Service of documents
70.—(1)  Any notice, order, direction or other document required or authorised by this Act to be served on any person may be served on the person —
(a)in the case of an individual —
(i)by delivering it to the individual personally;
(ii)by leaving it with an adult person apparently resident at, or by sending it by pre-paid registered post to, the usual or last known address of the place of residence of the individual;
(iii)by leaving it with an adult person apparently employed at, or by sending it by pre-paid registered post to, the usual or last known address of the place of business of the individual;
(iv)by affixing a copy of the notice in a conspicuous place at the usual or last known address of residence or business of the individual;
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(v)by sending it by facsimile transmission to the facsimile number operated at the usual or last known address of the place of residence or business of the individual, or the last facsimile number given to the Council by the individual as the facsimile number for the service of documents on the individual;
(vi)subject to subsection (3B) — by sending it by email to the individual’s last email address; or
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(vii)subject to subsection (3B) — by sending it by an internet‑based messaging service to the individual’s last contact address;
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(b)in the case of a partnership other than a limited liability partnership —
(i)by delivering it to any one of the partners or the secretary or other like officer of the partnership;
(ii)by leaving it at, or by sending it by pre-paid registered post to, the principal or last known place of business of the partnership in Singapore;
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(iii)by sending it by facsimile transmission to the facsimile number operated at the principal or last known place of business of the partnership in Singapore;
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(iv)subject to subsection (3B) — by sending it by email to the partnership’s last email address; or
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(v)subject to subsection (3B) — by sending it by an internet‑based messaging service to the partnership’s last contact address; and
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(c)in the case of any limited liability partnership or any other body corporate —
(i)by delivering it to the secretary or other like officer of the body corporate or, in the case of a limited liability partnership, the manager thereof;
(ii)by leaving it at, or by sending it by pre-paid registered post to, the registered office or principal office of the limited liability partnership or body corporate in Singapore;
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(iii)by sending it by facsimile transmission to the facsimile number operated at the registered office or principal office of the limited liability partnership or body corporate in Singapore;
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(iv)subject to subsection (3B) — by sending it by email to the limited liability partnership’s or body corporate’s last email address; or
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(v)subject to subsection (3B) — by sending it by an internet‑based messaging service to the limited liability partnership’s or body corporate’s last contact address.
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(2)  Where any notice, order, direction or other document required or authorised by this Act to be served is sent by a facsimile transmission to the facsimile number operated at the last known place of residence or business or registered office or principal office in accordance with subsection (1), it shall be deemed to have been duly served on the person to whom it is addressed on the day of transmission, subject to receipt on the sending facsimile machine of a notification (by electronic or other means) of a successful transmission to the place of residence or business or registered office or principal office (as the case may be).
(3)  Where any notice, order, direction or other document required or authorised by this Act to be served is sent by pre-paid registered post, it shall be deemed to have been duly served on the person to whom it is addressed 2 days after the day the notice or document was posted, whether or not it is returned undelivered.
(3A)  Where any notice, order, direction or other document is sent by email or by an internet-based messaging service under subsection (1), service of the notice, order, direction or other document takes effect at the time that the email or message becomes capable of being retrieved by the person to whom it is sent.
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(3B)  Service of any notice, order, direction or other document under this Act on a person by email or by an internet‑based messaging service may be effected only —
(a)with the person’s prior consent to service in that way; and
(b)in a file format that the person has agreed to.
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]
(4)  Any notice, order, direction or other document required or authorised by this Act to be served on the owner or occupier of any premises —
(a)may be served by delivering it or a true copy thereof to some adult person on the premises or, if there is no such person on the premises to whom it can with reasonable diligence be delivered, by affixing the notice, order, direction or document to some conspicuous part of the premises; and
(b)shall be deemed to be properly addressed if addressed by the description of the owner or occupier of the premises without further name or description.
(5)  This section shall not apply to notices and documents to be served in proceedings in court.
(6)  In this section —
“last contact address”, in relation to an internet-based messaging service, means —
(a)the last contact address, for receipt of messages through the internet‑based messaging service, given, under this Act, by the addressee concerned to the person giving or serving the notice, order, direction or other document as the contact address for the service of the notice, order, direction or other document; or
(b)the last contact address, for receipt of messages through the internet‑based messaging service, of the addressee concerned known to the person giving or serving the notice, order, direction or other document;
“last email address” means —
(a)the last email address given, under this Act, by the addressee concerned to the person giving or serving the notice, order, direction or other document as the email address for the service of the notice, order, direction or other document; or
(b)the last email address of the addressee concerned known to the person giving or serving the notice, order, direction or other document.
[Act 24 of 2020 wef 30/07/2021]