Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle › FL-980 form guide

FL-980 Application for Service by Publication — Riverside County

When you can't locate your spouse or the other party to hand them court papers, California lets you ask the judge to order service by publication (Code of Civil Procedure §415.50). In family-law cases the request is form FL-980, with the proposed order on FL-982.

🚀 Prepare your FL-980 packet free →FL-980 application · declaration of due diligence · FL-982 proposed order (the Hemet Chronicle designated)

Due diligence comes first

The judge must be convinced you genuinely tried to find the person. Document every search attempt — last known address, phone and email, relatives and friends, employer, social media, internet and public-records searches — with dates and results. Our tool walks you through recording at least three attempts in a declaration.

File and get the order

File the FL-980, your declaration, and the FL-982 proposed order with the court handling your case in Riverside County. If the judge signs, the order names the newspaper where the summons will run.

Publish the summons

The summons is published once a week for four consecutive weeks (Gov. Code §6064); service is complete on the 28th day after the first publication. The Hemet Chronicle is adjudicated for all of Riverside County (Superior Court Cases MCC2001316 and MCC2001738). Upload the signed order and summons and we handle the rest — $324.50, signed affidavit included.

Divorcing? See divorce by publication in Riverside County.

Common questions

What is the difference between FL-980 and FL-982?

FL-980 is your application and supporting declaration; FL-982 is the order the judge signs allowing service by publication.

How long does service by publication take?

Four weekly publications; service is complete 28 days after the first one. The other party then has 30 days to respond.

Can I use this outside family law?

Yes — civil cases use an application under CCP §415.50 too. See our guide to publishing a summons in Riverside County.

How much does publication cost?

$324.50 flat for all four publications and the signed affidavit; +$35 if you want us to e-file it.

Ready? Start your free FL-980 forms → · Order signed? Publish your summons — $324.50 →

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Disclaimer: We are a newspaper. We are not attorneys, paralegals, or registered Legal Document Assistants, and we are not acting in any of those capacities. Our forms tool is free (our only paid service is newspaper publication), provides no legal advice, and is used at your own risk — review every form before signing and filing. For legal questions, consult an attorney or the court's free Self-Help Center.