Bank Levies in California: What to Assemble Before the Levy

A Current Writ for the Right County

The court clerk issues the writ of execution (form EJ-130) on the judgment creditor’s application, and a separate writ is needed for each county where you’ll levy (CCP § 699.510). The fee is $40 (Gov. Code § 70626). EJ-130 was revised July 1, 2026. It asks whether the judgment is for personal debt, and if that box is checked, the address verification declaration in step 2 is required before the sheriff will act.

Watch the clock. No levy can be made more than 180 days after the writ was issued (§ 699.530). If the 180 days are nearly up, plan for a new writ, keeping in mind that a new writ for the same county generally won’t issue within 180 days of the last one unless the last one has been returned.

Two other things to check before applying:

• The amount. Interest runs at 10% a year, but at 5% on a personal debt judgment under $50,000 or a medical expense judgment under $200,000 entered on or after January 1, 2023 (CCP § 685.010). Costs after judgment have to be claimed in a memorandum of costs within two years after they were incurred (§ 685.070).
• Enforceability. A judgment can’t be enforced more than 10 years after entry unless it has been renewed (§ 683.020). Personal debt judgments under $50,000 and medical judgments under $200,000 can be renewed only once, for five years. After a renewal, no writ issues until proof of service of the notice of renewal is filed (§ 683.160).

Address Verification for a Personal Debt Judgment

If the judgment is for personal debt, meaning money owed for something bought or borrowed mainly for personal, family, or household purposes, CCP § 684.130 adds a step before any levy:

• Verify the debtor’s address with reasonable diligence within the past 12 months. Accepted methods include recent mail from the debtor with a return address, a certified letter with a return receipt the debtor signed, and an address verification service or skip trace followed by a first-class letter that isn’t returned.
• Give the levying officer a declaration on mandatory form WG-015/EJ-135 (revised July 1, 2026).
• File the declaration with the court within 10 business days after delivering it to the levying officer. Until 2026 the deadline was 5 business days.

Without the declaration, the sheriff or marshal won’t accept or serve the levy. The cost of verifying the address can’t be added to the judgment. If the address has gone stale, our skip tracing team can find a current one.

Instructions for the Levying Officer

The sheriff or marshal is the levying officer, and it needs written instructions on two mandatory forms, both revised January 1, 2026:

• SER-001, Request for Sheriff to Serve Court Papers. It includes an option for the sheriff to act only as levying officer while a registered process server makes the levy. It isn’t used for wage garnishments, which start with form WG-001.
• SER-001A, Special Instructions for Writs and Levies. It describes the writ and the property, covers personal debt address verification, and has the statement the levying officer needs when the writ was issued electronically.

Each levying officer also sets its own copy counts and fees. As of October 2026, the Los Angeles County Sheriff asks for the original writ plus three copies, the personal debt declaration in triplicate, and a $50 fee for a bank levy, and it opens registered process server levies by appointment only. Check the current instructions for the county you’re levying in.

The Right Bank Office

A bank or credit union with more than nine branches in California has to designate one or more central locations for service of legal process, filed with the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (CCP § 684.115). Serving the central location reaches the debtor’s deposit accounts at the branches it covers, statewide. Serving a branch instead isn’t effective for those accounts. If a required institution hasn’t designated a location, each branch counts as one. Some older instructions still say to serve the branch where the account is kept; for most banks that no longer works. Our bank levy locations directory lists the central locations for 163 banks and credit unions.

A bank levy is a snapshot. The lien reaches only what’s in the account when the levy is served (CCP § 700.140), not deposits made the next day. For an account in someone else’s name, you need a court order, unless at the time of levy you give the bank a sworn statement that the account holder is the debtor’s spouse or registered domestic partner, or a fictitious business name statement showing the debtor’s interest. The bank then holds the money for 15 days before paying (§ 700.160).

The Notice of Levy and the Debtor’s Copies

The levy itself is made by serving the financial institution with a copy of the writ and a notice of levy (CCP § 700.140). The notice of levy, form EJ-150, was revised July 1, 2026; it tells the bank to send its garnishee’s memorandum (form EJ-152) within 10 days after service. A bank that fully complies with the levy doesn’t have to send one (§ 701.030).

