"Judgment" means a judgment, order, or decree entered in a court of this state.
§ 680.230.Judgment
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 680.230 defines judgment broadly as any judgment, order, or decree entered in a California court, a definition wide enough to include non-money orders and decrees, not just judgments requiring the payment of money.
Full Text of § 680.230
Plain-English Summary
It would be easy to assume the Enforcement of Judgments Law is only about collecting money, but this definition says otherwise. A "judgment" here means any judgment, order, or decree entered in a California court -- a category broad enough to include orders for the return of property, injunctive-style relief, or other court decrees that never mention a dollar figure.
That breadth is why § 680.270 separately defines "money judgment" as only the part of a judgment requiring payment of money. The two definitions work together: "judgment" sets the outer boundary of what this title can reach, while "money judgment" carves out the specific subset that the bulk of the Enforcement of Judgments Law's collection machinery -- writs of execution, bank levies, wage garnishment -- is built to enforce.
Section 681.010 puts this distinction to work directly, routing money judgments to one enforcement scheme and non-money judgments -- for possession of property, for sale of property, or for performing or refraining from some act -- to separate schemes tailored to those different kinds of relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does "judgment" under the Enforcement of Judgments Law only mean judgments requiring payment of money?
No. Section 680.230 defines it broadly to include any judgment, order, or decree entered in a California court, whether or not it requires payment of money.
How does "judgment" differ from "money judgment" under this title?
"Judgment" is the broad category; "money judgment," defined separately in § 680.270, is only the portion of a judgment that requires payment of money -- a narrower subset with its own dedicated enforcement procedures.
Why does the distinction between judgment and money judgment matter practically?
Because § 681.010 routes different kinds of judgments to different enforcement chapters -- money judgments to one scheme, and judgments for possession, sale, or performance of an act to separate ones.
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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