# Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 683-708 — Enforcement of Judgments

- Citation: Cal. Code Civ. Proc., §§ 683-708
- Code: Code of Civil Procedure
- Subject: Enforcement of Judgments Law (EJL)
- Source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xhtml?tocCode=CCP
- Last verified: 2026-05-13

> Authored from canonical California statutory sources; verify
> against leginfo.legislature.ca.gov before relying.

## Overview

The California Enforcement of Judgments Law (EJL) governs
post-judgment collection of money judgments. The most-cited
provisions are § 683.020 (10-year judgment life with renewal),
§§ 697-697.060 (judgment liens), § 700.010+ (writ of execution
and levy), § 706.010+ (wage garnishment), and § 708.110+
(supplemental proceedings — judgment debtor examination).

## Judgment lifespan and renewal

### § 683.020 — Period of enforceability

**Except as otherwise provided by statute, upon the expiration
of 10 years after the date of entry of a money judgment, or a
judgment for possession or sale of property: (a) The judgment
may not be enforced. (b) All enforcement procedures pursuant to
the judgment or to a writ or order issued pursuant to the
judgment shall cease. (c) Any lien created by an enforcement
procedure pursuant to the judgment is extinguished.**

### § 683.110 — Renewal

**(a)** The period of enforceability of a money judgment, or a
judgment for possession or sale of property, may be extended by
renewal of the judgment as provided in this article.

### § 683.130 — Renewal procedure

**(a)** The application for renewal of the judgment shall be
filed before the expiration of the 10-year period of
enforceability.

### § 683.140 — Effect of renewal

Renewal extends the period of enforceability for an additional
10 years from the date of filing the application for renewal.

### Practical implications

- A money judgment is enforceable for 10 years from entry.
- May be renewed before expiration, extending another 10 years.
- Renewal can be done repeatedly; no maximum number of renewals.
- Failure to renew before expiration → judgment becomes
  unenforceable, and any liens created under it are extinguished.

## Post-judgment costs and interest

### § 685.010 — Post-judgment costs

The judgment creditor is entitled to recover the reasonable
and necessary costs of enforcing a judgment, including the
sheriff's fees for levy, recording fees, and similar expenses.

### § 685.030 — Adding post-judgment costs to judgment

The court may order post-judgment costs added to the principal
balance of the judgment.

### Post-judgment interest

Post-judgment interest under California law is 10% per annum
(simple) by default per the Cal. Const. art. XV, § 1, and CCP
§ 685.010. Renewal capitalizes accrued interest.

## Judgment liens

### § 697.310 — Lien on real property

**A judgment lien on real property is created when an abstract
of a money judgment is recorded in the office of the county
recorder.** The abstract must be in the form prescribed by
§ 697.310 et seq.

### § 697.510 — Lien on personal property (UCC-1)

**A judgment lien on personal property is created by filing a
notice of judgment lien in the office of the Secretary of
State** in the form prescribed by § 697.510 et seq. (the
California UCC-1 form is used for filing).

### § 697.060 — Duration of lien

A judgment lien continues for **10 years from the date of the
judgment** (or, if the lien is on real property, from the date
the abstract was recorded).

## Writ of execution

### § 699.510 — Writ of execution

**(a)** Subject to Section 699.020, after entry of a money
judgment, the judgment creditor may apply ex parte to the
clerk of the court for the issuance of a writ of execution.

A writ of execution authorizes the levying officer (sheriff or
marshal) to seize and sell the debtor's non-exempt property to
satisfy the judgment.

### § 700.010 — Levying officer

Once issued, the writ of execution is delivered to the levying
officer (sheriff in most counties; marshal in some), who serves
the writ on the appropriate party (e.g., the debtor's bank,
employer, etc.).

### § 704.010-§ 704.995 — Exemptions

See **`CCP-Exemptions.md`** for the full exemption catalog.

## Wage garnishment

### § 706.010 — Application

**(a)** This article applies to the enforcement by withholding
from earnings of a money judgment, including the enforcement of
spousal-support and child-support orders.

### § 706.022 — Earnings withholding order

**(a)** An earnings withholding order is issued by the levying
officer at the request of the judgment creditor based on a
writ of execution issued by the court.

**(b)** The earnings withholding order shall be served on the
employer of the judgment debtor.

### § 706.050 — Withholding amount

**(a) — FEDERAL LIMITS (CCPA-aligned)**: The maximum amount of
the judgment debtor's disposable earnings for any workweek
that is subject to withholding to enforce a money judgment is
the lesser of the following:

(1) **25 percent of the individual's disposable earnings for
that week**; or

(2) The amount by which the individual's disposable earnings
for that week exceed 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage
prescribed by Section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act
of 1938 in effect at the time the earnings are payable.

