Mississippi Association of Professional Process Servers History

The Mississippi Association of Professional Process Servers (MAPPS) was founded in December 2010 by a group of concerned business owners in Jackson, MS, primarily to serve as a political and professional shield for the industry.

The specific reasons for its formation include:

Defensive Lobbying: The association was created to fight proposed state legislation that was deemed adverse to the process serving industry. This allowed individual servers to form a "unified front" against laws that could have restricted their business operations.
Establishment of Ethical Standards: Founders wanted to create and maintain a strict code of ethics to professionalize the industry and ensure that all members operate with high integrity.
Legislative Influence: Beyond just blocking "bad" laws, the group was formed to proactively promote legislation and rule changes that benefit the industry, such as improving safety for servers or clarifying service procedures.
Public Relations: The association sought to improve relations and communication between the process serving community, the legal community, and the general public.

MAPPS has influenced several specific pieces of legislation and court rules to protect the rights of process servers and standardize legal procedures in Mississippi.

Key Legislative and Rule Influences

HB 362 (2011) – The Licensing Battle: This was the "founding crisis" for MAPPS. The original HB 362 proposed strict licensing, mandatory fingerprinting, and high bonding requirements for all private process servers. MAPPS successfully lobbied to ensure these regulations did not create unfair barriers for professional servers.
HB 898 (2014) – Trespass Exemptions: MAPPS heavily advocated for House Bill 898, which sought to exempt process servers from trespassing prosecution while they are in the line of duty. This was a direct response to servers being harassed or charged with trespassing while attempting to deliver legal notices on private property.
Mississippi Rule 4 – Privacy Protection: The association played a vital role in reforming how Affidavits of Service are filed under Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 4. They developed a standardized affidavit form that allows servers to omit their personal social security numbers and home addresses from public court records, protecting them from identity theft.
Rule 4(c)(1) – Cost Recovery: MAPPS members benefit from rules that allow the costs of a private process server to be taxed as recoverable costs in a lawsuit, similar to fees paid to a sheriff. This helps ensure that hiring a professional server is a financially viable option for law firms.