Title 8: Of the Trial and Judgment in Civil Actions | Chapter 2: Judgment Upon Failure to Answer
California Code of Civil Procedure – 2026
Back to Part
Part 2: Of Civil Actions
← Previous
Part 2: Of Civil Actions | Title 8: Of the Trial and Judgment in Civil Actions | Chapter 1.5: Dismissal for Delay in Prosecution | Article 4: Discretionary Dismissal for Delay
Next →
Part 2: Of Civil Actions | Title 8: Of the Trial and Judgment in Civil Actions | Chapter 3: Issues—The Mode of Trial and Postponements
All Sections
Title 1: Of the Form of Civil Actions Chapter 1: The Time of Commencing Actions in General Chapter 2: The Time of Commencing Actions for the Recovery of Real Property Chapter 3: The Time of Commencing Actions Other Than for the Recovery of Real Property Chapter 4: General Provisions as to the Time of Commencing Actions Chapter 5: The Commencement of Actions Based Upon Professional Negligence Chapter 6: Time of Commencement of Action After Person’s Death Chapter 1: General Provisions Chapter 2: Married Person Chapter 3: Disability of Party Article 1: Definitions Article 2: Survival and Continuation Article 3: Decedent’s Cause of Action Article 4: Cause of Action Against Decedent Article 5: Insured Claims Article 6: Wrongful Death Chapter 5: Permissive Joinder Chapter 6: Interpleader Chapter 7: Intervention Chapter 8: Compulsory Joinder Title 3A: Vexatious Litigants Chapter 1: Place of Trial Chapter 2: Reclassification of Civil Actions and Proceedings Chapter 3: Coordination Chapter 1: Definitions and General Provisions Chapter 2: Recordation Service and Filing Chapter 3: Expungement and Other Relief Chapter 4: Withdrawal Chapter 5: Effect of Withdrawal or Expungement of Notice Article 1: Jurisdiction Article 2: Forum Article 3: Jurisdiction in Action Chapter 2: Commencing Civil Actions Chapter 3: Summons Article 1: General Article 2: Persons Who May Serve Summons Article 3: Manner of Service of Summons Article 4: Persons Upon Whom Summons May Be Served Article 5: Proof of Service Chapter 5: Objection to Jurisdiction Chapter 1: The Pleadings in General Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Compulsory Cross-Complaints Article 3: Permissive Joinder of Causes of Action Article 4: Cross-Complaints Article 5: Contents of Documents in Particular Actions or Proceedings Article 1: Objections to Pleadings Article 2: Denials and Defenses Article 3: Time to Respond to Cross-Complaint Chapter 4: Motion to Strike Chapter 5: Summary Judgments and Motions for Judgment on the Pleadings [437c - 439] Chapter 6: Verification of Pleadings Chapter 7: General Rules of Pleading Chapter 8: Variance—Mistakes in Pleadings and Amendments Chapter 1: Words and Phrases Defined Chapter 2: General Provisions Chapter 3: Actions in Which Attachment Authorized Article 1: Right to Attach Order; Issuance of Writ of Attachment Article 2: Noticed Hearing Procedure for Obtaining Additional Writs Article 3: Ex Parte Procedure for Obtaining Additional Writs Article 1: Great or Irreparable Injury Requirement Article 2: Order Determining Right to Attach; Issuance of Writ of Attachment Article 3: Procedure for Obtaining Additional Writs Article 4: Claim of Exemption Chapter 6: Temporary Protective Order Chapter 7: Property Subject to Attachment Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Methods of Levy Article 3: Lien of Attachment Article 4: Duties and Liabilities of Third Persons After Levy Article 5: Management and Disposition of Attached Property Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Undertakings to Obtain Writ of Attachment or Protective Order Article 3: Undertaking to Obtain Release of Attachment or Protective Order Article 4: Undertaking on Appeal Chapter 10: Liability for Wrongful Attachment Article 1: Examination of Third Person Article 2: Creditor’s Suit Article 3: Lien in Pending Action or Proceeding Chapter 12: Nonresident Attachment Chapter 13: Effect of Bankruptcy Proceedings and General Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors Chapter 1: General Provisions Article 1: Words and Phrases Defined Article 2: Writ of Possession Article 3: Temporary Restraining Order Article 4: Levy and Custody Article 5: Undertakings Article 6: Miscellaneous Provisions Chapter 3: Injunction Chapter 5: