Eyes on the Ground — Discreet & Court-Ready
Some cases need eyes on the ground — and that's where we come in. When you need the truth, we watch until we have it.
We conduct discreet, legal stakeouts to gather visual evidence for domestic, legal, or corporate cases. From workers' comp fraud to custody violations, we document behaviors, locations, and patterns.
Our team uses vehicle and body cams, zoom lenses, and other tools to capture the right moments. You'll receive time-stamped photos, videos, and detailed reports.
Everything is done ethically and designed to hold up in court.
What is a Stakeout?
A stakeout involves stationing a process server in a vehicle near a known location — home, workplace, or frequent hangout — and waiting for the subject to appear. This is the go-to method when a person is known to be at a location but successfully avoids answering the door.
All stakeouts are conducted in public or areas with implied public access. Our servers remain professional and discreet throughout.
What's Included
When Courts Expect More Than Knocking
A stakeout here is service of process, not private-investigator surveillance. The objective is narrow and legal: be present when the subject is, make lawful contact, and complete personal service under CCP § 415.10. We are not building a behavioral dossier or gathering intelligence for a case theory — we are finishing a serve that door knocks alone won't finish.
The reason it matters is the diligence standard. Before substituted service under CCP § 415.20 — leaving the papers with a competent adult 18 or older and mailing a copy, with service complete 10 days after the mailing — or unlawful detainer posting under CCP § 415.45, a server has to show real effort at personal delivery. AB 747 puts a number on it, operative January 1, 2027: good-faith attempts on at least three occasions, on three different days, at three different times. Three tries at 9am on three Tuesdays is not that record, and judges have been skeptical of it long before the statute said so.
So there are two moments a stakeout earns its cost. The first is when the address is confirmed but the subject is clearly screening — a fourth knock produces nothing but a fourth line in the log. The second is when personal service is worth more than the fallback: restraining orders, family law matters, and cases where you would rather not defend a substituted serve against a motion to quash. The full method hierarchy is explained on our service of process page.
Gated Communities & Court-Ready Documentation
Gates are not a shield — CCP § 415.21. California law requires that a registered process server who displays proper identification and states that they are attempting to serve legal process be granted access to a gated community for a reasonable period of time during daylight hours, when the residence sought is inside. In practice, the difference between being waved through and being turned away at a Rancho Cucamonga or Diamond Bar gate is whether the server can cite the statute and produce a registration number. We don't force entry or trespass; we use the access the Code already grants.
Every attempt is AB 747-ready. You receive time-stamped photographs of the site — including the door or entrance at a dwelling or business — GPS-stamped location and time data for each attempt, and a written attempt record structured for a declaration of diligence. That is precisely the evidence AB 747 (the SPARE Act) makes mandatory statewide on January 1, 2027, and it has been our standard output for years — included, not billed as an upgrade. Our rates are published in full on the pricing page.
General information, not legal advice.
Pricing
| Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| Stakeout — 2-hour minimum | Starting at $150 |
| Additional hours (per hour) | Hourly rate applies |
| Weekend / holiday stakeout | Special Time fee + hourly |
Payment required before service begins. Call for exact quote.
Good to Know
- Stakeouts are not the same as licensed PI surveillance — our goal is specifically to make contact and complete service.
- We cannot enter private property or gated communities without permission.
- If skip tracing is needed first to confirm a location, we offer that as a separate service.
Evasive Defendant & Stakeout FAQ
What can I do if someone is avoiding a process server in California?
Avoidance is not a defense — it is a documentation problem. The answer is a record of diligent, varied attempts followed by the method the Code of Civil Procedure allows. That usually means a stakeout to complete personal service under CCP § 415.10, or, once reasonable diligence is established, substituted service under CCP § 415.20 — leaving the papers with a competent adult 18 or older and mailing a copy, with service complete 10 days after the mailing.
Is a stakeout to serve papers legal, and is it surveillance?
It is legal, and it is service of process rather than private investigation. A server sits in a vehicle in a public place or an area of implied public access near a known location and waits for the subject to appear, then completes the serve. There is no covert intelligence-gathering objective, no trespass, and no recording inside private spaces. The goal is narrow: make lawful contact and hand over the documents.
Can a process server get into a gated community in California?
Yes. Under CCP § 415.21, a registered process server who displays proper identification and states that they are attempting to serve legal process must be granted access to a gated community for a reasonable period of time, during daylight hours, when the residence is inside. Guards and HOA managers occasionally push back; a server who can cite the statute and produce a registration number resolves it at the gate instead of driving away empty-handed.
How many attempts before a court expects more than knocking?
Under the diligence standard AB 747 codifies, operative January 1, 2027, substituted service and unlawful detainer posting require good-faith attempts at personal delivery on at least three occasions, on three different days, at three different times. Three attempts at the same weekday hour has never been a persuasive record. When ordinary attempts are clearly being dodged, a stakeout timed to the subject's actual pattern is what turns a thin diligence declaration into a completed personal serve.
What documentation do I get from a stakeout?
A written attempt record suitable for a declaration of diligence, GPS-stamped location and time data for each attempt, and time-stamped photographs of the site — including the door or entrance at a dwelling or business. That package is exactly what AB 747 will require on proofs of service statewide from January 1, 2027, and it is what we have produced on every job for years, at no additional charge.
General information, not legal advice.
Book a Stakeout
Tell us about your case and we'll coordinate the right approach.
Pair with Skip Tracing
Don't have a confirmed address? Our skip tracing service can find one before we do the stakeout.
Learn about Skip Tracing →Need to catch an evasive defendant?
Stakeouts are our specialty. Call us to discuss the best strategy for your case.