If a petition or response under this chapter is duly served and filed, the court shall confirm the award as made, whether rendered in this state or another state, unless in accordance with this chapter it corrects the award and confirms it as corrected, vacates the award or dismisses the proceedings.
§ 1286.Duty of Court If Petition and Response Duly Served and Filed
Title 9. Arbitration · Chapter 4. Enforcement of the Award · Article 1. Confirmation, Correction or Vacation of the Award · Last amended 1978 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1286 requires the court to confirm an arbitration award as made, whether rendered in California or another state, once a petition or response is duly served and filed, unless the court instead corrects and confirms the award as corrected, vacates it, or dismisses the proceeding under this chapter.
Full Text of § 1286
Plain-English Summary
Once the procedural gateway is cleared -- a petition or response duly served and filed -- this section sets the default outcome: the court confirms the award as made. That default applies whether the arbitration and award happened in California or somewhere else; the same confirm-unless-otherwise rule governs either way.
There are only three ways to avoid straight confirmation, and each is governed by its own rules elsewhere in this chapter: the court can correct the award and confirm it as corrected under Sections 1286.6 and 1286.8, vacate it under Sections 1286.2 and 1286.4, or dismiss the proceeding, as when a named respondent turns out not to be bound by the award or a party to the arbitration under Section 1287.2. Absent one of those three outcomes, confirmation is where the case lands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the court's default action once a proper petition or response is filed?
To confirm the award as made.
Does it matter if the arbitration and award happened outside California?
No -- the same confirm-unless-otherwise rule applies whether the award was rendered in this state or another state.
What are the only ways the court can avoid confirming the award as made?
Correcting it and confirming it as corrected, vacating it, or dismissing the proceeding.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 260.
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: confirm arbitration award californiaout of state arbitration award confirmation