§ 706.032.Cessation of Withholding Because Debtor's Employment Terminated; Debtor's Earnings Subject to Assignment With Higher Priority
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 5. Wage Garnishment · Article 2. General Provisions · Enacted 1992 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 706.032 automatically terminates an earnings withholding order after 180 continuous days of no withholding because the debtor's employment ended, or after two continuous years of no withholding because a higher-priority order or assignment took over, and requires the employer to return the order with an explanation.
(1)If withholding under an earnings withholding order ceases because the judgment debtor's employment has terminated, the earnings withholding order terminates at the conclusion of a continuous 180-day period during which no amounts are withheld under the order.
(2)If withholding under an earnings withholding order ceases because the judgment debtor's earnings are subject to an order or assignment with higher priority, the earnings withholding order terminates at the conclusion of a continuous two-year period during which no amounts are withheld under the order.
(b)If an earnings withholding order has terminated pursuant to subdivision (a), the employer shall return the order to the levying officer along with a statement of the reasons for returning the order.
Plain-English Summary
An earnings withholding order doesn't stay open forever if nothing is being withheld under it. Subdivision (a) sets two separate clocks. If withholding stops because the judgment debtor's employment with that employer ended, the order automatically terminates after a continuous 180-day period with no amounts withheld. If withholding stops instead because the debtor's earnings became subject to a higher-priority order or assignment, the order terminates after a continuous two-year period of no withholding.
Once either clock runs out and the order terminates on its own, the employer has to send the order back to the levying officer along with a statement explaining why it's being returned — closing the loop so the levying officer's records match what's happening at the employer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can an earnings withholding order sit dormant before it expires?
180 continuous days with no withholding if the debtor's employment ended, or two continuous years with no withholding if a higher-priority order or assignment displaced it.
What must the employer do once a dormant order terminates?
Return the order to the levying officer along with a statement explaining the reasons for returning it.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 283, Sec. 11. Effective July 21, 1992.
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:dormant earnings withholding order california