People often mix these up because movies make everything look like a private detective thriller. In real life, they’re totally different.

Surveillance is what a licensed private investigator does. It involves monitoring someone’s activities over time to gather information for a case. That’s investigative work, and it requires a PI license.

A stakeout for service is much simpler. It’s specific to process serving, and the goal is just to make contact with the person so we can legally hand them their documents. It’s short-term, narrow in purpose, and not investigative. We’re not following anyone, gathering intel, or tracking routines. We’re just waiting at a known location until the person appears.

To be clear:
We are not licensed private investigators, and we do not perform PI-style surveillance.
Our stakeouts are strictly for completing lawful service of process.

Surveillance = licensed investigative monitoring
Stakeout = waiting to deliver legal papers