Except as otherwise provided by statute:
§ 681.010.Laws Governing Enforcement of Judgments
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 2. General Provisions · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 681.010 sets the default roadmap for enforcing a California judgment, routing money judgments to Division 2, judgments for possession of personal or real property to Division 3's Chapters 2 and 3, judgments for sale of property to Chapter 4, and judgments compelling or forbidding an act to Chapter 5.
Full Text of § 681.010
Plain-English Summary
After a chapter full of definitions, this section is where Title 9 tells the reader where to go next. It sorts every kind of judgment into one of five enforcement tracks: a money judgment follows Division 2, starting at § 695.010; a judgment for possession of personal property follows Chapter 2 of Division 3, starting at § 714.010; a judgment for possession of real property follows Chapter 3, starting at § 715.010; a judgment for sale of real or personal property follows Chapter 4, starting at § 716.010; and a judgment requiring performance of some other act, or forbearance from an act, follows Chapter 5, starting at § 717.010.
The opening phrase -- "except as otherwise provided by statute" -- keeps this from being an absolute rule. Some judgments, particularly support judgments and certain judgments against public entities, follow specialized procedures found elsewhere rather than this general routing scheme.
Because § 680.230 defines "judgment" broadly and § 680.270 defines "money judgment" as only the payment portion of a judgment, this section is what turns those two definitions into a practical starting point: identify what kind of relief the judgment awards, and this section points to the chapter that governs enforcing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which enforcement chapter applies to a given judgment?
It depends on what the judgment awards: money judgments go to Division 2 (§ 695.010), possession of personal property to Chapter 2 of Division 3 (§ 714.010), possession of real property to Chapter 3 (§ 715.010), sale of property to Chapter 4 (§ 716.010), and other required or forbidden acts to Chapter 5 (§ 717.010).
Does this routing scheme apply to every judgment without exception?
No. The section opens with "except as otherwise provided by statute," leaving room for specialized enforcement procedures -- such as those for support judgments or judgments against public entities -- that operate outside this general scheme.
What if a single judgment awards more than one kind of relief?
Each portion of the judgment is enforced under the chapter matching that specific kind of relief -- a money award under Division 2, a possession award under the applicable Division 3 chapter, and so on -- since the definitions of "judgment" and "money judgment" already separate a judgment into its component parts.
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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