"Security" means a "security" as defined in Section 8102 of the Commercial Code.
§ 680.345.Security
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 680.345 defines security by cross-reference to the Commercial Code, covering instruments like stocks and bonds, a category of asset a judgment creditor may levy on through procedures distinct from those used for bank accounts or tangible goods.
Full Text of § 680.345
Plain-English Summary
Stocks, bonds, and similar investment instruments are property just like cash or a car, but they behave differently for enforcement purposes -- they may be held in a brokerage account, represented by a certificate, or tracked electronically. This section adopts the Commercial Code's definition of "security" directly, keeping the enforcement-law meaning aligned with how these instruments are defined and transferred under commercial law generally.
Reaching a security through the Enforcement of Judgments Law typically means levying either on the physical certificate, if one exists, or on the account or intermediary holding the security, following whichever mechanism the Commercial Code's own rules on securities transfers make appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a "security" under the Enforcement of Judgments Law?
The same thing Commercial Code Section 8102 means by the term -- generally, instruments like stocks and bonds that represent an ownership or debt interest and are treated as securities under commercial law.
How does a judgment creditor levy on a debtor's stocks or bonds?
Depending on how the security is held -- as a physical certificate or through a brokerage or other intermediary -- the levy follows whichever mechanism the Commercial Code's rules on securities transfers make applicable.
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
Also known as: security definition california judgment enforcementlevy on stocks bonds judgment california