CCP 699.520: Writ Contents, Notice of Levy, and Deadlines

California Code of Civil Procedure Section 699.520 sets out the twelve pieces of information a writ of execution must contain before a sheriff, marshal, or other levying officer can use it to seize a judgment debtor’s property.¹ A writ missing any of them can stall enforcement, so whether you are collecting on a judgment or defending against one, the contents of this one document control what happens next.

The Twelve Items the Writ Must Contain

The writ of execution is a court-issued order directing a levying officer to enforce a money judgment. Under CCP 699.520, it must state all of the following:

The date the court clerk issued the writ.
The name of the court, the case title, and the case number.
Whether the judgment involves unpaid wages, child support, or spousal support.
The name and address of the judgment creditor, and the name and last known address of the judgment debtor. If the debtor is a business or other legal entity, the writ must identify the entity type.
The date the judgment was entered, any renewals, and where these appear in the court’s records.
The total judgment as entered or renewed, including costs added afterward and accrued interest, minus any partial payments and amounts no longer enforceable.
The total amount needed to satisfy the judgment on the date the writ is issued.
The amount of interest accruing each day on the principal balance from the date of issuance.
Whether anyone has requested notice if the seized property is sold, with that person’s name and mailing address.
The total fees and costs added to the judgment under Government Code provisions, separate from what the creditor is owed.
Whether the writ includes additional names for the debtor based on an affidavit of identity.
Whether the case is limited or unlimited civil.

The affidavit of identity referenced in item eleven is a sworn statement a creditor files when the debtor goes by names other than the one on the original judgment. It must include the case information, the debtor’s name as it appears in the judgment, the additional names, and the facts the creditor relied on to identify those names.² It is what allows the writ to reach assets held under alternate names.

Creditors don’t draft the writ themselves. The court clerk completes Form EJ-130 from the judgment file, and the issuance fee under Government Code Section 70626 is $40.³⁴ Verify the amounts before the writ goes to the levying officer. An incorrect judgment total or interest figure can delay the levy or give the debtor grounds to challenge it.

The Notice of Levy That Travels With the Writ

CCP 699.520 governs the writ itself, but a writ rarely moves alone. The notice of levy, Judicial Council Form EJ-150, is served with the writ when the levying officer executes against specific property.⁵ The notice identifies the property being taken and informs the debtor of the right to claim exemptions. It tells the debtor they may file a claim of exemption within 15 days of personal delivery of the notice or 20 days of mailing, and it references Form EJ-155, which lists available exemptions under California law.⁶

One point about defective service: even if the levying officer fails to properly serve the notice of levy or the exemptions form, the execution lien created by the levy survives. CCP 699.550 makes clear that a defect in posting, serving, or mailing the notice does not destroy the lien. The debtor may still have procedural arguments about the timing of an exemption claim when service was defective, but the lien itself is not undone by the service problem.

Deadlines That Control the Writ

A writ of execution does not stay alive forever. The levying officer cannot levy on any property under the writ after 180 days from the date of issuance.⁷ If no levy occurs in that window, the creditor must return to the clerk, pay another $40, and get a new writ. There is no cap on how many writs a creditor can obtain in sequence, but each one restarts the 180-day clock.

The writ also expires at the earliest of several other events: two years from issuance, completion of the officer’s duties under it, or a written request from the creditor to return the writ.⁸

Behind the writ sits the judgment itself, which is enforceable for 10 years from entry. After the 10 years run, the judgment cannot be enforced, all enforcement procedures stop, and liens created through enforcement are extinguished.⁹ Creditors can renew the judgment for another 10 years, but the renewal application must be filed before the original period expires. There is no fix after the fact.

Exemptions and the Automatic Bank Account Protection

A debtor who thinks levied property is exempt must file a claim of exemption with the levying officer. The deadlines match what the notice of levy states: 15 days from personal service, 20 days from mailing.¹⁰ The claim must be made under oath, describe the exempt property, cite the specific exemption statute, and state the facts supporting it. A financial statement must be included when required.

For personal debts as defined by CCP 683.110, a debtor may file a late claim of exemption after the 20-day window closes. The catch is that the levying officer can release funds to the creditor once that initial 20-day period runs, so a late claim may arrive after the money is already gone.¹⁰

One protection applies automatically. Under CCP 704.220, money in a debtor’s bank account up to a threshold amount is exempt from levy without the debtor filing anything. The threshold equals the minimum basic standard of adequate care for a family of four in Region 1 as set by the California Department of Social Services, adjusted annually.¹¹ The financial institution applies the exemption on its own when processing the levy. The exemption is per debtor, not per account, so holding several accounts at the same bank does not multiply it.

This automatic protection does not apply to levies for unpaid wages, child support, spousal support, or debts owed to government agencies for taxes or similar liabilities. A debtor facing one of those judgments should not assume any bank funds are protected without checking whether a different exemption fits.

The Daily Interest Figure on the Writ

Item eight on the CCP 699.520 list is the daily interest amount, and the number depends on which rate applies to the judgment. The general post-judgment interest rate in California is 10% per year on the remaining principal.¹² On a $50,000 judgment, that works out to roughly $13.70 per day, which is why the writ states the daily figure: the levying officer uses it to calculate the exact payoff on the date of collection.

A lower 5% rate applies in two situations for judgments entered or renewed on or after January 1, 2023: medical expense judgments where the remaining principal is under $200,000, and personal debt judgments where the remaining principal is under $50,000.¹² If a writ on one of these judgment types still carries the 10% calculation, the daily interest line is wrong and should be corrected before the levy proceeds. For a debtor, that single number on the writ is worth checking against the statute.

1
California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 699.520 – Writ of Execution and Notice of Levy
2
Justia Law. California Code CCP 680.010-680.380 – Short Title and Definitions
3
Judicial Council of California. Writ of Execution EJ-130
4
California Legislative Information. California Government Code 70626
5
California Courts. Notice of Levy
6
Judicial Council of California. Notice of Levy – Enforcement of Judgment
7
California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 699.530
8
California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 699.560 – Return of Writ
9
California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 683.020
10
California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 703.520
11
California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 704.220
12
California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 685.010