As used in this article:
§ 708.710.Definitions
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 6. Miscellaneous Creditors' Remedies · Article 8. Collection of Judgment Where Judgment Debtor Is Creditor of Public Entity · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 708.710 defines four terms used throughout Article 8, local public entity, public entity, state, and state agency, distinguishing state-level bodies whose claims the Controller pays by warrant from local and other public entities.
Full Text of § 708.710
(a) "Local public entity" means any public entity other than the state.
(b) "Public entity" means the state, a county, city, district, public authority, public agency, and any other political subdivision in the state.
(c) "State" means the State of California.
(d) "State agency" means a state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, commission or agency claims against which are paid by warrants drawn by the Controller.
Plain-English Summary
Article 8 deals with the special problem of collecting a judgment when the debtor is owed money by a government body rather than a private party. Because government debts do not respond to ordinary levy the way a bank account or paycheck does, this article builds its own vocabulary before laying out the procedure, and § 708.710 supplies it.
Public entity is the broad umbrella, covering the state, counties, cities, districts, public authorities, agencies, and any other political subdivision. Local public entity narrows that to everything except the state itself. State refers to the State of California, and state agency identifies the state-level offices, departments, boards, and commissions whose claims are paid by warrants the Controller draws.
That last distinction matters practically, since later sections route the collection procedure differently depending on whether the debtor's money is owed by a state agency, handled through the Controller under § 708.740, or by some other public entity, handled through that entity's own auditor under § 708.750.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does public entity mean under this article?
The state, a county, city, district, public authority, public agency, and any other political subdivision within California.
How is local public entity different from public entity?
It means any public entity other than the state itself.
What is a state agency under § 708.710?
A state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or agency whose claims are paid by warrants drawn by the Controller.
Why do these definitions matter for collecting a judgment?
Later sections in this article route the collection procedure differently depending on whether money is owed by a state agency or by some other public entity.
Amendment History
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: definitions public entity judgment californiastate agency definition ccp