This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Oil and Gas Lien Act.
§ 1203.50.Title of Act
Title 4. Of the Enforcement of Liens · Chapter 2.5. Oil and Gas Liens · Enacted 1959 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1203.50 names Chapter 2.5 the Oil and Gas Lien Act, the short title California courts and practitioners use for the statutory scheme protecting people who supply labor, materials, or services to oil and gas well operations.
Full Text of § 1203.50
Plain-English Summary
Every statutory scheme needs a name, and this section supplies it. Chapter 2.5, added in 1959, is officially the Oil and Gas Lien Act — a compact way to refer to the sixteen sections that follow, § 1203.51 through § 1203.66.
The Act fills a gap that the general mechanics lien law doesn't reach well: work performed on an oil or gas well, on a leasehold, rather than on a building or other structure. What follows in this chapter defines who qualifies for a lien, what property it attaches to, how it's recorded and enforced, and how it interacts with bonds, assignments, and waivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Oil and Gas Lien Act?
It's the short title for Chapter 2.5 of Title 4 (§§ 1203.50-1203.66), California's statutory lien scheme for people who furnish labor, materials, or services to oil and gas well operations.
When was the Oil and Gas Lien Act enacted?
It was added by the Legislature in 1959 and has been amended since, most recently to its enforcement procedure in § 1203.61.
Is the Oil and Gas Lien Act the same as the general mechanics lien law?
No. It's a separate chapter tailored to oil and gas leaseholds, though § 1203.61 borrows the mechanics lien law's enforcement procedure from the Civil Code for filing suit on the lien.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 2020.
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
Also known as: oil and gas lien act californiacalifornia oil and gas lien law