Roles and Responsibilities of a Registered Professional Photocopier

A registered professional photocopier is a county-registered, bonded professional who copies records for use in a lawsuit, usually records produced under a subpoena. Attorneys, paralegals and self-represented litigants use one so records are copied, handled and delivered correctly, with a clean chain of custody they can rely on in court.

In California, photocopying for litigation is a regulated business. Anyone who does it for a fee must be registered with their county and bonded. ProServer CA is registered and bonded in Kern County (Reg. #47) and retrieves and copies records statewide.

Registration and bonding requirements

Under Business and Professions Code § 22450, anyone who, for pay, obtains or copies records produced under the Evidence Code business-records rules, and has access to what's in them, must register with the county clerk where they live or have their main office. The chapter's other sections set the rules:

• Bond: $5,000 surety bond, or a $5,000 cash deposit (§ 22455)

• Background: applicant certifies no felony conviction and compliance with confidentiality laws (§ 22452)

• Notary: at least one manager must hold a current California notary commission (§ 22454)

• Term: 2 years, or until the bond expires if sooner (§ 22456)

• ID card: the county issues a numbered card showing "Professional Photocopier," the registration number and county (§ 22457)

• Records certificate: records sent on must carry the photocopier's name, address, registration number and county (§ 22462)

• Penalty: copying records for pay without registering is a misdemeanor (§ 22463)

Some people don't need to register, including attorneys and their own staff, government employees, licensed private investigators, court reporters, and a custodian making its own copies (§ 22451).

Duties and responsibilities

A professional photocopier's job is to get the right records, copy them accurately, keep them confidential, and deliver them only to people entitled to them. Day to day, that means:

• Picking up or receiving subpoenaed records. The custodian can deliver copies to the deposition officer, or the photocopier goes to the custodian's office to copy on site.

• Copying accurately and completely. Every page, front and back, in order, with nothing added or removed.

• Keeping the custodian's affidavit with the records. Records must travel with the custodian's affidavit under the Evidence Code and the photocopier's own affidavit that they go only to authorized persons (§ 22462).

• Protecting confidential information. Medical, employment and financial records often hold private details. The photocopier certifies at registration that it follows confidentiality laws (§ 22452).

• Delivering to the right people. Copies go to the requesting attorney and, when ordered, to other parties who pay for a set.

• Paying the custodian's lawful costs. For example, $0.10 per standard page plus allowed clerical time and postage under Evidence Code § 1563.

• Staying registered and bonded. Renewing every 2 years with the same registration number.

Deposition officer for records-only subpoenas

For a deposition subpoena that asks only for business records, California law requires the deposition officer to be a registered professional photocopier, or someone exempt from registration such as an attorney's office. Code of Civil Procedure § 2020.420 says the officer "shall be a professional photocopier registered under" B&P § 22450.

What that means in practice:

• The subpoena (form SUBP-010) names a deposition officer to receive the records. ProServer CA can be named in that role.

• The custodian delivers the records and affidavit to us, or we copy them on site at the custodian's office.

• We copy, organize and deliver the records to the attorney, with the custodian's affidavit, ready for use at trial.

• The deposition officer can't have a financial interest in the case or be a relative or employee of any party's attorney (§ 2020.420). As an independent registered photocopier, ProServer CA meets that rule.

This role covers business records only. No witness is questioned and no testimony is recorded. That's the work of a certified shorthand reporter.

How ProServer CA handles records retrieval

ProServer CA can serve the subpoena, act as deposition officer, and copy and deliver the records, all from one vendor.

1. You send the deposition subpoena for business records, plus any consumer or employee notice.

2. We serve the custodian and track the production date.

3. We collect the records at the custodian's office or receive them by delivery.

4. We deliver Bates-stamped, text-searchable PDFs with the custodian's affidavit.

Registered & Bonded Professional Photocopier, Kern County Reg. #47 · CALSPro Certified Process Server #778 · Kern County Registered Process Server #848 · USMC veteran-owned.

Send a records request: proserverca.com/request-for-service · (661) 525-5802 · [email protected]

FAQ

Does a registered photocopier have to be bonded?
Yes. California requires a $5,000 surety bond or cash deposit with the county registration (B&P § 22455).

Can a registered photocopier be the deposition officer on a records subpoena?
Yes. For records-only deposition subpoenas, CCP § 2020.420 names a registered professional photocopier as the deposition officer.

Is a Kern County registration valid outside Kern County?
You register in the county where you live or have your main office, and the law doesn't limit where you can retrieve records after that. ProServer CA retrieves records statewide.

Do I need a photocopier if I'm an attorney?
No. Attorneys and their own staff are exempt. Many firms still use one to save staff time and to have an independent deposition officer.

How long does registration last?
Two years, or until the bond expires if that comes first (B&P § 22456).

Sources

• Code of Civil Procedure § 2020.420

• Business and Professions Code § 22450

• Business and Professions Code §§ 22450–22463

• Sacramento County Public Law Library: Business Records Subpoena

This article is general information, not legal advice.