§ 706.120.Judicial Council to Prescribe Forms
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 5. Wage Garnishment · Article 6. Forms; Employer's Instructions · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
Full Text of § 706.120
Plain-English Summary
Every document that moves through a wage garnishment case, the application, the order, the notices, the exemption claim, has to use the form the Judicial Council prescribes. Section 706.120 makes that mandatory, referencing the Judicial Council's general form-making authority under § 681.030.
The one carve-out belongs to state tax withholding orders, which the state itself prescribes under § 706.081 rather than through the Judicial Council. Everywhere else in this chapter, no substitute form will do; using anything else risks a defective proceeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who creates the official wage garnishment forms used in California?
The Judicial Council, under the authority § 706.120 grants and § 681.030 more generally provides.
Can a creditor or employer use its own version of these forms?
No. Section 706.120 requires the Judicial Council's prescribed forms be used to implement this chapter, apart from state tax withholding forms covered by § 706.081.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1364, Sec. 2. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 1364.