Short answer. Section 20 of Rule 14 gives the sheriff thirty calendar days from issuance and receipt of summons to complete service, then five calendar days from service to file the return with the court and serve a copy on the plaintiff's counsel. Substituted service triggers additional detail requirements in the return.
What the law says
Within thirty calendar days from issuance of summons by the clerk of court and receipt thereof, the sheriff or process server, or person authorized by the court, shall complete its service.
Rule 14, Section 20 — Return. Read the full provision →
What the law says
Within five calendar days from service of summons, the server shall file with the court and serve a copy of the return to the plaintiff's counsel, personally, by registered mail, or by electronic means authorized by the Rules.
Rule 14, Section 20 — Return. Read the full provision →
The deadline to complete service
Section 20 sets a firm outer limit on how long service may take. Within thirty calendar days from issuance of summons by the clerk of court and receipt thereof, the sheriff or process server, or person authorized by the court, shall complete its service. The thirty-day clock starts running from when the summons is issued and received, not from whenever the sheriff happens to begin attempting service.
The separate deadline to file the return
Completing service is not the end of the sheriff's obligations. Within five calendar days from service of summons, the server shall file with the court and serve a copy of the return to the plaintiff's counsel, personally, by registered mail, or by electronic means authorized by the Rules. That five-day clock runs from when service was actually completed, and requires both filing with the court and serving your counsel.
Why substituted service adds extra detail to the return
If the sheriff resorted to substituted service rather than personal service, the return has to say more. It must state the impossibility of prompt personal service within the thirty-day period, the date and time of at least three attempts on at least two different dates, and the details of the inquiries made to locate the defendant. That documentation is meant to show personal service was genuinely tried first.
Why these deadlines matter to your case
Both deadlines exist to keep your case moving — the thirty-day limit prevents service from dragging on indefinitely, and the five-day return requirement puts the court and your counsel on notice of what actually happened promptly after service. If either deadline is missed, or the substituted-service detail requirements are not met, that is worth raising as a potential problem with how the summons was served in your particular case, since the return is the official record the court relies on.