Short answer. Yes, but only as a form of substituted service, and only if the court allows it. Under the Rules of Court, once personal service fails after at least three attempts on two different dates, the process server may resort to alternatives including sending the summons by email, but only if the court has authorized that method.
What the law says
By sending an electronic mail to the defendant's electronic mail address, if allowed by the court
Rule 14, Section 6 — Substituted service. Read the full provision →
What the law says
If, for justifiable causes, the defendant cannot be served personally after at least three attempts on two different dates
Rule 14, Section 6 — Substituted service. Read the full provision →
Email service is a last resort, not the default
Personal service is still the starting point for serving summons: handing the copy directly to the defendant. Email only becomes available once personal service has failed for justifiable causes, and only after at least three attempts on two different dates. At that point, the rules recognize substituted service, which lists several alternatives the process server may use: leaving copies at the defendant's residence with a person of suitable age and discretion who lives there, leaving copies at the defendant's office with a competent person in charge, leaving copies with a homeowners' association officer or building security officer if refused entry, or sending an electronic mail to the defendant's email address.
Court permission is the gatekeeper
Email service is expressly conditioned on being allowed by the court. A process server or plaintiff cannot simply decide, on their own, that email is the more convenient option and send the summons that way. The court has to authorize resorting to email as a mode of substituted service before it can be validly used. This matters because how you were served affects whether the court properly acquired jurisdiction over you, which in turn affects whether a default judgment or any subsequent order against you can stand. The rule's own text is also narrow about the destination: what it authorizes is sending the summons to the defendant's electronic mail address, not to any online account loosely associated with the defendant.
Why this matters if it happens to you
If you receive a summons by email, check whether personal service was actually attempted at least three times on two different dates beforehand, and whether the court in fact authorized email as the method used. If either element is missing, the manner of service may be defective, which can affect the validity of any judgment based on it. Because these are technical requirements tied to how a court obtains authority over a defendant, a defect here is worth raising promptly rather than assuming the case will simply sort itself out on the merits.