An award that has not been confirmed or vacated has the same force and effect as a contract in writing between the parties to the arbitration.
§ 1287.6.Force and Effect of Judgment
Title 9. Arbitration · Chapter 4. Enforcement of the Award · Article 1. Confirmation, Correction or Vacation of the Award · Enacted 1961 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1287.6 provides that an arbitration award that has not yet been confirmed or vacated carries the same force and effect as a written contract between the parties to the arbitration.
Full Text of § 1287.6
Plain-English Summary
This closing section fills the gap between when an award is made and when a court acts on it one way or the other. An award that has not been confirmed or vacated is not left in legal limbo -- it has the same force and effect as a written contract between the parties to the arbitration.
That contractual status gives a party some options even without going to court first: an unconfirmed award can be treated and enforced the way any written contract would be. But it is still worth going through confirmation under Section 1287.4 in most cases, since a judgment on a confirmed award comes with enforcement tools that an ordinary contract claim does not carry on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the legal status of an arbitration award before it is confirmed or vacated?
It has the same force and effect as a written contract between the parties.
Does a party have to confirm the award in court before it means anything?
No -- an unconfirmed award is already enforceable as a contract, though confirmation converts it into a judgment with broader enforcement tools.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1961, Ch. 461.
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: unconfirmed arbitration award enforceabilityarbitration award as contract california