What is a Subpoena?

A subpoena (pronounced “suh-pee-nah”) is an official notice that requires a person to come to court. The Subpoena can also require the person to bring certain documents. For example, in a child support case, you may want to use the opposing party’s bank records to prove that he is capable of providing support. If you do not have access to those records yourself, you may choose to subpoena the bank records. The bank would then have to come to court with the documents you requested.

How can a Subpoena help me?

Sometimes you need the testimony of someone who would not voluntarily come to court. Sometimes documents you do not have access to may strengthen your case. Serving a subpoena in such instances may provide the information you need to make a strong argument in court.

How do I serve a Subpoena?

You will need the help of a deputy sheriff to serve a subpoena. A list of deputy sheriffs is included in this pamphlet. Before serving the subpoena, however, you must fill out a subpoena form. When filling out the form, you will include what you are requesting, from whom you are making the request, which court that person needs to appear in, when that person needs to be there, and the name of the case for which the person is being subpoenaed. A sample subpoena showing the form you should follow is also included in this pamphlet.

If you are serving someone in order to obtain documents, but you do not really need the person to appear in court, you may attach a letter to the subpoena alerting the person to that fact. A sample of such a letter is included in this pamphlet. Once you have filled out the subpoena, you should get it signed by a notary public. Then, you take it to the deputy sheriff’s office, and they will serve it for you. A list of deputy sheriffs and the cities they serve is included in this pamphlet.

Please be Advised

It costs money to serve a subpoena. Costs include a service fee and a witness fee. If you are unable to afford the costs, you may apply at the courthouse for a waiver of the cost of service of process. This is a separate form that you can obtain and fill out at the courthouse. You will need to fill out an affidavit (a statement signed under oath) called an “Affidavit of Indigency” and possibly a second form called a “Supplement to the Affidavit of Indigency”. These forms show that you are eligible to have the State pay the cost of serving the Subpoena because of your low income.

List of sheriffs by county, including cities served

Barnstable County Deputy Sheriff’s Office

Civil Process Division

3261 Main Street, Barnstable, MA
(508) 362-9578

Barnstable, Bass River, Bourne, Brewster, Buzzards Bay, Cataumet, Centerville, Chatham, Cotuit, Craigville, Cummaquid, Dennis, Dennisport, E. Brewster, E. Dennis, E. Falmouth, E. Harwich, E. Orleans, E. Sandwich, Eastham, Falmouth, Falmouth Heights, Forestdale, Gray Gables, Harwich, Harwich Port, Hatchville, Hyannis, Hyannis Port, Marstons Mills, Mashpee, Monument Beach, N. Chatham, N. Eastham, N. Falmouth, N. Truro, Orleans, Osterville, Otis A.F. Base, Pocasset, Poppenesset Beach, Provincetown, S. Chatham, S. Dennis, S. Harwich, S. Orleans, S. Wellfleet, S. Yarmouth, Sagamore, Sagamore Beach, Sandwich, Santuit, Teaticket, Truro, W. Barnstable, W. Chatham, W. Dennis, W. Falmouth, W. Harwich, W. Yarmouth, Waquoit, Wellfleet, Wianno, Woods Hole, Yarmouth, Yarmouth Port

Berkshire County Civil Process Sheriffs

467 Cheshire Rd., Pittsfield, MA
(413) 447-7117

Adams, Alford, Ashley Falls, Becket, Berkshire, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Dalton, Florida, Glendale, Great Barrington, Hancock, Hinsdale, Housatonic, Interlaken, Lanesboro, Lee, Lenox, Lenoxdale, Mill River, Monroe Bridge, Monterey, Mt. Washington, N. Adams, N. Egremont, New Ashford, New Marlboro, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sandisfield, Savoy, Sherfield, Southfield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, W. Stockbridge, Washington, Williamstown, Windsor

Bristol County Deputy Sheriff’s Office

108 Court Street, New Bedford, MA
(508) 992-6631

Acushnet, Assonet, Attleboro, Attleboro Falls, Berkley, Chartley, Dartmouth, Dighton, E. Freetown, E. Taunton, Easton, Fairhaven, Fall River, Freetown, Mansfield, N. Attleboro, N. Dartmouth, N. Easton, New Bedford, Norton, Ocean Grove, Pandamaram, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Taunton, Westport

Dukes County Office of the Sheriff

Civil Process Division

149 Upper Main Street, Edgartown. MA
(508) 627-3511

Chilmark, Cutty Hunk Island, Edgartown, Gay Head, Gosnold, Menemska, Naushon, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, Vineyard Haven, W. Tisbury

Essex County Sheriff’s Department

Division of Civil Process

36 Federal Street, Salem, MA
(978) 750-1900, ext. 590

381 Common Street, Lawrence, MA
(978) 683-8196

Amesbury, Andover, Beverly, Beverly Farms, Boxford, Byfield, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Magnolia, Manchester, Marblehead, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Pidgeon Cove, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Salisbury Beach, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, W. Newbury, Wenham

Franklin County Civil Division Central Office

466 Main Street, Greenfield, MA
(413) 774-3235

Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Lake Pleasant, Leverett, Leyden, Miller Falls, Monroe, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Turners Falls, Warwick, Wendell, Whately

Deputy Sheriff’s Office Hampden County Sheriffs, Inc.

