Section 3051.
Cal. Civil Code - CIV § 3051.
in effectEvery person who, while lawfully in possession of an article of personal property, renders any service to the owner thereof, by labor or skill, employed for the protection, improvement, safekeeping, or carriage thereof, has a special lien thereon, dependent on possession, for the compensation, if any, which is due to him from the owner for such service; a person who makes, alters, or repairs any article of personal property, at the request of the owner, or legal possessor of the property, has a lien on the same for his reasonable charges for the balance due for such work done and materials furnished, and may retain possession of the same until the
charges are paid; and foundry proprietors and persons conducting a foundry business, have a lien, dependent on possession, upon all patterns in their hands belonging to a customer, for the balance due them from such customers for foundry work; and plastic fabricators and persons conducting a plastic fabricating business, have a lien, dependent on possession, upon all patterns and molds in their hands belonging to a customer, for the balance due them from such customer for plastic fabrication work; and laundry proprietors and persons conducting a laundry business, and drycleaning establishment proprietors and persons conducting a drycleaning establishment, have a general lien, dependent on possession, upon all personal property in their hands belonging to a customer, for the balance due them from such customer for laundry work, and for the balance due them from such customers for drycleaning work, but nothing in this section shall be construed to confer a lien in favor of a wholesale drycleaner on materials
received from a drycleaning establishment proprietor or a person conducting a drycleaning establishment; and veterinary proprietors and veterinary surgeons shall have a lien dependent on possession, for their compensation in caring for, boarding, feeding, and medical treatment of animals.
This section shall have no application to any vessel, as defined in Section 21 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, to any vehicle, as defined in Section 670 of the Vehicle Code, which is subject to registration pursuant to that code, to any manufactured home, as defined in Section 18007 of the Health and Safety Code, to any mobilehome, as defined in Section 18008 of the Health and Safety Code, or to any commercial coach, as defined in Section 18001.8 of the Health and Safety Code, whether or not the manufactured home, mobilehome, or commercial coach is subject to registration under the Health and Safety Code.
References
referencesCal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 21.
referencesCal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 670.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18007.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18008.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18001.8.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026