Except as otherwise provided by statute or in the judgment, a judgment is enforceable under this title upon entry.
§ 683.010.Enforceable Upon Entry
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 3. Period for Enforcement and Renewal of Judgments · Article 1. Period for Enforcement of Judgments · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 683.010 makes a judgment enforceable as soon as it's entered, unless a statute or the judgment itself says otherwise, setting the default starting point for every enforcement remedy that follows in this title.
Full Text of § 683.010
Plain-English Summary
This is the on switch for judgment enforcement. The moment a court enters a judgment, the winning party can start using the collection tools this title provides — levy, garnishment, liens, and the rest — without waiting for anything else to happen first.
The section builds in two escape hatches. A judgment might not be enforceable right away if some other statute delays it, or if the judgment itself says enforcement waits (a stipulated stay of execution, for example). Absent either of those, entry is enough.
Everything else in this division assumes that starting point. The 10-year enforceability clock in § 683.020 runs from the same date of entry, and the renewal procedure in § 683.110 exists precisely because that clock eventually runs out.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a judgment creditor start enforcing a California judgment?
As soon as the judgment is entered, unless a statute or the judgment itself provides otherwise.
Does a judgment creditor have to wait for anything after entry to enforce the judgment?
Not under this section. Section 683.010 makes the judgment enforceable upon entry unless another statute or the judgment itself delays it.
What kind of judgment does this section cover?
It applies broadly to judgments enforceable under this title, which covers money judgments and judgments for the possession or sale of property.
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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