QCAT Form 9 Affidavit of Service: How to Complete and Lodge It

You've served your QCAT application on the respondent. Now you need to prove it — and that proof comes in the form of a sworn document that trips up more self-represented applicants than almost any other step in the process.

What Form 9 Is and Why It Matters

Form 9 is QCAT's Affidavit of Service. It's a legal document where the person who served the application swears under oath that service happened on a specific date, at a specific place, using a specific method.

For a default request, QCAT needs a completed affidavit of service. In a minor-debt case, you can use Form 9 or complete the affidavit-of-service section in Form 6.

An incorrectly completed or unwitnessed affidavit may not prove that service took place, which can delay the next steps.

Who Completes Form 9

The person who actually carried out the service completes the affidavit — not you, unless you served the documents yourself.

If you hired a process server, they complete Form 9. If a court bailiff served the documents, the bailiff provides the affidavit. If you served the respondent personally, you fill it out.

What to Include

Form 9 requires five specific pieces of information:

1. Your full name and address (or the server's full name and address if someone else served)
2. The exact date and time service was carried out — not "around 2pm" but "at 2:15pm on 14 October 2026"
3. The exact street location — the physical address where service happened
4. The method of service — personal delivery to the individual, post to the company's registered office, or delivery to a company director
5. How the respondent was identified — they confirmed their name, you recognised them by sight, you confirmed a director's identity through company records

The Witnessing Requirement

Form 9 is a sworn affidavit. You must sign it in front of an authorised witness who verifies your identity and watches you sign. Authorised witnesses in Queensland include:

• A Justice of the Peace (JP)
• A Commissioner for Declarations
• A practising solicitor

You can find a free JP at most courthouses, some libraries and police stations, and through the Queensland JP branch locator. Don't sign the form before you're in front of the witness — they need to see you sign.

Common Mistakes

Vague details. "I served the documents at their house" isn't enough. You need the street address, exact date and exact time.

Signing before the witness. If you sign at home and then take it to a JP, they can't legally witness a signature they didn't see happen. You'll need to complete a new form.

Wrong person completing the form. If a process server did the service, they must swear the affidavit — not you. You can't swear to facts you didn't personally witness.

Forgetting to lodge it. Form 9 must be filed with the QCAT registry. Completing it and keeping it in your folder doesn't count. Lodge it as soon as possible after service, especially if you're planning to apply for a default decision.

When to Lodge

Lodge Form 9 promptly after service. If the respondent doesn't file a Form 7 response within 28 days, Form 6 requires proof of service. You can refer to a Form 9 already filed or complete Form 6's affidavit-of-service section.

The QCAT claim guide includes a Form 9 execution checklist that walks through each field and the witnessing process to make sure nothing is missed.

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