1170 Main Street, Springfield, MA
(413) 732-5772

Agawam, Blandford, Bondsville, Brimfield, Chester, Chicopee, E. Longmeadow, Feeding Hills, Granville, Hampden, Holland, Holyoke, Indian Orchard, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Montgomery, Palmer, Russell, Southwick, Springfield, Thorndike, Three Rivers, Tolland, W. Springfield, Wales, Westfield, Wilbraham, Woronoco

Hampshire County Office of the Sheriff

Civil Process Division

492 Pleasant Street, Northampton, MA
(413) 585-0618

Amherst, Belchertown, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Florence, Goshen, Granby, Hadley, Hatfield, Haydenville, Huntington, Leeds, Middlefield, Northampton, Pelham, Plainfield, S. Hadley, Southampton, Ware, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington

Middlesex Sheriff’s Office

Civil Division

Central District

271 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA
(617) 547-1171

Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Everett, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Medford, Melrose, N. Reading, Newton, Reading, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Winchester, Woburn

Northern District

97 Central Street, Lowell, MA
(978) 452-3221

Ashby, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Littleton, Lowell, Pepperell, Shirley, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsboro, Westford, Wilmington

Southern District

188 Concord Street, Framingham, MA
(508) 872-3110

Acton, Ashland, Boxboro, Concord, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlboro, Maynard, Natick, Sherborn, Stow, Sudbury, Wayland, Weston

Nantucket County Deputy Sheriffs

16 Broad Street, Nantucket, MA

(508) 228-7263

Nantucket

Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office

Civil Process Division

15 Bryant Street, Suite 201, Dedham, MA
(781) 326-1787

Avon, Bellingham, Braintree, Brookline, Canton, Cohassett, Dedham, Dover, Foxboro, Franklin, Holbrook, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Milton, Needham, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Quincy, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, Walpole, Wellesley, Westwood, Weymouth, Wrentham

Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office

Civil Process Office

22 Cottage Street, Brockton, MA
(508) 580-2110

Abington, Accord, Allerton, Assinippi, Brandt Rock, Bridgewater, Brockton, Bryantville, Carver, Cedarville, Cochesett, Duxbury, E. Bridgewater, E. Marion, E. Pembroke, E. Wareham, Egypt, Elmwood, Green Harbor, Greenbush, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Lakeville, Manomet, Marion, Marshfield, Marshfield Hills, Matfield, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Minot, Monponsett, N. Carver, N. Pembroke, N. Scituate, Nantasket Beach, Norwell, Ocean Bluff, Onset, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Point Independence, Rochester, Rockland, Sand Hills, Scituate, W. Bridgewater, W. Hingham, W. Wareham, Wareham, White Horse Beach, Whitman

Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department

Civil Process Division

45 Bromfield Street, 5th Floor, Boston,MA
(617) 695-0702

Allston, Boston, Brighton, Charlestown, Chelsea, Dorchester, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Readville, Revere, Roslindale, Roxbury, W. Rosbury, Winthrop

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office

Civil Process Division

204 Main Street, Worcester, MA
(508) 752-1100

164 Elm Street, Fitchburg, MA
(978) 345-7311

Ashburnham, Athol, Auburn, Baldwinville, Barre, Berlin, Blackstone, Bolton, Boylston, Brookfield, Charlton, Charlton City, Charlton Depot, Cherry Valley, Clinton, Douglas, Dudley, E. Brookfield, E. Douglas, E. Templeton, Fayville, Fiskdale, Fitchburg, Gardner, Gilbertville, Grafton, Hardwick, Harvard, Holden, Hopedale, Hubbardston, Jefferson, Lancaster, Leicester, Leominster, Linwood, Lunenberg, Manchaug, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Morningdale, N. Brookfield, N. Grafton, N. Oxford, New Braintree, Northboro, Northbridge, Oakdale, Oakham, Otter River, Oxford, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Rochdale, Rockdale, Royalston, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Southbridge, Spencer, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, W. Boylston, W. Brookfield, Warren, Waterville, Webster, Westboro, Westminster, Whalom, Wheelright, Whittinsville, Wilkonsonville, Winchendon, Worcester

This project was supported by Grant No. 2001-WL-BX-0031 awarded by the Office of Violence Against Women, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Dept. of Justice.