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Writ of execution california · Checked October 23, 2026

Writ of execution in California: EJ-130, $40, 180 days

General information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer before you act on it.

In California you get a writ of execution by filling in form EJ-130 and taking it to the small claims clerk, who stamps and issues it. The fee is $40, it can be added to what you are owed, and the writ is good for 180 days.

Form
EJ-130
Fee
$40, added to what you are owed
Good for
180 days

Work out your dates

Nothing you enter leaves this page or is saved.

The steps

  1. Wait 30 days.

    Count from the day you were handed or mailed the Notice of Entry of Judgment. Source

  2. Add interest and costs first, if you want them. MC-012

    Form MC-012 adds interest and collection costs. The court's page calls it "usually easiest" to file it before the writ when adding more than $100. Source

  3. Fill in EJ-130 and take it to the clerk. EJ-130$40

    The clerk stamps and dates it, which issues it. The $40 fee can be added to the amount you are owed. Source

  4. Send it to the sheriff with instructions.

    The sheriff, not you, deals with the employer (wage garnishment) or the bank (bank levy). Your instructions say where to look. Source

  5. Act within 180 days. 180 days

    If you don't take the next steps in that time, you start over with a new writ. Source

A worked example

A $2,450 judgment with a Notice of Entry mailed September 14, 2026: you can file EJ-130 from October 14, 2026. The $40 fee can be added, so what you are owed becomes $2,490, plus any interest and costs you claimed on MC-012. Issued October 20, 2026, it must be used by April 18, 2027.

Fees and forms change, and your court's clerk has the current ones. General information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer before you act on it.

Ask once, in writing

Before the court steps, most winners send a letter asking for payment by a date. Fill one in and print it; nothing you type leaves this page.

Make the payment letter

Questions people ask next

Where do I get EJ-130?

From the court's forms page or the small claims clerk. The clerk issues it; you do not file it with the sheriff first.

Can the sheriff take wages with it?

Yes. With the writ, the sheriff can serve the employer for a wage garnishment. California's self-help page says the employer can be told to take up to 20% of wages.

What if 180 days pass?

The writ expires. Ask the clerk for a new one and pay the fee again.

Your state's full steps

California

Related guides

Writ of Execution After a Small Claims Judgment, by State Abstract of Judgment in California Small Claims Judgment Debtor Examination After Small Claims How to Garnish Wages After a Small Claims Judgment

Sources

Checked on October 23, 2026 against these pages.