"Costs" means costs and disbursements, including but not limited to statutory fees, charges, commissions, and expenses.
§ 680.150.Costs
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 680.150 defines costs broadly to include costs and disbursements of every kind, giving statutory fees, charges, commissions, and expenses as examples, which sets the scope of what a judgment creditor can potentially recover on top of the judgment amount itself.
Full Text of § 680.150
Plain-English Summary
Collecting a judgment is rarely free. Filing fees, sheriff's fees, publication costs, and similar out-of-pocket expenses pile up along the way, and this section makes clear those expenses fall under the umbrella term "costs" wherever the Enforcement of Judgments Law uses it. The list -- statutory fees, charges, commissions, and expenses -- is illustrative, not exhaustive, which keeps the definition flexible enough to cover costs that do not fit neatly into any one category.
This matters because costs, once properly claimed, typically get added to the judgment itself and start drawing interest along with the principal. Later EJL provisions spell out exactly which costs a judgment creditor may claim and how, but this section supplies the baseline meaning those provisions build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as "costs" under the Enforcement of Judgments Law?
Costs and disbursements broadly, including but not limited to statutory fees, charges, commissions, and expenses -- the list is meant as examples rather than a closed set.
Do costs get added to the judgment amount?
Generally yes, once properly claimed under the specific EJL procedures that govern recoverable costs, and they can then draw interest along with the rest of the judgment.
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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