(a) Complaints filed pursuant to § 502.62, amendments to complaints (unless otherwise authorized by the presiding officer pursuant to § 502.66(b)), small claims complaints filed pursuant to § 502.304, and Complainant's memoranda filed in shortened procedure cases pursuant to § 502.182, will be served by the Secretary of the Commission.

(b) The Secretary will serve the complaint using first class mail or express mail service at the Respondent's address provided by the Complainant. If the complaint cannot be delivered, for example if the complaint is returned as undeliverable or not accepted for delivery, the Secretary will notify the Complainant.

(c) Alternative service by Complainant. The Complainant may serve the Complaint at any time after it has been filed with the Commission. If Complainant serves the complaint, an affidavit setting forth the method, time and place of service must be filed with the Secretary within five days following service.

(d) The presiding officer may dismiss a complaint that has not been served within thirty (30) days after the complaint was filed. [Rule 113.]

(a) Except where a different method of service is specifically required by the rules in this Part, all pleadings, documents and papers of every kind (except requests for subpoenas under § 502.131, documents served by the Commission under § 502.113, and documents submitted at a hearing or prehearing conference) in proceedings before the Commission, when delivered to the Commission or the presiding officer for filing, must show that service has been made upon all parties to the proceeding and upon any other persons required to be served by the rules in this Part. Such service must be made by delivering one copy to each party; by email; in-person hand delivery; or United States mail service, and be properly addressed with postage prepaid; by courier; or by facsimile. Service should be made in the same manner in which any pleading or document is filed with the Commission. For example, if a pleading is filed by email pursuant to § 502.2(f)(3), service should also be made by email.

(b) When a party has appeared by attorney or other representative, service upon each attorney or other representative of record will be deemed service upon the party, except that, if two or more attorneys of record are partners or associates of the same firm, only one of them need be served.

Service on all prior participants in a rulemaking or a petition proceeding must be shown when submitting comments or replies beyond the initial round, including those involving disposition of petitions for rulemaking (Rule 51), petitions for declaratory order (Rule 75), petitions general (Rule 76), notices of proposed rulemaking (Rule 52), proceedings under section 19 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, (46 U.S.C. 42101) (Part 550), and proceedings under section 13(b)(6) of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U. S.C. 41108(d)) (Part 560). A list of all participants may be obtained from the Secretary of the Commission.

The date of service of documents served by the Commission will be the date shown in the service stamp placed on the first page of the document. The date of service of documents served by parties will be the date when the document served is transmitted by email, deposited in the United States mail, delivered to a courier, or delivered in person. If service is made by more than one method, for example email and also U.S. mail service, the date of service will be the earlier of the two dates. In computing the time from such dates, the provisions of § 502.101 shall apply. [Rule 116.]

The original of every document filed with the Commission and required to be served upon all parties to a proceeding shall be accompanied by a certificate of service signed by the party making service, stating that such service has been made upon each party to the proceeding. Certificates of service may be in substantially the following form: