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§ 717.010.Generally

Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 3 · Chapter 5. Other Judgments · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026

In one sentenceSection 717.010 lets a judgment not otherwise enforceable under this title be enforced by personally serving a certified copy of the judgment on the person required to obey it and invoking the court's contempt power.

Full Text of § 717.010

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A judgment not otherwise enforceable pursuant to this title may be enforced by personally serving a certified copy of the judgment on the person required to obey it and invoking the power of the court to punish for contempt.

Plain-English Summary

Not every judgment fits neatly into the money, possession, or sale categories this title otherwise covers — a judgment ordering someone to do or refrain from doing something specific is a common example. This short chapter is the catch-all for those judgments.

The mechanism is simple by design: personally serve a certified copy of the judgment on whoever is required to obey it, then rely on the court's contempt power if that person doesn't comply. It's a more direct route than the writ-based procedures elsewhere in this title, suited to judgments that direct conduct rather than the transfer of property.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of judgment does this section cover?

A judgment not otherwise enforceable under this title — one that doesn't fit the money, possession, or sale procedures covered elsewhere.

How is such a judgment enforced?

By personally serving a certified copy of the judgment on the person required to obey it, and invoking the court's power to punish noncompliance as contempt.

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: enforcing judgment by contempt californiacatch-all judgment enforcement california