ARTICLE 1. General [970. - 971.2.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 1.

in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 970. Section 970.

As used in this article: (a) “Fiscal year” means a year beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30 unless the local public entity has adopted a different fiscal year as authorized by law, in which case “fiscal year” means the fiscal year adopted by such local public entity. (b) “Judgment” means a final judgment for the payment of money rendered against a local public entity. (c) “Local public entity” includes a county, city, district, public authority, public agency, and any other political subdivision or public corporation in the state, but does not include the Regents of the University of California and does not include the state or any office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, commission or agency of the state claims against which are paid by warrants drawn by the Controller.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 970.1. Section 970.1.

(a) A judgment is enforceable until 10 years after the time the judgment becomes final or, if the judgment is payable in installments, until 10 years after the final installment becomes due. (b) A judgment, whether or not final, is not enforceable under Title 9 (commencing with Section 680.010) of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure but is enforceable under this article after it becomes final. (c) Unless another statute provides a different interest rate, interest on a tax or fee judgment against a local public entity shall accrue at a rate equal to the weekly average one year constant maturity United States Treasury yield at the time of the judgment plus 2 percent, but shall not exceed 7 percent per annum.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 970.2. Section 970.2.

A local public entity shall pay any judgment in the manner provided in this article. A writ of mandate is an appropriate remedy to compel a local public entity to perform any act required by this article.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 970.4. Section 970.4.

Except as provided in Section 970.6, the governing body of a local public entity shall pay, to the extent funds are available in the fiscal year in which it becomes final, any judgment, with interest thereon, out of any funds to the credit of the local public entity that are: (a) Unappropriated for any other purpose unless the use of such funds is restricted by law or contract to other purposes; or (b) Appropriated for the current fiscal year for the payment of judgments and not previously encumbered.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 970.5. Section 970.5.

Except as provided in Section 970.6, if a local public entity does not pay a judgment, with interest thereon, during the fiscal year in which it becomes final, the governing body shall pay the judgment, with interest thereon, during the ensuing fiscal year immediately upon the obtaining of sufficient funds for that purpose.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 970.6. Section 970.6.

(a) The court which enters the judgment shall order that the governing body pay the judgment, with interest thereon, in not exceeding 10 equal annual installments if both of the following conditions are satisfied: (1) The governing body of the local public entity has adopted an ordinance or resolution finding that an unreasonable hardship will result unless the judgment is paid in installments. (2) The court, after hearing, has found that payment of the judgment in installments as ordered by the court is necessary to avoid an unreasonable hardship. (b) Each installment payment shall be of an equal amount, consisting of a portion of the principal of the judgment and the unpaid interest on the judgment to the date of the payment. The local public entity, in its discretion, may prepay any one or more installments or any part of an installment.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 970.8. Section 970.8.

(a) Each local public entity shall in each fiscal year include in its budget a provision to provide funds in an amount sufficient to pay all judgments in accordance with this article. (b) If all or any portion of the revenue used for the maintenance and operation of a local public entity (other than an entity created by an agreement described in Section 895) liable for a judgment is derived from appropriations of another local public entity, such other local public entity shall in each fiscal year appropriate funds equal to its pro rata share of an amount sufficient to permit the local public entity liable for the judgment to pay the judgment in accordance with this article. Such amount shall be paid to the local public entity liable for the judgment and shall be used by such entity to satisfy the judgment. The pro rata share of such other local public entity for each judgment is an amount bearing the same proportion to the total amount of the judgment as the revenue derived from such other local public entity for maintenance and operation during the fiscal year in which the cause of action on such judgment accrued bears to the total revenues used for maintenance and operation during such fiscal year of the local public entity liable for the judgment. For this purpose, such other local public entity shall include in its budget a provision to provide funds sufficient in amount to make the appropriation and payment required by this section.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 971. Section 971.

(a) As used in this section: (1) “Judgment resulting from a discretionary act” means a judgment arising from a liability which the local public entity has discretion to incur or not to incur and includes a judgment rendered in an eminent domain proceeding and a judgment requiring specific performance of a contractual obligation or awarding damages for failure to perform a contractual obligation. (2) “Judgment resulting from a nondiscretionary act” means a judgment other than one described in paragraph (1) and includes a judgment founded upon tort or inverse condemnation liability. (b) Any limitation on the amount of taxes, assessments or rates and charges that may be levied or collected by a local public entity, and any limitation on the amount of appropriations and payments that may be made by a local public entity, and any limitation on the amount of liability or indebtedness that may be incurred by a local public entity, contained in any other statute or in any charter or ordinance: (1) Applies to the taxes, assessments, rates and charges or appropriations levied, collected or made to pay pursuant to this article a judgment resulting from a discretionary act. (2) Does not apply to the taxes, assessments, rates and charges or appropriations levied, collected or made to pay pursuant to this article a judgment resulting from a nondiscretionary act. (c) For the purposes of Section 2271 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, taxes levied to pay pursuant to this article a judgment resulting from a nondiscretionary act are levied to pay costs mandated by the courts.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 971.2. Section 971.2.

(a) All judgments for which a local public entity is liable are legal investments for all trust funds, and for the funds of all insurance companies, banks (both commercial and savings) and trust companies, and for every other local public entity within this state, to the same extent as bonds of the local public entity liable for the judgment. (b) Whenever any money or funds may by law be invested in or loaned upon the security of bonds of a local public entity, such money or funds may be invested in or loaned upon the security of a judgment for which such local public entity is liable; and whenever bonds of a local public entity may be used as security for the faithful performance or execution of any court or private trust or of any other act, a judgment for which such local public entity is liable may be so used. (c) All judgments for which a local public entity is liable, to the same extent as bonds of such local public entity, are legal for use by any state or national bank or banks in the state as security for the deposit of funds of any local public entity within this state.

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