If any provision or clause of this title or application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this title which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this title are severable.
§ 681.050.Severability
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 681.050 is a standard severability clause, providing that if any provision or application of the Enforcement of Judgments Law is held invalid, the rest of the title remains in effect wherever it can operate without the invalid part.
Full Text of § 681.050
Plain-English Summary
This section is boilerplate in the best sense -- a safeguard rather than a substantive rule. If a court someday finds one provision of the Enforcement of Judgments Law, or one application of a provision to a particular set of facts, invalid, this section keeps that ruling contained. The rest of the title stays intact and enforceable, as long as it can function without the piece that was struck down.
Given how many interlocking definitions, cross-references, and procedural chapters make up Title 9, a severability clause like this one matters more than it might in a shorter statute. It prevents a successful challenge to one narrow provision -- say, one exemption formula or one notice requirement -- from casting doubt on the validity of the entire enforcement scheme.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a court finds one section of the Enforcement of Judgments Law unconstitutional?
Under § 681.050, the invalidity does not affect the rest of the title -- other provisions and applications continue in effect wherever they can operate without the invalid provision.
Why does a lengthy statute like Title 9 need a severability clause?
Because a title built from many interlocking chapters and cross-references is more vulnerable to one narrow provision being challenged; a severability clause keeps that kind of challenge from threatening the whole enforcement scheme.
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: severability clause california enforcement of judgments law