A written dismissal of an action shall be entered in the clerk's register and is effective for all purposes when so entered. All dismissals ordered by the court shall be in the form of a written order signed by the court and filed in the action and those orders when so filed shall constitute judgments and be effective for all purposes, and the clerk shall note those judgments in the register of actions in the case.
§ 581d.Dismissal Entered In Clerk's Register; Form Or Order of Dismissal
Title 8. Of the Trial and Judgment In Civil Actions · Chapter 1. Judgment in General · Last amended 1998 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 581d requires that a written dismissal be entered in the clerk's register to take effect, and requires every court-ordered dismissal to be a signed, filed written order that constitutes a judgment and gets noted in the register.
Full Text of § 581d
Plain-English Summary
Dismissal only becomes effective through the clerk's paperwork. A written dismissal — whether it comes from the plaintiff's own request or from an agreement among the parties — takes effect for all purposes once it's entered in the clerk's register.
Court-ordered dismissals follow a stricter form. They have to be written orders, signed by the court and filed in the action. Once filed, those orders count as judgments and are effective for all purposes, and the clerk records them in the register of actions just like any other judgment in the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a written dismissal become effective?
When it's entered in the clerk's register — that entry makes it effective for all purposes.
Does a court-ordered dismissal count as a judgment?
Yes. Section 581d treats a signed, filed order of dismissal as constituting a judgment, effective for all purposes.
Does the clerk have to record a dismissal order anywhere else?
Yes, the clerk notes those judgments in the register of actions for the case.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 931, Sec. 79. Effective September 28, 1998.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: clerk register dismissal californiawritten order of dismissal requirements california