(a) A judgment by confession is unenforceable and may not be entered in any superior court.
§ 1132.Judgment By Confession Unenforceable; Applicability
Title 3. Of Summary Proceedings · Chapter 1. Confession of Judgment Without Action · Last amended 2023 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1132 abolishes judgment by confession in California, providing that a confessed judgment can no longer be entered in any superior court, while preserving the validity of confessed judgments already obtained or entered before January 1, 2023.
Full Text of § 1132
(b) This section does not apply to a judgment by confession obtained or entered before January 1, 2023.
Plain-English Summary
Confession of judgment used to let a defendant, without ever being sued, sign a written statement admitting a debt and authorizing a court to enter judgment on it — no complaint, no trial, no notice to anyone else who might have a claim against that defendant. Section 1132 ends that practice. Since January 1, 2023, a judgment by confession is unenforceable, and no superior court may enter one.
Subdivision (b) draws a firm line at that date rather than reaching backward. A confessed judgment obtained or entered before January 1, 2023 keeps whatever force it had; only judgments sought on or after that date are barred by this section.
Two companion sections that once filled out this chapter's confession-of-judgment procedure, §§ 1133 and 1134, have since been repealed, leaving this single prohibition as the whole of the chapter. A related but distinct shortcut survives in the next chapter: § 1138 lets parties who agree on the facts of a dispute submit an agreed case directly to a court for judgment, without confessing anything or filing a full complaint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a defendant still confess judgment in California without being sued?
No. Since January 1, 2023, Section 1132 makes a judgment by confession unenforceable, and no superior court may enter one.
What happens to a confessed judgment entered before 2023?
It remains valid. Section 1132(b) exempts any judgment by confession obtained or entered before January 1, 2023 from this prohibition.
Is confession of judgment the same as a settlement or stipulated judgment reached during a lawsuit?
No. This section addresses the older practice of confessing judgment outside of any pending action; a stipulated judgment reached in a case that has already been filed is governed by different rules.
Why did California eliminate confession of judgment?
The statute itself does not state a reason; it only sets the effective date and preserves judgments already entered before that date.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2022 ch 851 (SB 688),s 1, eff. 1/1/2023. Amended by Stats 2002 ch 784 (SB 1316),s 77, eff. 1/1/2003.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
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