How to Collect Your Judgment in California
You already won. Here's how to actually get paid — debtor's exam, wage garnishment, bank levies, and property liens, with the exact California forms and deadlines.
Your collection options in California
Work them roughly in this order — find the assets first, then go after them.
Find the money — debtor's asset exam
Form EJ-125 (Application and Order for Appearance and Examination) — civil; SC-134 in small claimsCompels the debtor to disclose, under oath, where they bank, work, and what they own — the information every other step depends on.
Creditor applies for a court order compelling the debtor (or a third party holding the debtor's property) to appear under oath and answer questions about assets. Must be served by a sheriff/registered process server at least 10 days (small claims) before the hearing; for the consumer-debt order, longer notice (30 days) and service rules apply.
Court fee: $60 court fee (filing fee for the order, waivable with a fee waiver)
Garnish wages
Form WG-001 (Application for Earnings Withholding Order) → WG-002 (Earnings Withholding Order); requires EJ-130 Writ of Execution firstDiverts part of the debtor's paycheck to you — up to Up to 25% of disposable earnings under CCP § 706.050; the self-help guide describes it as 'up to 20%' of take-home pay after the lower-of formula (amount over 40x state minimum wage).
Only the sheriff/levying officer can serve the employer and collect. Sheriff service fee is roughly $40-$45. For PERSONAL/CONSUMER debt the creditor must also provide a Declaration of Address Verification (WG-015/EJ-135) to the levying officer and file the original with the court within 10 business days.
Filed with: delivered to the sheriff/levying officer in the county where the employer is located
Levy the bank account
Form EJ-130 (Writ of Execution)Freezes and pulls non-exempt funds straight from the debtor's bank account.
Creditor gets the EJ-130 issued by the clerk, delivers it (with instructions) to the sheriff/levying officer in the county of the bank, who levies the account; the writ is valid for 180 days.
Lien their real estate
Attaches to property the debtor owns for 10 years — you get paid when they sell or refinance. The cheap, passive backstop.
Record an Abstract of Judgment (EJ-001) with the county recorder in each county where the debtor owns or later acquires real property (CCP § 697.310).
Court fee: county recorder recording fee (varies)
The fine print that matters in California
How long your judgment lasts
A money judgment is enforceable for 10 years and renewable for successive 10-year periods by filing Application for and Renewal of Judgment (EJ-190) before it expires (CCP § 683.020 / § 683.130). Exception: certain consumer/medical-debt judgments entered or renewed on/after Jan 1, 2023 can be renewed only ONCE for 5 years.
Interest while you wait
Cal. Const. art. XV § 1; CCP § 685.010; 5% rule per CCP § 685.010(a)(2) (AB 383, eff. 2023)
What the debtor can protect (exemptions)
Homestead exemption is the greater of the countywide median single-family home sale price (capped) or $300,000, inflation-adjusted annually (CCP § 704.730) — the inflation-adjusted upper cap is roughly $700k+ for 2026. Wage exemptions (low-income/head-of-household via Claim of Exemption WG-006/WG-007); Social Security, public benefits, and retirement income protected.
California gotchas
For PERSONAL/CONSUMER-debt enforcement, the creditor must serve the levying officer a Declaration of Address Verification (WG-015/EJ-135) and file it with the court within 10 business days, or the levy can be invalidated. Interest is 5% (not 10%) for qualifying individual consumer/medical judgments entered/renewed on or after Jan 1, 2023, and those judgments renew only once for 5 years. EJ-130 expires in 180 days.
Let us prepare your California collection paperwork
We prepare your California-specific enforcement forms — debtor's exam, garnishment, levy, or lien — plus a plain-English playbook telling you exactly where to file and what each step costs. You file them; we never charge a cut of what you collect.
Collection firms take 33–50% of what they recover. On a $4,000 judgment that's $1,300–$2,000. Our flat fee keeps the rest in your pocket.
California Judgment Collection FAQ
A California judgment is enforceable for 10 years, and can be renewed before it expires. A money judgment is enforceable for 10 years and renewable for successive 10-year periods by filing Application for and Renewal of Judgment (EJ-190) before it expires (CCP § 683.020 / § 683.130). Exception: certain consumer/medical-debt judgments entered or renewed on/after Jan 1, 2023 can be renewed only ONCE for 5 years.
Yes. Garnishment in California can reach Up to 25% of disposable earnings under CCP § 706.050; the self-help guide describes it as 'up to 20%' of take-home pay after the lower-of formula (amount over 40x state minimum wage). Exemptions: Low-income / financial-hardship 'Claim of Exemption' (WG-006 / WG-007); Social Security, public benefits, and certain retirement/disability income are protected.
Through Order to Appear for Examination (Debtor's Examination) (EJ-125 (Application and Order for Appearance and Examination) — civil; SC-134 in small claims) — the court orders the debtor to appear and disclose their assets under oath. Creditor applies for a court order compelling the debtor (or a third party holding the debtor's property) to appear under oath and answer questions about assets. Must be served by a sheriff/registered process server at least 10 days (small claims) before the hearing; for the consumer-debt order, longer notice (30 days) and service rules apply.
Record an Abstract of Judgment (EJ-001) with the county recorder in each county where the debtor owns or later acquires real property (CCP § 697.310). The lien lasts 10 years.
You pay the court and sheriff their own filing/levy fees directly (usually modest, and recoverable from the debtor). Our Judgment Collection service is a flat $299 — we prepare your California-specific enforcement forms and a step-by-step filing playbook; you file them. Compared with collection firms that take 33–50% of what they recover, that's hundreds to thousands less on a typical judgment.
Some debtors are "judgment-proof" — no job, no bank account, no equity — and no tool can squeeze money that isn't there. The honest play is the debtor's exam to confirm what exists, then keep the judgment alive (it lasts 10 years and is renewable) and try again when their situation changes. We give you the tools, not a guaranteed payout.
Collecting a judgment by county in California
Where you file your garnishment or levy depends on the counties.
Los Angeles County
San Diego County
Orange County
Riverside County
San Bernardino County
Santa Clara County
Alameda County
Sacramento County
Contra Costa County
Fresno County
Kern County
San Francisco County
All 58 counties in California
Official California sources
- https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/EJ-130
- https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/civil-lawsuit/judgment/collect/wage-garnishment
- https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/small-claims/after-trial/collect-money/writ-execution
- https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/small-claims/after-trial/collect-money/debtors-examination
- https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/EJ-125
- https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/judgment-renewals-and-interest-rates
- https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/EJ-190
- https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-ccp/part-2/title-9/division-2/chapter-4/article-4/section-704-730/
This page is general information about collecting a money judgment in California, not legal advice. Forms, fees, and procedures change and vary by court — confirm the current requirements with the court that entered your judgment before filing.
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