(a) The judgment creditor may demand that any judgment debtor produce and permit the party making the demand, or someone acting on that party's behalf, to inspect and to copy a document that is in the possession, custody, or control of the party on whom the demand is made in the manner provided in Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 2031.010) of Title 4 of Part 4, if the demand requests information to aid in enforcement of the money judgment. The judgment debtor shall respond and comply with the demand in the manner and within the time provided by Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 2031.010) of Title 4 of Part 4.
§ 708.030.Inspection Demands
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 6. Miscellaneous Creditors' Remedies · Article 1. Written Interrogatories to Judgment Debtor · Last amended 2005 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 708.030 lets a judgment creditor demand that a judgment debtor produce documents for inspection under the ordinary civil-discovery rules, subject to the same 120-day cooling-off period that governs interrogatories under § 708.020 and debtor's examinations under § 708.110.
Full Text of § 708.030
(b) The judgment creditor may not serve interrogatories or inspection demands pursuant to this section or Section 708.020 within 120 days after the judgment debtor has responded to the interrogatories or demands previously served pursuant to this section or Section 708.020, or within 120 days after the judgment debtor has been examined pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 708.110), and the judgment debtor is not required to respond to any discovery so served.
(c) Inspection demands served pursuant to this section may be enforced to the extent practicable, in the same manner as inspection demands in a civil action.
Plain-English Summary
This section pairs with § 708.020 to give a creditor the second half of an ordinary discovery toolkit against a debtor after judgment. The creditor can demand inspection and copying of documents the debtor has in its possession, custody, or control, following the procedure the Civil Discovery Act sets out beginning at § 2031.010, with the debtor responding on that same timetable.
The 120-day limitation applies across both tools together, not separately. A creditor who has already served interrogatories or an inspection demand under this section or § 708.020, or who has already examined the debtor under § 708.110, has to wait 120 days from whichever of those events happened before serving new interrogatories or a new inspection demand — and the debtor need not comply with anything served too soon.
Enforcement of an inspection demand under this section works the same way it would in ordinary civil litigation, giving the creditor the usual motion-to-compel and sanctions tools if the debtor stonewalls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can a creditor demand from a debtor under this section?
Production of documents in the debtor's possession, custody, or control, following the Civil Discovery Act procedure beginning at § 2031.010.
Does the 120-day waiting period apply to inspection demands too?
Yes. Section 708.030(b) ties the same 120-day cooling-off period to both interrogatories under § 708.020 and inspection demands under this section, running from whichever response or debtor's examination came most recently.
How is an inspection demand under this section enforced?
To the extent practicable, in the same manner as an inspection demand in an ordinary civil action.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2004 ch 182 (AB 3081),s 12, eff. 7/1/2005
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: inspection demand judgment debtor californiadocument production judgment enforcement california