Private writings are either:
1. Sealed; or, 2. Unsealed.
§ 1929.Kinds
Title 2. Of the Kinds and Degrees of Evidence · Chapter 3. Writings · Article 3. Private Writings · Enacted 1872 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1929 divides all private writings into two categories, sealed and unsealed, setting up the distinction the sections that follow use to describe how each kind of writing gets executed and treated.
Full Text of § 1929
Plain-English Summary
This section opens Article 3's rules on private writings with a simple sort: every private writing is either sealed or unsealed. It's a basic classification, not a value judgment, and it exists to give the rest of the article a shared vocabulary, since Section 1930 goes on to say what a seal is and Section 1932 later ends up erasing the practical difference between the two categories entirely.
Reading Section 1929 alongside Section 1932 tells the fuller story: California once treated sealed and unsealed writings differently, the way many jurisdictions still did in the nineteenth century, but the Legislature dropped that distinction as a rule of action. This section's classification survives mostly to help construe older instruments and out-of-state writings where the sealed and unsealed line can still carry legal weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two categories of private writings under this section?
Sealed and unsealed. Section 1929 doesn't recognize any third category.
Does it matter today whether a writing is sealed or unsealed?
Not for how strictly the writing binds the parties: Section 1932 abolished that distinction as a rule of action, though the classification still matters for construing older or out-of-state instruments.
Where does the law define what counts as a seal?
Amendment History
(Enacted in 1872.)
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the West's Annotated California Codes / Thomson Reuters. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: sealed versus unsealed writings californiaprivate writing classification