Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, a levy of execution upon the earnings of an employee shall be made by service of an earnings withholding order upon the judgment debtor's employer in accordance with this chapter.
§ 706.021.Levy of Execution Made By Service of Earnings Withholding Order
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 5. Wage Garnishment · Article 2. General Provisions · Last amended 2026 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 706.021 requires that any levy of execution reaching an employee's earnings be carried out by serving an earnings withholding order on the judgment debtor's employer, following the procedures this chapter sets out, rather than through any other levy method.
Full Text of § 706.021
Plain-English Summary
This section supplies the mechanism behind § 706.020's exclusivity rule. A creditor with a money judgment doesn't levy on wages the way it might levy on a bank account or other property — it serves an earnings withholding order on the employer. That service is what triggers the employer's withholding obligation.
Everything downstream in this chapter assumes this starting point: the withholding period defined in § 706.022 runs from the date of service on the employer, the employer's compliance duties in § 706.023 attach once the order is served, and the lien created by § 706.029 arises from that same service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a creditor garnish wages once a judgment is entered?
By serving an earnings withholding order on the judgment debtor's employer under § 706.021 — that service is what puts the wage-garnishment machinery of this chapter in motion.
Is service on the employer required, or can the order be served on the employee instead?
Section 706.021 requires service on the employer; the employer is the one obligated to withhold and pay over earnings.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2025 ch 708 (AB 774),s 6, eff. 1/1/2026. Amended by Stats 2024 ch 514 (AB 2837),s 9, eff. 1/1/2025. 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: how to garnish wages in californiaearnings withholding order service on employer