Short answer: your out-of-state subpoena has no force against LinkedIn until it is domesticated in a California court. LinkedIn’s registered agent is in Sacramento, and LinkedIn expressly reserves the right to object to improper service.
We are a Registered California Process Server (2024-027) in Sacramento. LinkedIn’s agent is about ten minutes from our office. We domesticate the subpoena and serve it properly. $395 flat.
Exactly Who You Serve
Entity: LinkedIn Corporation (a Microsoft subsidiary). Registered agent for service of process in California:
Corporation Service Company (CSC), 2710 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 150N, Sacramento, CA 95833
An honest note about service
LinkedIn will accept legal process by certified mail, express courier, in person, or through its online portal. So unlike Google, personal service is not strictly forced on you. But that changes nothing about the part that actually stops people: LinkedIn reserves the right “to object to improper service of process,” and an out-of-state subpoena that was never domesticated in California is not valid California process, no matter how you deliver it. The domestication is the hard part. The delivery is the easy part. We do both.
What Records You Can Actually Get
LinkedIn subpoenas cluster around two case types: employment disputes (discrimination, wrongful termination, wage claims) and trade-secret / non-solicit cases (who did a departing employee message, and when).
A properly domesticated civil subpoena can reach:
- Subscriber and profile information — registration email, phone, account creation date
- IP address logs with timestamps — which unmask an anonymous or fake profile
- Employment history as entered on the profile, and profile edit history
- Account status and connection data
What you cannot get. The federal Stored Communications Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 2701–2712) bars providers from disclosing the contents of communications to civil litigants. No subpoena, however well drafted, will get you private messages. LinkedIn states that member messages, invitations, and connections carry a high bar and are disclosed only under a valid search warrant. If your case depends on the contents of InMail, a civil subpoena is not the tool.
How Domestication Actually Works in California
California adopted the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act at Code of Civil Procedure sections 2029.100 through 2029.900. You do not need California counsel, and you do not open a miscellaneous case.
- Submit the foreign subpoena to the clerk of the Superior Court in the county where discovery takes place — for CSC, that is Sacramento County.
- File Form SUBP-030 (Application for Discovery Subpoena in an Action Pending Outside California) with the correct California subpoena: SUBP-035 for business records, SUBP-040 for personal appearance, or SUBP-045 for both.
- The clerk issues a California subpoena mirroring your out-of-state subpoena. Court filing fee: $45.
- The California subpoena is served under California rules — on LinkedIn’s registered agent.
The Trap That Voids Most Out-of-State Subpoenas
Code of Civil Procedure section 1985.3 — the Notice to Consumer. If you are seeking records about an individual, you must serve that person (or their attorney) with the subpoena and a Notice to Consumer before the custodian is served — at least 5 days before, and at least 10 days before the production date. Miss it and your subpoena is defective, and the custodian may refuse.
Out-of-state attorneys blow this constantly, because their home state has no equivalent. We handle the notice and prove it up.
Under section 2020.410(c), the production date cannot be earlier than 20 days after the subpoena is issued or 15 days after it is served, whichever is later. Calendar the later one.
What It Costs
$395 flat — domestication and service, 5 business days. $495 flat — rush, 3 business days.
Includes SUBP-030 and subpoena preparation, filing at the Sacramento Superior Court clerk, the $45 court filing fee (advanced), the $15 witness fee for business records, service on the registered agent, and a signed Proof of Service formatted for filing in California and in your home state court.
Most competitors will not put a number on this page. That is exactly why we do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a California attorney to subpoena LinkedIn?
No. Under the UIDDA the application goes straight to the court clerk. No California counsel, no miscellaneous case.
Can I get a departing employee’s LinkedIn messages?
Not with a civil subpoena. LinkedIn requires a search warrant for messages, invitations, and connections. You can get profile data and IP logs.
Can I unmask a fake LinkedIn profile impersonating my client?
Yes — that is what the IP logs and registration email are for.
LinkedIn says it accepts certified mail. Why do I need you?
Delivery was never the problem. The subpoena has to be domesticated in California first or it is not valid California process. That is the piece we handle.
How long does it take?
Five business days standard, three on rush.
Which county?
Sacramento County — that is where LinkedIn’s registered agent sits.