(a) As used in this section, "final money judgment" means a money judgment after the time for appeal from the judgment has expired or, if an appeal is filed, after the appeal has been finally determined.
§ 700.190.Levy Upon Final Money Judgment
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 3. Execution · Article 4. Methods of Levy · Last amended 1984 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 700.190 levies on a final money judgment -- one no longer subject to appeal -- by filing the writ and a notice of levy with the clerk of the court that entered it, and serving the judgment debtor obligated to pay it.
Full Text of § 700.190
(b) To levy upon a final money judgment, the levying officer shall file a copy of the writ of execution and a notice of levy with the clerk of the court that entered the final money judgment. The court clerk shall endorse upon the judgment a statement of the existence of the execution lien and the time it was created. If an abstract of the judgment is issued, it shall include a statement of the execution lien in favor of the judgment creditor.
(c) At the time of levy or promptly thereafter, the levying officer shall serve a copy of the writ of execution and a notice of levy on the judgment debtor obligated to pay the final money judgment levied upon. Service shall be made personally or by mail.
Plain-English Summary
A judgment can itself be property worth levying on when the debtor is owed money by someone else under an earlier judgment. Section 700.190 defines that target as a “final money judgment” — one where the appeal period has run, or any appeal has been finally resolved.
To levy on it, the officer files a copy of the writ of execution and a notice of levy with the clerk of the court that entered the final money judgment. The clerk endorses the judgment with a statement noting the execution lien and when it arose, and any abstract of judgment issued afterward includes that same lien statement.
The officer also serves the judgment debtor who owes payment on that final money judgment — a different person from the judgment debtor in the underlying action, since here the levy runs against someone else's obligation to pay the debtor. Service can be personal or by mail, at the time of levy or promptly after.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a "final money judgment" for this section?
A money judgment where the time to appeal has expired, or, if an appeal was filed, the appeal has been finally determined.
How is a levy on a final money judgment made?
By filing a copy of the writ of execution and a notice of levy with the clerk of the court that entered the final money judgment.
What does the court clerk do once that filing is made?
Endorses the judgment with a statement of the execution lien and when it was created, and includes that statement in any abstract of judgment later issued.
Who gets served under this section?
The judgment debtor obligated to pay the final money judgment that's being levied upon.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 538, Sec. 25.3.
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: levy on money judgment california