2026. The current version took effect January 1, 2013.

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