(a) Unless the statute providing for a bond provides that the bond becomes effective at a different time, a bond is effective at the time it is given or, if the statute requires that the bond be approved, at the time it is approved.
§ 995.420.Time Bond Becomes Effective
Title 14. Of Miscellaneous Provisions · Chapter 2. Bonds and Undertakings · Article 4. Approval and Effect · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 995.420 sets a bond's effective date at the time it's given, or, if approval is required, at the time it's approved, unless the statute providing for the bond specifies a different effective time, and if an objection is made before that specified time, the bond instead becomes effective when the court rules on its sufficiency.
Full Text of § 995.420
(b) If the statute providing for a bond provides that the bond becomes effective at a time other than the time it is given or approved, the bond is effective at the time provided unless an objection is made to the bond before that time. If an objection is made to a bond before the time provided, the bond becomes effective when the court makes an order determining the sufficiency of the bond.
Plain-English Summary
Timing questions get a default answer and an override. Subdivision (a) supplies the default: absent a statute saying otherwise, a bond is effective when it's given, or, if the statute requires approval, when it's approved.
Subdivision (b) covers statutes that specify some other effective time. In that case, the bond becomes effective at the time the statute specifies — unless someone objects to the bond before that time arrives. An objection made before the specified time pushes the effective date back further still: the bond doesn't become effective until the court rules on the bond's sufficiency, resolving the objection first.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a bond typically become effective?
When it's given, or, if the statute requires approval, when it's approved — unless the statute providing for the bond sets a different time.
What happens if a statute sets a specific effective date for the bond?
The bond becomes effective at that specified time, unless an objection to the bond is made before that time arrives.
What if someone objects to the bond before its specified effective date?
The bond instead becomes effective when the court makes an order determining the sufficiency of the bond, resolving the objection.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 998, Sec. 1.
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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