Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
5.3 Legal Process: Criminal Process
5.3.2 Legal Process Service (Revised: 2/6/25 )
A. Warrants/Process Documents
1. The UCSF Police Department obtains warrants and process documents through
the county court system.
2. In the City and County of San Francisco, original copies of warrants are filed with
the San Francisco Central Warrants Bureau (SFCWB) and original copies of other
court documents with the SFPD ID Bureau. I n Alameda County, officers shall file
arrest warrants and process documents by entering them into CLETS.
3. Copies of warrants and process documents may be obtained but do not act as
original documents.
4. When a warrant or process document (e.g., Remey warrant, search warrant, arrest
warrant, EPO) is received from the courts, a copy shall be attached to the or iginal
crime report. A written report will be entered in the RMS by the investigating
officer/detective and include:
a. Date and time received
b. Type of legal process, civil or criminal
c. Nature of document
d. Source of document
e. Name of plaintiff/comp lainant or name of defendant/respondent
f. Officer assigned for service (all cases will be assigned to Investigations
Unit)
g. Date of assignment (date assigned/forwarded to Investigations Unit)
h. Court docket number
i. Date of service due or required by.
B. Subpoenas/Court Orders
1. Subpoenas for officers to appear in court will be directed to the Court Liaison,
who will serve the subpoenas on officers electronically through DocuSign and log
the subpoenas in the RMS , including the date and time served, name of the server
and name of the person served.
2. After service of or a diligent attempt at service of a subpoena/court order by an
officer (see General Order 5.3.4, “Attempted Legal Process Service”), the on -duty
Patrol Lieutenant/Watch Commander will return the subpoena/court order to the
Court Liaison , and he/she will l og the service or attempted service of the
subpoena/court order in the RMS, including the date and time of service /service
attempt , name of the offi cer and name of the person served.
3. The Court Liaison will forward any subpoena/court order that has been served or
returned to him/her after attempted service to the SFPD ID Bureau.
4. Officers who have served a protective court order will submit proo f of service
directly into the CARPOS, including their name and agency, and transmit the
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
original proof of service to the issuing court within one day of service. (Fam.
Code § 6380)
6. Subpoena/court order records in the RMS shall be retained for a minimum of
three years.
C. Arrest Warrants
1. After serving an arrest warrant, the officer will sign and date the warrant as served
and return the original to the SFCWB.
2. The SFCWB will remove the warrant information from the wanted
person/warrant syste m.
3. Documentation related to served/recalled warrants is retained by the SFCWB.