This chapter does not apply to a money judgment against a public entity that is subject to Section 965.5 or 970.1 of the Government Code.
§ 683.320.Inapplicable to Money Judgment Against Public Entity
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 3. Period for Enforcement and Renewal of Judgments · Article 3. Application of Chapter · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 683.320 excludes a money judgment against a public entity that's subject to Government Code § 965.5 or § 970.1 from this chapter's enforcement-period and renewal rules, leaving those judgments to the separate payment procedures those Government Code sections establish.
Full Text of § 683.320
Plain-English Summary
Judgments against public entities don't get enforced the way judgments against private defendants do. State and local government liability statutes already set up their own procedures for paying money judgments — procedures that don't involve levy, garnishment, or the other tools this title provides for private judgment debtors.
This section makes sure Chapter 3's 10-year enforceability-and-renewal scheme doesn't overlay those separate procedures. A money judgment against a public entity covered by Government Code § 965.5 or § 970.1 falls outside this chapter, so a creditor holding such a judgment looks to those Government Code provisions rather than to §§ 683.010-683.320 for how and when the judgment gets satisfied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 10-year renewal chapter apply to a judgment against a government entity?
Not if the judgment is subject to Government Code § 965.5 or § 970.1 — Section 683.320 excludes those judgments from this chapter.
How does a creditor collect on a judgment against a public entity if this chapter doesn't apply?
Through the payment procedures set out in the applicable Government Code sections, rather than through this title's levy and enforcement tools.
Why are public entity judgments treated differently?
Because government liability statutes already provide their own mechanisms for paying money judgments, which don't fit the levy-based enforcement scheme this chapter governs.
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: enforcing a judgment against a public entity californiagovernment claims act judgment payment