The parties may agree on the place of arbitration.
§ 1297.201.Parties May Agree
Title 9.3. Arbitration and Conciliation of International Commercial Disputes · Chapter 5. Manner and Conduct of Arbitration · Article 3. Place of Arbitration · Enacted 1988 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1297.201 lets the parties to an arbitration agree on the place of arbitration, which Section 1297.202 addresses if they do not and Section 1297.203 clarifies does not fix every location where the tribunal may meet.
Full Text of § 1297.201
Plain-English Summary
This section opens the article on where an arbitration is legally seated with the simplest possible rule: the parties decide. They may agree on the place of arbitration, and that agreement controls.
“Place of arbitration” in this context is a legal concept more than a physical one -- it fixes things like which jurisdiction's procedural law and courts have a supervisory role over the arbitration, not necessarily where every hearing or meeting will happen. Section 1297.203 makes that distinction explicit: even after the parties agree on a legal seat, the tribunal can still meet elsewhere for practical purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who chooses the place of arbitration?
The parties, by agreement.
Does the agreed place of arbitration have to be where every hearing physically happens?
No -- Section 1297.203 lets the tribunal meet elsewhere for consultation, hearings, or inspections regardless of the agreed place of arbitration.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1988, Ch. 23, Sec. 1. Effective March 7, 1988.
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: place of arbitration agreement californiaarbitral seat vs hearing location