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Form N215 is the court form used to prove that a document has been served: it records what was served, on whom, when, where and by which method, and is verified by a statement of truth. Where a claimant serves the claim form themselves rather than leaving it to the court, they must file a certificate of service within 21 days of serving the particulars of claim, unless every defendant has already acknowledged service.
The certificate of service is where service stops being something that happened and becomes something the court can see. It is a short form with long consequences: default judgment, for one, cannot be obtained without proof that the defendant was served, and the N215 is that proof.
The document served; the person served; the date and, where relevant, the time; the method, personal service, first class post, DX, leaving at a permitted address, email; the address or place of service; and the details of the person who effected service. A statement of truth converts the account into evidence, with the usual consequences for anyone signing one dishonestly. Where a professional process server carried out the service, their details and account populate the form, and Tremark supplies the completed certificate as standard on every instruction, ready for the court file.
The headline rule sits in CPR 6.17: where the claimant serves the claim form, a certificate of service must be filed within 21 days of service of the particulars of claim, unless all defendants have filed acknowledgments of service by then, and the claimant cannot obtain judgment in default without having filed it. Certificates are also required or prudent across a range of other steps: applications served on non parties, orders whose breach may need proving, and any document where the serving party anticipates having to demonstrate service later. In family and insolvency proceedings, equivalent forms and statements of service perform the same role under their own rules.
The certificate, verified by a statement of truth, suffices for most purposes. Sworn evidence, an affidavit of service, is reserved for contexts that demand it, committal applications above all. The prudent practice on contentious instructions is to have the server's full contemporaneous notes behind the certificate, so that if a dispute arises, the sworn version can be produced without gaps.
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This page provides general information about the law and practice in England and Wales and is not legal advice. Rules change and individual circumstances vary; always take advice from a solicitor on your specific situation. Prices shown are indicative, exclusive of VAT and confirmed in writing before any work begins.