(a) After entry of a judgment for possession of personal property, and whether or not a writ of possession of personal property has been issued, the judgment creditor may apply to the court for an order directing the judgment debtor to transfer possession of the property or documentary evidence of title to the property or both to the judgment creditor. The application shall be made on noticed motion if the court so directs or a court rule so requires. Otherwise, the application may be made ex parte.
§ 714.030.Order Directing Judgment Debtor to Transfer Possession
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 3 · Chapter 2. Judgment for Possession of Personal Property · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 714.030 lets a judgment creditor apply, by noticed motion or ex parte, for a court order directing the judgment debtor to personally transfer possession of the property or its title documents to the creditor, issued on a showing of need and enforceable through contempt.
Full Text of § 714.030
(b) The court may issue an order pursuant to this section upon a showing of need for the order.
(c) The order shall be personally served on the judgment debtor and shall contain a notice to the judgment debtor that failure to comply with the order may subject the judgment debtor to being held in contempt of court.
Plain-English Summary
Not every creditor wants to wait on a levying officer's search. This section offers a direct route: after judgment for possession of personal property, whether or not a writ has even been issued, the creditor can ask the court for an order that goes straight to the judgment debtor, directing the debtor to hand over the property, its documentary title evidence, or both.
The application can be made ex parte, without advance notice to the debtor, unless the court directs otherwise or a local court rule requires a noticed motion instead. Either way, the court needs a showing of need before issuing the order — it isn't automatic.
Once issued, the order has to be personally served on the judgment debtor, and it must warn the debtor that failing to comply can lead to being held in contempt of court. That contempt exposure is what gives this order its bite, separate from whatever a levying officer might accomplish under § 714.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a creditor need a writ of possession before seeking this order?
No. Section 714.030(a) allows the application whether or not a writ of possession of personal property has been issued.
Can this application be made without notifying the debtor?
Yes, ex parte, unless the court directs a noticed motion or a court rule requires one.
What must the creditor show to get this order?
A showing of need for the order, which the court evaluates before issuing it.
What happens if the debtor ignores the order?
The order must warn the debtor that noncompliance may result in being held in contempt of court, and it must be personally served.
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: order to transfer possession personal property california