(a) Except as otherwise provided by statute, whenever a warrant or notice of levy may properly be issued by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to Section 96.8 of the Labor Code, and the warrant may be levied with the same effect as a levy pursuant to a writ of execution, the Labor Commissioner may use any of the remedies available to a judgment creditor, including, but not limited to, those provided in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 708.010) of Division 2.
§ 690.030.Remedies; Venue
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 10. Enforcement of Judgments by Labor Commissioner · Enacted 2015 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 690.030 lets the Labor Commissioner, when authorized to issue a warrant or notice of levy under Labor Code § 96.8 with the same force as a levy under a writ of execution, use any judgment-creditor remedy, enforceable in the superior court of the county where the employee resides, the judgment debtor resides, or the person against whom the levy or warrant issued resides.
Full Text of § 690.030
(b) The proper court for the enforcement of the remedies provided under this chapter is the superior court of any of the following counties:
(1) The county where the employee resides.
(2) The county where the judgment debtor resides.
(3) The county where the person against whom the levy or warrant was issued resides.
Plain-English Summary
Wage-claim enforcement follows the same warrant-based model as state tax and support collection, adapted to the Labor Commissioner's role. Whenever the Commissioner may properly issue a warrant or notice of levy under Labor Code § 96.8 — one carrying the same force as a levy under a writ of execution — the Commissioner may use any remedy available to a judgment creditor, including the debtor-examination and collection procedures in Chapter 6 (commencing with § 708.010) of Division 2.
Venue here is broader than the parallel provisions for state tax or support collection. Rather than a single county, subdivision (b) offers three: the county where the employee resides, the county where the judgment debtor resides, and the county where the person against whom the levy or warrant was issued resides. That range makes sense given how wage-claim enforcement often involves parties — the wronged employee, the liable employer, and sometimes another responsible party — who don't all live in the same place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What remedies can the Labor Commissioner use to collect an unsatisfied wage judgment or award?
Any remedy available to a judgment creditor, including the debtor-examination and collection procedures under Chapter 6 (commencing with § 708.010) of Division 2, once a Labor Code § 96.8 warrant or notice of levy properly issues.
Where can the Labor Commissioner enforce these remedies?
In the superior court of the county where the employee resides, the county where the judgment debtor resides, or the county where the person against whom the levy or warrant was issued resides.
Is this venue rule broader than the one used for state tax or support enforcement?
Yes. It offers three possible counties tied to different participants in the wage claim, rather than the narrower options found in §§ 688.020 and 689.020.
Amendment History
Added by Stats 2015 ch 803 (SB 588),s 1, eff. 1/1/2016.
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: labor commissioner wage claim enforcement californialabor commissioner warrant venue