Except as provided in Sections 9617 and 9622 of the Commercial Code, a judgment lien on personal property continues notwithstanding the sale, exchange, or other disposition of the property, unless the person receiving the property is one of the following:
§ 697.610.Continuation of Lien Notwithstanding Sale Or Exchange of Property
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 2. Liens · Article 3. Judgment Lien on Personal Property · Last amended 2001 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 697.610 lets a personal-property judgment lien follow the property through a sale, exchange, or other disposition, unless the recipient is a buyer or lessee in the ordinary course of business, a holder to whom a negotiable document of title was duly negotiated, or a chattel-paper purchaser with priority under the Commercial Code.
Full Text of § 697.610
(a) A buyer in ordinary course of business (as defined in Section 1201 of the Commercial Code) who, under Section 9320 of the Commercial Code, would take free of a security interest created by the seller.
(b) A lessee in ordinary course of business (as defined in paragraph (15) of subdivision (a) of Section 10103 of the Commercial Code) who, under Section 9321 of the Commercial Code, would take free of a security interest created by the lessor.
(c) A holder to whom a negotiable document of title has been duly negotiated within the meaning of Section 7501 of the Commercial Code.
(d) A purchaser of chattel paper who, under Section 9330 of the Commercial Code, would have priority over another security interest in the chattel paper.
Plain-English Summary
A judgment lien doesn't automatically disappear just because the debtor sells or trades away the property it covers. The general rule is that the lien follows the property into whoever's hands it ends up in — mirroring how a security interest under Commercial Code Article 9 generally survives a transfer of the collateral.
The exceptions track Article 9's own protections for good-faith commercial transactions. A buyer in the ordinary course of business, and a lessee in the ordinary course, each take free of the lien the same way they'd take free of a security interest under Commercial Code §§ 9320 and 9321. A holder to whom a negotiable document of title has been duly negotiated takes free too, as does a purchaser of chattel paper who would have priority over a competing security interest under § 9330. Sections 9617 and 9622 of the Commercial Code provide further exceptions of their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does selling property remove it from a judgment lien?
Not automatically. Section 697.610 generally lets the lien continue against the property in the new owner's hands.
Who takes the property free of the lien?
A buyer or lessee in the ordinary course of business, a holder to whom a negotiable document of title has been duly negotiated, and a chattel-paper purchaser with priority under Commercial Code § 9330.
Why do these exceptions mirror the Commercial Code's rules for security interests?
Because the personal-property judgment lien is designed to interact with Article 9 the same way a security interest does, so ordinary commercial transactions aren't disrupted by an undisclosed lien.
Amendment History
EFFECTIVE 7/1/2001. Amended October 10, 1999 (Bill Number: SB 45) (Chapter 991).
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: judgment lien survives sale of property californiabuyer in ordinary course judgment lien