Section 704.115.
Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 704.115.
in effect(a)
As used in this section, “retirement plan”
means:
(1)
Private retirement plans, including, but not limited to, union retirement plans.
(2)
Profit-sharing plans designed and used for retirement purposes.
(3)
Self-employed retirement plans and individual retirement annuities or accounts provided for in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including individual retirement accounts qualified under Section 408 or 408A of that code, to the extent the amounts held in the plans, annuities, or accounts do not exceed the maximum amounts exempt from federal income taxation under that code.
(4)
Retirement funds to the extent that those funds are in a fund or account that is exempt
from taxation under Sections 403, 414, or 457 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to the extent the amounts held in the plans, annuities, or accounts do not exceed the maximum amounts exempt from federal income taxation under that code and are not otherwise exempt under federal law.
(b)
All amounts held, controlled, or in process of distribution by a retirement plan, for the payment of benefits as an annuity, pension, retirement allowance, disability payment, or death benefit from a retirement plan are exempt.
(c)
Notwithstanding subdivision (b), where an amount described in subdivision (b) becomes payable to a person and is sought to be applied to the satisfaction of a judgment for child, family, or spousal support against that person:
(1)
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amount is exempt only to the extent that the court determines under subdivision (c) of Section 703.070.
(2)
If the amount sought to be applied to the satisfaction of the judgment is payable periodically, the amount payable is subject to an earnings assignment order for support as defined in Section 706.011 or any other applicable enforcement procedure, but the amount to be withheld pursuant to the assignment order or other
procedure shall not exceed the amount permitted to be withheld on an earnings withholding order for support under Section 706.052.
(d)
After payment, the amounts described in subdivision (b) and all contributions and interest thereon returned to any member of a retirement plan are exempt.
(e)
(1)
Notwithstanding subdivisions (b) and (d), except as provided in subdivision (f), the amounts described in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a) are exempt only to the extent necessary to provide for the support of the judgment debtor when the judgment debtor retires and for the support of the spouse and dependents of the judgment debtor, taking into account all resources that are likely to be available for the support of the judgment debtor
when the judgment debtor retires.
(2)
For personal debt, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 683.110, the amount necessary to provide for the support of the judgment debtor cannot be, unless otherwise provided by federal law, less than the amount listed in subsection (n) of Section 522 of Title 11 of the United States Code, as adjusted in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 104 of Title 11 of the United States Code. The exempt amount may be aggregated across all retirement plans in the judgment debtor’s name. The exempt amount may be reduced to the extent that such value is attributable to any portion of any property the debtor disposed of with the intent to hinder, delay, or defraud a creditor, and that the debtor could not have exempted at the time the debtor so disposed of the property.
(3)
In determining the amount to be exempt under this subdivision, the court shall allow the judgment debtor such additional amount as is necessary to pay any federal and state income taxes owed as a result of the application of funds in a retirement plan to the satisfaction of the money judgment.
(f)
Where the amounts described in paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a) are payable periodically, the amount of the periodic payment that may be applied to the satisfaction of a money judgment is the amount that may be withheld from a like amount of earnings under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 706.010) (Wage Garnishment Law). To the extent a lump-sum distribution from an individual retirement account is treated differently from a periodic distribution under this subdivision, any lump-sum distribution from an account qualified under
Section 408A of the Internal Revenue Code shall be treated the same as a lump-sum distribution from an account qualified under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code for purposes of determining whether any of that payment may be applied to the satisfaction of a money judgment.
References
referencesCal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 408.
referencesCal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 408A.
referencesCal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 703.070.
referencesCal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.011.
referencesCal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.052.
referencesCal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 683.110.
referencesCal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.010.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026