Serving a Complaint on the United

States (a) Manner of Service. To serve a complaint on the United States, the clerk must deliver one copy of the complaint to the Attorney General or to an agent designated by authority of the Attorney General by hand delivery or by sending it to an electronic address designated by the Attorney General for this purpose. (b) Proof of Service. When serving a complaint, the clerk must enter the fact of service on the docket, and this entry will be prima facie proof of service. (c) Date of Service. The date service is made is the date the clerk enters the complaint in the court’s electronic-filing system. (As revised and reissued May 1, 2002; as amended Nov. 3, 2008, July 15, 2011, July 31, 2023.) Rules Committee Notes 2002 Revision The title of RCFC 4 has been changed to more closely conform to FRCP 4(i). Other provisions of FRCP 4(i)—those dealing with service upon agencies, corporations, or officers of the United States—have not been made a part of this court’s RCFC 4 because, in this court (with the exception of vaccine cases), only the United States is properly the named defendant. See RCFC 10(a). 2008 Amendment The language of RCFC 4 has been amended to conform to the general restyling of the FRCP. 2011 Amendment RCFC 4(a) has been amended to permit service of a complaint on the United States by the clerk’s delivery of one copy of the complaint (in lieu of the formerly required 5 copies) “by hand delivery or by sending it to an electronic address designated by the Attorney General for this purpose.” 2023 Amendment RCFC 4(c) has been amended to clarify that the date the United States is served is the date the the court’s clerk enters electronic-filing system. the complaint in