A writ of possession or sale issued pursuant to this division shall require the levying officer to whom it is directed to enforce the judgment and shall include the following information:
§ 712.020.Information Included In Writ
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 3 · Chapter 1. General Provisions · Last amended 2011 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 712.020 lists the information every writ of possession or sale must contain, including case identification, the parties, judgment and renewal dates, any money judgment amount due, notice-of-sale requests, and whether the case is limited or unlimited.
Full Text of § 712.020
(a) The date of issuance of the writ.
(b) The title of the court where the judgment for possession or sale is entered and the cause and number of the action.
(c) The name and address of the creditor and the name and last known address of the judgment debtor. If the judgment debtor is other than a natural person, the type of legal entity shall be stated.
(d) The date the judgment was entered, and the date of any subsequent renewals, and where entered in the records of the court.
(e) If the judgment for possession or sale includes a money judgment, the amount required to satisfy the money judgment on the date the writ is issued, and the amount of interest accruing daily on the principal amount of the judgment from the date the writ is issued may be included on the writ at the option of the creditor.
(f) Whether any person has requested notice of sale under the judgment and, if so, the name and address of that person.
(g) Any other information required to be included in the particular writ.
(h) A statement indicating whether the case is limited or unlimited.
Plain-English Summary
Once a writ of possession or sale is authorized, this section spells out what it has to say. The writ needs to identify the case — the court, the cause, and the case number — and the parties, including the type of legal entity if the judgment debtor isn't a natural person. It also has to give the judgment's entry date, any renewal dates, and where it's entered in the court's records.
If the judgment includes a money component, the writ states the amount still needed to satisfy it as of issuance, and the creditor may choose to include the daily interest accruing on that principal. The writ also discloses whether anyone has requested notice of sale, and states whether the case is classified as limited or unlimited civil.
These requirements apply across the whole family of possession-and-sale writs. Sections 714.010, 715.010, and 716.010 each build on this list, adding writ-specific details for personal property, real property, and sales, rather than repeating the baseline content here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What identifying information must a writ of possession or sale include?
The date of issuance, the court, cause, and case number, and the name and address of the creditor along with the debtor's name and last known address.
What if the judgment debtor isn't an individual person?
The writ must state the type of legal entity the judgment debtor is.
Does the writ show how much money is still owed?
If the judgment includes a money component, yes — the writ states the amount needed to satisfy it as of the date of issuance, and the creditor may add the daily accruing interest.
Why does the writ state whether the case is limited or unlimited?
Section 712.020(h) requires that classification as part of the writ's contents, though the statute doesn't itself explain every downstream use of that designation.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2010 ch 680 (AB 2394),s 14, eff. 1/1/2011.
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
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