Form CIV-130 is the one-page California Judicial Council form used to tell every party in a civil case that the court has entered a final judgment or order, and to start the clock on appeals and post-judgment motions. The prevailing party’s attorney normally prepares and serves it; when the winning side has no lawyer, the clerk handles service instead. Getting the form right matters because the deadlines it triggers are short and unforgiving.
Who Prepares and Serves the Notice
California Code of Civil Procedure Section 664.5 splits the duty based on representation. If the prevailing party in a contested case has an attorney, that party prepares CIV-130, serves it on everyone who appeared, and files the original with a proof of service. If the prevailing party is self-represented, the clerk serves the notice after entry of judgment and files a certificate of service.1California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 664.5
Section 664.5 does not apply to small claims cases or to proceedings for dissolution of marriage, nullity, or legal separation. Different notice rules govern those matters.
Filling Out the Form
CIV-130 is a fillable PDF on the California Courts website.2California Courts. Notice of Entry of Judgment or Order The notice itself takes up page one; a Proof of Service by First-Class Mail is built into page two.
Work through the caption first. In the top-left box, enter the name, address, phone, fax, email, and (for attorneys) State Bar number of the person filing. Self-represented filers put their own contact information in the same block. Identify the Superior Court of California by county, with the street address, mailing address, and branch name copied from earlier filings in the case. List the plaintiff or petitioner and the defendant or respondent exactly as they appear on the original complaint or petition, and transcribe the case number directly from the court’s records. A single transposed digit is enough reason for the clerk to reject the filing.
Check the box for the correct case type. An unlimited civil case is one where the amount demanded exceeded $35,000; a limited civil case is $35,000 or less.3Judicial Council of California. Notice of Entry of Judgment or Order
In item 1, enter the date the judgment, decree, or order was entered. That is the date the clerk recorded the decision, not the date the judge signed it. The clerk’s file stamp on the judgment is the reliable source. Sign and date the form at the bottom, and print or type your name below the signature line.
CIV-130 does not ask for a department number, courtroom, or presiding judge’s name. Those details appear on other filings but have no place on this form.
Attaching the Judgment
Item 2 states that a copy of the judgment, decree, or order is attached to the notice.3Judicial Council of California. Notice of Entry of Judgment or Order That attachment is required, not optional. Before filling out the form, get a conformed (file-stamped) copy of the signed judgment from the clerk and attach it behind the notice when serving and filing. Without the attached judgment, the notice is incomplete and may not start the post-judgment deadlines you are trying to trigger.
Completing the Proof of Service
Page two is a Proof of Service by First-Class Mail. The person who physically mails the notice fills it out, and that person cannot be a party to the lawsuit and must be at least 18 years old.3Judicial Council of California. Notice of Entry of Judgment or Order The server provides:
- A residence or business address in the county where the mailing took place.
- The method of mailing, indicating whether the envelope was deposited directly with the U.S. Postal Service or placed for collection through a business’s normal mailing process.
- The specific date of mailing and the city and state the envelope was sent from.
- The names and addresses of each party served. The form has space for four recipients; if there are more, attach form POS-030(P).
The server signs and dates the declaration under penalty of perjury. Courts rely on this document to confirm the other parties actually received the notice, so accuracy on every line matters.
Serving the Notice
First-class mail is the standard method, and the built-in proof of service is designed for it. Personal hand-delivery is also acceptable, documented on a separate proof of service form. In either case, the person making the delivery cannot be a party to the case.
Electronic service is available only when the opposing party has filed a Consent to Electronic Service (form EFS-005-CV). California Rules of Court, Rule 2.251 requires each party to affirmatively consent before documents can be served electronically.4Judicial Council of California. Consent to Electronic Service and Notice of Electronic Service Address Without that consent on file, use mail or personal service.
Serve every party who appeared in the action, not only the opposing party. If multiple defendants appeared separately, each one gets a copy.
Filing With the Court
After service, file the original notice along with the completed proof of service with the court clerk. Many California superior courts require electronic filing through a designated e-filing portal; some still accept paper filings in person or by mail. Check local rules to confirm which method applies.
Ask the clerk for a conformed copy stamped with the filing date. That stamped copy is your proof of when the notice became part of the court record, which can matter if a dispute later arises about deadline calculations.
Deadlines the Notice Triggers
Service of CIV-130 is not a formality. It starts the countdown on three deadlines, and the date on the proof of service — not the filing date — is what controls.
Appeal
Under California Rules of Court, Rule 8.104, a party has 60 days from service of a document titled “Notice of Entry” of judgment, with proof of service, to file a notice of appeal.5California Courts. California Rules of Court 2026 – Rule 8.104 Time to Appeal Without that notice, the appeal window stays open for 180 days after entry of judgment. Serving CIV-130 shortens the window from roughly six months to two.
New Trial
A notice of intention to move for a new trial must be filed within 15 days of service of the notice of entry of judgment, or within 180 days after entry, whichever comes first.6California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 659 Fifteen days is a tight window.
Motion to Vacate
A motion to set aside and vacate the judgment under CCP Section 663a follows the same timeline: 15 days after service of the notice of entry, or 180 days after entry, whichever comes first.7California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 663a The mailing extension under CCP Section 1013 does not stretch these deadlines, so 15 days is a hard limit.
Collecting on the Judgment Is a Separate Process
Filing CIV-130 confirms the court’s decision is final, but it does not collect money. If the losing party does not pay voluntarily, enforcement tools such as an Abstract of Judgment, a debtor’s examination, wage garnishment, or bank levies each have their own forms and procedures. CIV-130 is the starting point for those steps, not the mechanism.