Evictions · Updated October 2026

LA County Sheriff Instructions for Evictions

After an unlawful detainer judgment, only the Sheriff can remove the occupants. What the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Civil Management Bureau needs from you, and how the lockout unfolds.

Direct Legal Blog

Evictions

First published 2015 · Updated October 2026

This article first appeared in 2015, when the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department began requiring a revised set of eviction instructions after delays at locked gates and several dangerous confrontations. The instructions have since moved online, and the questions they ask are the same ones the Department added then: how to get in, who lives there, and whether anyone poses a risk. Here’s what the Sheriff needs in Los Angeles County as of October 2026, with the fees as the Department lists them. Check the Sheriff’s site for the current figures before you send a check.

The sequence

From Judgment to Lockout

An unlawful detainer judgment for possession doesn’t move anyone out. The landlord applies to the clerk for a Writ of Possession of Real Property (form EJ-130), then delivers the writ, written instructions, and the fee deposit to the Sheriff as levying officer. The Sheriff serves or posts the writ with a notice to vacate giving the occupants five days to leave (CCP §§ 715.010 and 715.020). If they’re still there after the five days, the Sheriff returns, removes them, and gives possession to the landlord. In Los Angeles County the work is done by the Sheriff’s Court Services Division, Civil Management Bureau.

The packet

What the Sheriff Needs From You

The writ. The original writ of possession issued by the court, or a copy of a writ the court issued electronically.
Signed instructions. The Sheriff acts only on written instructions from the attorney or the party (CCP § 262). The Los Angeles County form, Sheriff Instructions: Writ of Possession for Real Property (Eviction), is completed online at civil.lasd.org, then downloaded, signed, and submitted with the writ. The Department asks that it be typed, not handwritten.
The deposit. As listed on the form in October 2026: a $145 initial deposit, covering an $85 fee for serving the notice to vacate and a $60 fee for the lockout (Gov. Code § 26733.5), plus $40 to repost the notice if needed (§ 26721) and a $40 cancellation fee (§ 26736). Sheriff’s fees are recoverable costs of enforcement.

What it asks

What the Instruction Form Asks, and Why

The form is long because the deputies have learned what goes wrong. Fill in every item you can:

The property. Whether it’s a dwelling, a rental housing unit, in foreclosure, or subject to a bankruptcy. If the debtor filed bankruptcy after the judgment, you choose on the form whether to proceed with the lockout under CCP § 715.050 or cancel it, and whether the writ bars a lockout before a date.
Access. Gate and building entry codes, and who holds a key. Many delays, the Department said in 2015, came from deputies who couldn’t get past a locked gate or lobby door to post the notice.
The occupants. Each defendant’s name, date of birth or age, description, and phone, and whether anyone is elderly, disabled, has medical or mental health needs, or speaks another language, and the ages of any children. The Sheriff uses this to involve Adult Protective Services or other agencies before the lockout rather than on the day.
Safety. Firearms, prior threats, alarms, cameras, and animals. The Department added these questions after deputies, locksmiths, and landlords’ agents were hurt or killed during evictions. Answer them from what the rental application, the lease, the manager, and maintenance staff know.
Contacts and money. The creditor and agent to call, and where refunds and notices go.

The days

The Five-Day Notice and the Lockout

The levying officer serves a copy of the writ and a notice to vacate on the occupants, by personal delivery or by posting on the premises and mailing (CCP § 715.020). The notice tells them they have five days to move out. If the premises aren’t vacated within five days from the date of service, the Sheriff removes the occupants and places the landlord in possession. The landlord or agent needs to be at the property for the lockout with a locksmith or new locks.

How long the whole process takes depends on the Civil Management Bureau’s calendar, which varies with the volume of writs. Deputies also stop when the instructions are incomplete, when they can’t reach the door, or when a claim of right to possession is filed, so the form and the access details are the fastest way to a short timeline.

Two complications

Unnamed Occupants and Property Left Behind

An adult occupant who wasn’t named in the judgment can file a Claim of Right to Possession (form CP10.5) with the Sheriff within the notice period and stop the lockout until the court rules (CCP § 1174.3). The way to prevent that is at the start of the case: serving a Prejudgment Claim of Right to Possession (form CP10) with the summons and complaint under CCP § 415.46 binds everyone in the unit, named or not.

Personal property the occupants leave behind isn’t the landlord’s to keep or throw out. The landlord stores it and gives the notice required by CCP § 1174 and Civil Code §§ 1980 to 1991 before disposing of it.

Service that holds up

Getting to the Writ: Service That Holds Up

A writ of possession is only as good as the judgment behind it, and an unlawful detainer judgment is only as good as the service of the notice and the summons. A tenant has 10 days to respond to an unlawful detainer summons, not counting weekends and court holidays (CCP § 1167), and a default taken on defective service can be set aside after the lockout, with the tenant restored to possession. Starting January 1, 2027, AB 747 also changes the rules for service by posting in unlawful detainer cases (CCP §§ 415.45 and 1166) and requires photos on the proof of service. See What Changes for Service of Process in 2027.

Direct Legal

How Direct Legal Helps With Evictions

Our registered process servers serve the notice to quit, the unlawful detainer summons, and the prejudgment claim of right to possession, with the declaration of diligence and the mailing when posting or substituted service is used. Our court runners file at every Los Angeles Superior Court courthouse, including the writ application, and pick up the issued writ. See process serving and court filing services, and for levies on a money judgment, writ levy services.

Please note

About This Article

This article is general information about California law and court procedure as of October 2026. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Direct Legal Support is a registered process serving and litigation support company, not a law firm. Statutes, court rules, and forms change, so check the current versions and your court’s local rules, and talk with an attorney about your specific matter.