ARTICLE 6. Forms; Employer’s Instructions [706.120. - 706.129.]

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP 6.

in effect

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.120. Section 706.120.

Except as provided in Section 706.081, the Judicial Council shall prescribe the form of the applications, notices, claims of exemption, orders, and other documents required by this chapter as provided in Section 681.030, and only such forms may be used to implement this chapter.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.121. Section 706.121.

The “application for issuance of earnings withholding order” shall be executed under oath and shall include all of the following: (a) The name, the last known address, and, if known, the social security number of the judgment debtor. (b) The name and address of the judgment creditor. (c) The court where the judgment was entered and the date the judgment was entered. (d) Whether the judgment is based in whole or in part on a claim for elder or dependent adult financial abuse and, if in part, how much of the judgment arises from that claim. (e) The date of issuance of a writ of execution to the county where the earnings withholding order is sought. (f) The total amount required to satisfy the order on the date of issuance (which may not exceed the amount required to satisfy the writ of execution on the date of issuance of the order plus the levying officer’s statutory fee for service of the order). (g) The name and address of the employer to whom the order will be directed. (h) The name and address of the person to whom the withheld money is to be paid by the levying officer.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.122. Section 706.122.

The “notice to employee of earnings withholding order” shall contain a statement that informs the employee in simple terms of the nature of a wage garnishment, the right to an exemption, the procedure for claiming an exemption, and any other information the Judicial Council determines would be useful to the employee and appropriate for inclusion in the notice, including all of the following: (a) The named employer has been ordered to withhold from the earnings of the judgment debtor the amounts required to be withheld under Section 706.050, or such other amounts as are specified in the earnings withholding order, and to pay these amounts over to the levying officer for transmittal to the person specified in the order in payment of the judgment described in the order. (b) The manner of computing the amounts required to be withheld pursuant to Section 706.050. (c) The judgment debtor may be able to keep more or all of the judgment debtor’s earnings if the judgment debtor proves that the additional earnings are necessary for the support of the judgment debtor or the judgment debtor’s family supported in whole or in part by the judgment debtor. (d) If the judgment debtor wishes a court hearing to prove that amounts should not be withheld from the judgment debtor’s earnings because they are necessary for the support of the judgment debtor or the judgment debtor’s family supported in whole or in part by the judgment debtor, the judgment debtor shall file with the levying officer an original and one copy of the “judgment debtor’s claim of exemption” and an original and one copy of the “judgment debtor’s financial statement.”

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.123. Section 706.123.

The “judgment debtor’s claim of exemption” shall be executed under oath. The claim of exemption shall indicate how much the judgment debtor believes should be withheld from the judgment debtor’s earnings each pay period by the employer pursuant to the earnings withholding order and shall state the judgment debtor’s present mailing address.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.124. Section 706.124.

The “judgment debtor’s financial statement” shall be executed as provided in Section 703.530 and contain all of the information required by that section and the following additional information: (a) Whether any earnings withholding orders are in effect with respect to the earnings of the judgment debtor or the spouse or dependents of the judgment debtor. (b) Whether any earnings assignment orders for support are in effect with respect to the earnings of the judgment debtor or the spouse or dependents of the judgment debtor.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.125. Section 706.125.

The “earnings withholding order” shall include all of the following: (a) The name, address, and, if known, the social security number of the judgment debtor. (b) The name and address of the employer to whom the order is directed. (c) The court where the judgment was entered, the date the judgment was entered, and the name of the judgment creditor. (d) Whether the judgment is based in whole or in part on a claim for elder or dependent adult financial abuse and, if in part, how much of the judgment arises from the claim. (e) The date of issuance of the writ of execution to the county where the earnings withholding order is sought. (f) The total amount required to satisfy the order on the date of issuance (which may not exceed the amount required to satisfy the writ of execution on the date of issuance of the order plus the levying officer’s statutory fee for service of the order). (g) A description of the withholding period and an order to the employer to withhold from the earnings of the judgment debtor for each pay period the amount required to be withheld under Section 706.050 or the amount specified in the order subject to Section 706.024, as the case may be, for the pay periods ending during the withholding period. (h) An order to the employer to pay over to the levying officer at a specified address the amount required to be withheld and paid over pursuant to the order in the manner and within the times provided by law. (i) An order that the employer fill out the “employer’s return” and return it by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the levying officer at a specified address within 15 days after service of the earnings withholding order. (j) An order that the employer deliver to the judgment debtor a copy of the earnings withholding order and the “notice to employee of earnings withholding order” within 10 days after service of the earnings withholding order; but, if the judgment debtor is no longer employed by the employer and the employer does not owe the employee any earnings, the employer is not required to make the delivery. (k) The name and address of the levying officer.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.126. Section 706.126.

(a) The “employer’s return” shall be executed under oath. The form for the return provided to the employer shall state all of the following information: (1) The name and address of the levying officer to whom the form is to be returned. (2) A direction that the form be mailed to the levying officer by first-class mail, postage prepaid, no later than 15 days after the date of service of the earnings withholding order. (3) The name, the address, and, if known, the social security number of the judgment debtor. (b) In addition, the employer’s return form shall require the employer to supply all of the following information: (1) The date the earnings withholding order was served on the employer. (2) Whether the judgment debtor is employed by the employer or whether the employer otherwise owes earnings to the employee. (3) If the judgment debtor is employed by the employer or the employer otherwise owes earnings to the employee, the amount of the employee’s earnings for the last pay period and the length of this pay period. (4) Whether the employer was required on the date of service to comply with an earlier earnings withholding order and, if so, the name of the judgment creditor who secured the earlier order, the levying officer who served such order, the date it was issued, the date it was served, the expiration date of such order, and which of the earnings withholding orders the employer is required to comply with under the applicable statutory rules concerning the priority of such orders. (5) Whether the employer was required on the date of service to comply with an earnings assignment order for support and, if so, the court which issued such assignment order and the date it was issued and any other information the Judicial Council determines is needed to identify the order. (6) The name and address of the person to whom notices to the employer are to be sent. (7) The date on which the employer provided the employee a copy of the earnings withholding order and the notice of earnings withholding order, the name and title of the person who provided the order and notice, and a short description of the manner in which the order and notice were provided.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.127. Section 706.127.

(a) The Judicial Council shall prepare “employer’s instructions” for employers and revise or supplement these instructions to reflect changes in the law or rules regulating the withholding of earnings. (b) Except to the extent that they are included in the forms required to be provided by the employer to the levying officer, the Judicial Council shall publish and provide to the levying officers copies of the employer’s instructions.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.128. Section 706.128.

The “judgment creditor’s notice of opposition to the claim of exemption” shall be executed under oath and shall include all of the following: (a) The name, last known address, and, if known, the social security number of the judgment debtor. (b) The name and address of the judgment creditor. (c) The date of mailing of the notice of claim of exemption. (d) The amount of the judgment debtor’s claim of exemption which the judgment creditor claims is not exempt. (e) The factual and legal grounds for the judgment creditor’s opposition to the claim of exemption.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 706.129. Section 706.129.

The levying officer shall have copies of the forms for the “judgment debtor’s claim of exemption” and “judgment debtor’s financial statement” available at the levying officer’s office for distribution without charge to a person who desires to make a claim of exemption under Section 706.051.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026