§ 684.110.Legal Process Required to Be Personally Served; Service On Attorney Required; Service On Financial Institution Or Insurer

Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 4. Manner of Service of Writs, Notices, and Other Papers · Article 2. Manner of Service Generally · Last amended 2013 · Last verified July 28, 2026

In one sentenceSection 684.110 requires legal process needing personal service under this title to be served the way a summons is served, routed to an attorney under § 684.040 when Article 1 requires attorney service, and served at the specific office or branch holding the property when the recipient is a financial institution, title insurer, or industrial loan company.

Full Text of § 684.110

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

(a)

(1) Subject to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), if legal process is required to be personally served under this title, service shall be made in the same manner as a summons is served under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 413.10) of Title 5.

(2) For purposes of this title, the term "legal process" shall refer to each and all of the writs, notices, orders, or other papers required or permitted to be served pursuant to this title.

(b) If the legal process is required to be personally served under this title and service on an attorney is required under Article 1 (commencing with Section 684.010), service shall be made on the attorney in the manner provided in Section 684.040.

(c) If the legal process is required to be personally served on (1) a financial institution in connection with a deposit account or with property held for safekeeping, as collateral for an obligation owed to the financial institution or in a safe-deposit box, (2) a title insurer (as defined in Section 12340.4 of the Insurance Code) or underwritten title company (as defined in Section 12340.5 of the Insurance Code), or (3) an industrial loan company (as defined in Section 18003 of the Financial Code), service shall be made at the office or branch that has actual possession of the property levied upon or at which a deposit account levied upon is carried and shall be made upon the officer, manager, or other person in charge of the office or branch at the time of service. For purposes of this section, the office or branch at which a deposit account levied upon is carried shall mean the branch, office, or other location where the financial institution maintains the account.

(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), with respect to legal process served on a financial institution, if the financial institution has designated a central location for service of legal process pursuant to Section 684.115, unless the financial institution elects to treat legal process served at a branch or office as effective, that legal process so served on the branch or office will not reach those accounts or property and need not be reported on the financial institution's garnishee memorandum.

(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), a financial institution, title insurer, or industrial loan company, in its discretion and without violating any obligation to its customer, may act upon service of legal process at any of its offices or branches, whether or not the office or branch is the location wherein accounts or property that may be reached by the process is or are maintained or located.

End

Plain-English Summary

This section sets the baseline manner for personally serving any "legal process" under this title -- a term subdivision (a)(2) defines broadly to sweep in every writ, notice, order, or other paper this title requires or permits to be served. The default, in subdivision (a)(1), is service the same way a summons is served under Chapter 4 (commencing with § 413.10) of Title 5.

Two carve-outs adjust that default. Subdivision (b) defers to Article 1 when attorney service applies, requiring the § 684.040 method instead. Subdivision (c) targets financial institutions, title insurers, and industrial loan companies: service has to go to the specific office or branch that has possession of the levied property or carries the levied deposit account, directed to whoever is in charge there.

Subdivisions (d) and (e) layer in the central-location system § 684.115 creates. If an institution has designated a central location, service at a branch generally won't reach the account or property covered by that designation and need not be reported — though the institution can always choose, in its discretion, to honor branch-level service anyway without violating any duty to its customer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is legal process normally personally served under this title?

In the same manner a summons is served under Chapter 4 (commencing with § 413.10) of Title 5.

What happens when service is required on a financial institution?

Subdivision (c) requires service at the specific office or branch holding the levied property or account, on the officer, manager, or other person in charge there.

How does a designated central location change that?

If the institution has designated a central location under § 684.115, service at an ordinary branch generally won't reach accounts or property covered by that designation, unless the institution elects to honor it anyway.

What counts as "legal process" for purposes of this article?

Every writ, notice, order, or other paper required or permitted to be served under this title, as subdivision (a)(2) defines the term.

Amendment History

Amended by Stats 2012 ch 484 (AB 2364),s 6, eff. 1/1/2013.

Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from the California Legislative Information. Enacted by the California Legislature. Last verified July 28, 2026. · Official source

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