A judgment of liability on a bond may be enforced in the same manner and to the same extent as other money judgments.
§ 996.495.Enforcement of Judgment of Liability On Bond
Title 14. Of Miscellaneous Provisions · Chapter 2. Bonds and Undertakings · Article 14. Liability of Principal and Sureties · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 996.495 provides that a judgment of liability on a bond is enforced in the same manner and to the same extent as any other money judgment.
Full Text of § 996.495
Plain-English Summary
This closing section of Article 14 keeps enforcement simple. Once a court enters a judgment of liability on a bond under § 996.440 or § 996.430, the beneficiary doesn't need any special bond-specific enforcement procedure, the judgment is enforced the way any other money judgment is, through the ordinary tools of California's judgment-enforcement law.
The one carve-out to that ordinary path sits in Article 15: if the bond runs to the benefit of the state, § 996.510 and the sections after it add a special lien procedure on top of the ordinary enforcement rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a bond judgment require a special enforcement procedure?
No. It's enforced the same way as other money judgments.
Is there any exception to ordinary judgment-enforcement rules for bond judgments?
Yes. Article 15 adds a special lien procedure for bonds enforced for the state's benefit.
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
Also known as: enforcing a bond judgment californiabond judgment same as money judgment