Receivers Chapter 5A: Undertaking of Persons Handling Private Property or Funds Chapter 6: Deposit in Court Title 7a: Pretrial Conferences Chapter 1: Judgment in General Article 1: Definitions and General Provisions Article 2: Mandatory Time for Service of Summons Article 3: Mandatory Time for Bringing Action to Trial or New Trial Article 4: Discretionary Dismissal for Delay Chapter 2: Judgment Upon Failure to Answer Chapter 3: Issues—The Mode of Trial and Postponements Article 2: Conduct of the Trial Article 3: The Verdict Chapter 4.5: Voluntary Expedited Jury Trials Chapter 4.6: Mandatory Expedited Jury Trials in Limited Civil Cases Chapter 5: Trial by the Court Chapter 6: Of References and Trials by Referees Article 1: Exceptions Article 1.5: View by Trier of Fact Article 2: New Trials Chapter 8: The Manner of Giving and Entering Judgment Title 8.5: Uniform Foreign-money Claims Act Chapter 1: Short Title and Definitions Chapter 2: General Provisions Article 1: Period for Enforcement of Judgments Article 2: Renewal of Judgments Article 3: Application of Chapter Article 1: Service on Attorney of Creditor or Debtor Article 2: Manner of Service Generally Article 3: Proof of Service Article 4: Application of Chapter Chapter 5: Interest and Costs Chapter 6: Enforcement After Death of Judgment Creditor or Judgment Debtor Chapter 7: Levying Officers Article 1: Enforcement Pursuant to Warrant or Notice of Levy Article 2: Enforcement of Judgment for Taxes Chapter 9: Enforcement of Support Judgments Chapter 10: Enforcement of Judgments by Labor Commissioner Chapter 20: Transitional Provisions Article 1: Property Subject to Enforcement of Money Judgment Article 2: Amount to Satisfy Money Judgment Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Judgment Lien on Real Property Article 3: Judgment Lien on Personal Property Article 4: Execution Lien Article 5: Other Liens Created by Enforcement Process Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Writ of Execution and Notice of Levy Article 3: Property Subject to Execution Article 4: Methods of Levy Article 5: Duties and Liabilities of Third Persons After Levy Article 6: Sale and Collection Article 7: Distribution of Proceeds of Sale or Collection Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Procedure for Claiming Exemptions After Levy Article 3: Exempt Property Article 4: Homestead Exemption Article 5: Declared Homesteads Article 1: Short Title; Definitions Article 2: General Provisions Article 3: Restrictions on Earnings Withholding Article 4: Earnings Withholding Order for Taxes Article 5: Procedure for Earnings Withholding Orders and Exemption Claims Article 6: Forms; Employer’s Instructions Article 7: Administration and Enforcement Article 1: Written Interrogatories to Judgment Debtor Article 2: Examination Proceedings Article 3: Creditor’s Suit Article 4: Charging Orders Article 5: Lien in Pending Action or Proceeding Article 6: Assignment Order Article 7: Receiver to Enforce Judgment Article 8: Collection of Judgment Where Judgment Debtor Is Creditor of Public Entity Article 9: Enforcement Against Franchise Article 10: Other Enforcement Procedures Chapter 1: General Provisions Chapter 2: Judgment for Possession of Personal Property Chapter 3: Judgment for Possession of Real Property Chapter 4: Judgment for Sale of Property Chapter 5: Other Judgments Chapter 1: Definitions Chapter 2: Third-Party Claims of Ownership and Possession Chapter 3: Third-Party Claim of Security Interest or Lien Chapter 4: Hearing on Third-Party Claim Chapter 5: Creditor’s Demand for Third-Party Claim by Secured Party or Lienholder Chapter 6: Third-Party Undertaking to Release Property Chapter 7: Undertakings Chapter 1: Satisfaction of Judgment Chapter 2: Acknowledgment of Partial Satisfaction of Judgment Chapter 3: Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Matured Installments Under Installment Judgment Chapter 1: Actions for the Foreclosure of Mortgages [725a - 730.5] Chapter 2: Actions for Nuisance, Waste,and Willful Trespass, in Certain Cases,on Real Property Chapter 3: Actions for the Recovery of Real Property, and Other Provisions Relating to Actions Concerning Real Property Chapter 3.5: Actions to Re-establish Destroyed Land Records Chapter 3.6: Cullen Earthquake