The judgment debtor has to be served at the time of the levy or promptly afterward, in person or by mail, with a copy of the writ, the notice of levy, and, for an individual, the exemption forms (§ 700.010). The levying officer handles this when the sheriff serves; when a registered process server makes the levy, the server does.

If a Registered Process Server Makes the Levy

A registered process server can levy on a deposit account without waiting for the sheriff’s schedule (CCP § 699.080). The order of operations matters:

• Open: before the levy, deposit a copy of the writ and the levying officer’s fee with the sheriff or marshal.
• Serve: the server serves the bank at its central location and serves the debtor.
• Close: within five court days after the levy, file the writ, the proof of levy, the proofs of service, and your instructions with the levying officer. Miss that and the levy is ineffective.

The levying officer still handles the bank’s response, exemption claims, and payment. The process server’s fee is a recoverable cost. More on registration in Registered Process Servers.

Exemptions, Claims, and When the Money Comes

• The automatic exemption. As of July 1, 2026, $2,325 per judgment debtor is protected from a bank levy without any claim (CCP § 704.220; form EJ-156). The amount is per debtor, not per account, and it’s adjusted every July 1. It doesn’t apply to levies for unpaid wages, child or spousal support, or certain state levies.
• Claims of exemption. The debtor has 15 days after personal service, or 20 days after service by mail, to claim other exemptions with the levying officer (CCP § 703.520). On a personal debt judgment, a debtor can file later than that, but the levying officer may release the money to the creditor once the 20 days have passed.
• Third-party claims. Someone else who claims the money can file a third-party claim with the levying officer until it pays the proceeds to the creditor (CCP § 720.120).
• Payment. The bank pays the levying officer, and the levying officer generally holds the money until the time for exemption claims has run and any claim is resolved. Plan on weeks, not days.

The Short List

• A writ of execution for the county, issued less than 180 days before the levy will be served.
• A memorandum of costs, if you’re adding costs or interest since the last writ.
• For a personal debt judgment: an address verified within 12 months and a signed WG-015/EJ-135.
• SER-001 and SER-001A, with the copies and fee check the levying officer requires.
• The notice of levy (EJ-150) and the debtor’s copies, including the exemption forms.
• The bank’s central location for legal process.
• If a registered process server is levying: the plan to file everything within five court days.

Direct Legal opens, serves, and closes bank levies throughout California under one order, with our own registered process servers, and we can prepare the levy documents for you. Rates are on our writ levies page.

About This Article

Sources

• Code of Civil Procedure section 699.510
• Code of Civil Procedure section 699.530
• Code of Civil Procedure section 684.130
• Code of Civil Procedure section 684.115
• Code of Civil Procedure section 700.140
• Code of Civil Procedure section 700.160
• Code of Civil Procedure section 700.010
• Code of Civil Procedure section 699.080
• Code of Civil Procedure section 704.220
• Code of Civil Procedure section 703.520
• Code of Civil Procedure section 685.010
• Code of Civil Procedure section 683.020
• Judicial Council form EJ-130, Writ of Execution
• Judicial Council form EJ-150, Notice of Levy
• Judicial Council form EJ-156, Current Dollar Amounts of Exemptions
• Judicial Council form WG-015/EJ-135, Declaration of Address Verification
• Judicial Council form SER-001, Request for Sheriff to Serve Court Papers
• Judicial Council form SER-001A, Special Instructions for Writs and Levies
• Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Civil Process

Keep Reading

• Federal Bank Levies in California: Our U.S. Marshal Checklist2026 · Judgment Enforcement and Evictions
• Recording an Abstract of Judgment in California2026 · Judgment Enforcement and Evictions
• Is Your Judgment About to Expire? Renewing a California Judgment2026 · Judgment Enforcement and Evictions

See all 32 articles on the Direct Legal blog

How We Can Help

• Writ leviesWage garnishments, bank levies, and other judgment enforcement through the Sheriff.
• Skip tracingCurrent addresses for defendants, witnesses, and debtors, for law firms and legal departments.
• E-recordingDeeds, liens, abstracts of judgment, and other documents recorded with California counties.