Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, the definitions in this chapter govern the construction of this title.
§ 680.110.Definitions Govern Construction
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 1. Short Title and Definitions · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 680.110 makes the defined terms in Chapter 1 apply throughout the entire Enforcement of Judgments Law unless a specific provision's own wording or context calls for a different meaning.
Full Text of § 680.110
Plain-English Summary
This section is the switch that turns the glossary in the rest of Chapter 1 into binding law. Without it, terms like "judgment creditor" or "levying officer" would just be dictionary entries; with it, they become the meanings courts and litigants must use whenever those words appear anywhere in Title 9.
The qualifier at the front -- "unless the provision or context otherwise requires" -- keeps the rule from being absolute. A handful of EJL sections use a term in a narrower or broader sense than the Chapter 1 definition, and when that happens, the specific provision controls. But that is the exception; the default assumption for any Title 9 section is that its vocabulary means exactly what §§ 680.120 through 680.380 say it means.
Practically, this section is why the definitions that follow are worth reading closely rather than skimming. A term like "person" (§ 680.280) or "judgment" (§ 680.230) shows up in dozens of enforcement provisions, and getting its EJL-specific meaning wrong can lead to misreading what a given section requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the definitions in Chapter 1 apply to all of Title 9, or just to Chapter 1 itself?
They apply to the entire title -- every division and chapter of the Enforcement of Judgments Law -- not just to the chapter where they are listed.
Can a specific EJL section use a defined term differently than Chapter 1 defines it?
Yes. Section 680.110 defers to a provision's own wording or context when it requires a different meaning, so the Chapter 1 definitions are a default, not an absolute override.
Why does it matter whether a word like "judgment debtor" has a specific statutory meaning?
Because rights, deadlines, and procedures throughout the Enforcement of Judgments Law turn on who or what falls inside a defined term -- misreading the definition can lead to misapplying the substantive rule that depends on it.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1364, Sec. 2. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 1364.
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
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