Act Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Commencement of Action Article 3: Defendants Article 4: Service of Process Article 5: Judgment Article 6: Liens and Encumbrances Article 1: Identity of Person in Chain of Title Article 2: Land Dedicated for Public Improvement Article 3: Right of Entry or Occupation of Surface Lands Under Oil or Gas Lease Chapter 4.6: Actions Concerning Real Property Titles Affected by Public Improvement Assessments Chapter 5: Actions for the Usurpation of an Office or Franchise Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Scope of Action Article 3: Notice and Service of Complaint Article 4: Intervention Article 5: Judge Article 6: Electronic Service Article 7: Case Management Article 8: Basin Boundaries Article 9: Initial Disclosures Article 10: Expert Witnesses Article 11: Written Testimony Article 12: Special Master Article 13: Preliminary Injunction Article 14: Stay Article 15: Physical Solution Article 16: Judgment Article 17: Judgment Binding on Successors Article 18: Continuing Jurisdiction Chapter 8: Actions Against Coowners of Mines Chapter 9: Validating Proceedings Chapter 10: Good Faith Improver of Property Owned by Another Chapter 11: Actions to Recover COVID-19 Rental Debt Chapter 12: Actions for Restitution for or Replacement of Certain Motor Vehicles Article 1: Preliminary Provisions Article 2: Powers of Court Article 1: Complaint and Lis Pendens Article 2: Summons Article 3: Answer Article 4: Parties Article 1: Determination of Interests of Parties Article 2: Determination of Right to Partition Article 3: Determination of Manner of Partition Article 1: General Provisions Article 2: Contracts of Referee Chapter 5: Division of the Property Article 1: Manner of Sale Article 2: Sales Procedures Article 3: Consummation of Sale Article 4: Disposition of Proceeds of Sale Chapter 7: Partition by Appraisal Article 1: Allowance and Apportionment of Costs of Partition Article 2: Payment of Costs of Partition Chapter 9: Judgment Chapter 10: Partition of Real Property Act Chapter 1: Releases From and Contribution Among Joint Tortfeasors Chapter 2: Contribution Among Other Judgment Debtors Chapter 1: Appeals in General Chapter 2: Stay of Enforcement and Other Proceedings Chapter 1: Proceedings Against Joint Debtors Article 1: Preliminary Provisions and Definitions Article 2: General Provisions Article 3: Execution and Filing Article 4: Approval and Effect Article 5: Personal Sureties Article 6: Admitted Surety Insurers Article 7: Deposit in Lieu of Bond Article 8: Bonds to the State of California Article 9: Objections to Bonds Article 10: Insufficient and Excessive Bonds Article 11: Release or Substitution of Sureties on Bond Given in Action or Proceeding Article 12: New, Additional, and Supplemental Bonds Article 13: Cancellation of Bond or Withdrawal of Sureties Article 14: Liability of Principal and Sureties Article 15: Enforcement Lien Chapter 3: Offers by a Party to Compromise Chapter 3.2: Time-Limited Demands Chapter 3.5: Confidential Settlement Agreements Chapter 3.6: Agreements Settling Employment Disputes Chapter 3.7: Enrollment Agreements Chapter 4: Motions and Orders Chapter 5: Notices, and Filing and Service of Papers Chapter 6: Of Costs Chapter 7: General Provisions Chapter 8: Declaratory Relief Chapter 9: Actions to Enforce Real Property and Mobilehome Sales Agreements Chapter 10: Computer Assistance Chapter 11: Foster Family Agency Accountability
§ 585
Judgment may be had, if the defendant fails to answer the complaint, as follows: (a) In an action arising upon contract or judgment for the recovery o…
§ 585.5
(a) Every application to enter default under subdivision (a) of Section 585 shall include, or be accompanied by, an affidavit stating facts showing th…
§ 586
(a) In the following cases the same proceedings shall be had, and judgment shall be rendered in the same manner, as if the defendant had failed to ans…
§ 587
An application by a plaintiff for entry of default under subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of Section 585 or Section 586 shall include an affidavit stating…
§ 587.5
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise specifically requires, the following terms apply: (a) “Complaint” includes a cross-complaint. (b…