### § 706.022 — Continuing levy

Once an earnings withholding order is served, it remains in
effect until the judgment is satisfied or until 10 years from
issuance, whichever is sooner.

### § 706.029 — Priority

Multiple earnings withholding orders are paid in chronological
order of receipt by the employer (FIFO), except that
spousal/child support takes priority.

### § 706.105 — Claim of exemption procedure

The judgment debtor may file a claim of exemption (Form WG-006
for wage garnishment, EJ-160 for other levies). The claim must
be filed within **15 days** after service of the levy.

## Bank levy

### § 700.140 — Levy on deposit accounts

The levying officer serves the writ on the depositary
(bank/credit union), which freezes funds up to the judgment
amount. The debtor may file a claim of exemption to protect
funds up to the § 704.080 amount (currently $1,826 for an
unmarried debtor; double for joint accounts).

## Supplemental proceedings

### § 708.110 — Judgment debtor examination

**(a)** The judgment creditor may apply to the proper court for
an order requiring the judgment debtor to appear before the
court, or before a referee appointed by the court, at a time
and place specified in the order, to furnish information to
aid in enforcement of the money judgment.

**(b)** The judgment creditor may, by noticed motion or ex
parte application, apply to the court for the order described.

**(c)(1)** The application shall be accompanied by a declaration
under penalty of perjury that no other examination of the
judgment debtor has been conducted within the preceding 120
days, except as provided in subdivision (d).

### § 708.110(c)(2) — 10-day notice

The order requiring the judgment debtor to appear for examination
shall be served personally on the judgment debtor at least
**10 days before the date set for examination**.

### § 708.120 — Third-party examination

The judgment creditor may apply for an order requiring a third
person (who allegedly possesses or controls the debtor's
property or owes the debtor money) to appear for examination.

### § 708.205 — Turnover order

After examination, the court may order the debtor or third
party to turn over specified non-exempt property to the levying
officer for sale.

### § 708.510 — Assignment of rights to payment

**(a)** The court may order the judgment debtor to assign to
the judgment creditor or to a receiver appointed pursuant to
Article 7 (commencing with Section 708.610) all or part of a
right to payment due or to become due (e.g., rents, royalties,
deferred compensation, accounts receivable).

### § 708.610 — Appointment of receiver

In limited circumstances, the court may appoint a receiver to
collect or sell judgment-debtor property.

## Contempt

### § 708.170 — Failure to appear

Failure to appear for a judgment-debtor exam after proper
service is punishable by contempt of court (potentially
including bench warrant for arrest).

## Discharge and satisfaction

### § 724.010 — Acknowledgment of full satisfaction

**(a)** When a money judgment is satisfied, the judgment creditor
shall execute and acknowledge an acknowledgment of full
satisfaction of the judgment.

### § 724.030 — Filing acknowledgment

**(a)** The acknowledgment shall be filed in the action with
the clerk of the court in which the judgment was entered.

### § 724.050 — Demand for acknowledgment

**(a)** The judgment debtor (or any owner of property subject
to a judgment lien) may serve a written demand on the judgment
creditor for an acknowledgment of full or partial satisfaction
of the judgment.

**(b)** The judgment creditor shall execute and either deliver
or file the acknowledgment of satisfaction within **15 days
after receipt of the demand**.

### § 724.080 — Penalty for failure

**(a)** If a judgment creditor refuses to execute or file an
acknowledgment of full or partial satisfaction of the judgment
within the time required by Section 724.050, the judgment
creditor is liable in the amount of $100, plus actual damages.

### § 724.110 — Demand for acknowledgment with payment

A judgment debtor making payment in full satisfaction may
include a demand for acknowledgment with the payment.

## Stay of enforcement

### § 918 — Stay pending appeal

Generally, the filing of a notice of appeal does not stay
enforcement unless the appellant posts a bond or undertaking
under §§ 917.1-917.9 (the amount depends on the type of
judgment).

## Cross-references

- `CCP-Exemptions.md` — § 704.010-995 exemption catalog
- `CCP-Service.md` — service of post-judgment papers
- `../../../ca-post-judgment/SKILL.md` — workflow that uses
  these statutes
- `../../../ca-post-judgment/references/garnishment-response.md`
  — claim of exemption guidance
- `../../../ca-post-judgment/references/satisfaction-of-judgment.md`
  — § 724 satisfaction procedure
- `../../../ca-post-judgment/references/supplemental-proceedings.md`
  — § 708 debtor exam procedure