Cancellation or withdrawal of a surety is effective at the earliest of the following times:
§ 996.330.Effective Date of Cancellation Or Withdrawal
Title 14. Of Miscellaneous Provisions · Chapter 2. Bonds and Undertakings · Article 13. Cancellation of Bond or Withdrawal of Sureties · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 996.330 fixes the effective date of a surety's cancellation or withdrawal at the earliest of three points, thirty days after notice is given, the date a substitute surety takes effect, or the date a new bond takes effect.
Full Text of § 996.330
(a) Thirty days after notice of cancellation or withdrawal is given.
(b) If a new surety is substituted for the original surety, the date the substitution becomes effective.
(c) If a new bond is given, the date the new bond becomes effective.
Plain-English Summary
Cancellation under § 996.320 doesn't take effect the moment the surety mails the notice. This section gives the principal a built-in window, ending at whichever of three events comes first.
The outside limit is thirty days after the notice of cancellation or withdrawal is given, a deadline that also drives the consequences in § 996.340 if nothing else happens by then. But the cancellation can take effect sooner if the principal acts: the date a substitute surety becomes effective, or the date a new bond becomes effective, each cuts the process short.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a surety's cancellation or withdrawal become effective, at the latest?
No later than thirty days after notice of cancellation or withdrawal is given.
Can cancellation take effect sooner than thirty days?
Yes, if a substitute surety or a new bond becomes effective before the thirty days run.
What happens if none of these events occurs within thirty days?
Section 996.340 supplies the consequence for the principal's failure to give a new bond in time.
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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