---
kind: "section"
citation: "33 C.F.R. § 20.304"
title: "33"
number: "20.304"
heading: "Service of documents."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/33/20.304"
---

# §20.304. Service of documents.

- (a) The ALJ shall serve upon each party to the proceeding a copy of each document issued by the ALJ in it. The ALJ shall serve upon each interested person, as determined under [§ 20.404](/cfr/33/20.404.md), a copy of the notice of hearing. Unless this part provides otherwise, the ALJ shall upon request furnish to each such interested person a copy of each document filed with the Hearing Docket Clerk or issued by the ALJ.
- (b) Unless the ALJ orders otherwise, each person filing a document with the Hearing Docket Clerk shall serve upon each party a copy of it.
- (c) If a party filing a document must serve a copy of it upon each party, each copy must bear a certificate of service, signed by or on behalf of the filing party, stating that she or he has so served it. The certificate shall be in substantially the following form:
- (d) **This table describes how to serve filed documents.**
- (e)
  - (1) Unless the ALJ orders otherwise, if a party files a document under [§ 20.302](/cfr/33/20.302.md), the party must serve a copy to the person indicated in this table.
  - (2) **Service upon counsel or representative constitutes service upon the person to be served.**
- (f) The serving party must send service copies to the address indicated in this table.
- (g) **This table describes when service of a filed document is complete.**
- (h) If a person refuses to accept delivery of any document or fails to claim a properly addressed document other than a complaint sent under this subpart, the Coast Guard considers the document served anyway. Service is valid at the date and the time of mailing, of deposit with a contract service or express-courier service, or of refusal to accept delivery.

## Notes

### Amendments

[CGD 98-3472, 64 FR 28062, May 24, 1999; 64 FR 34540, June 28, 1999, as amended by USCG-2000-7223, 65 FR 40054, June 29, 2000; USCG-2016-0498, 82 FR 35079, July 28, 2017]

### Authority

Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1321; 42 U.S.C. 9609; 46 U.S.C. 7701, 7702; Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1, para. 2(73).

### Source

Source: CGD 98-3472, 64 FR 28062, May 24, 1999, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[CGD 98-3472, 64 FR 28062, May 24, 1999; 64 FR 34540, June 28, 1999, as amended by USCG-2000-7223, 65 FR 40054, June 29, 2000; USCG-2016-0498, 82 FR 35079, July 28, 2017]