Stop-Notice - California
CALIFORNIA STOP PAYMENT NOTICE
Before you use this: Select one route below. Confirm that the claimant has the right to give this notice, the required preliminary notice has been given, and the notice is timely. Private-work timing is governed by Civil Code section 8508; public-work timing by section 9356. This notice claims only amounts due for work provided through its date.
Project, parties, and work
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Project name and site address or other sufficient site description | [________________________________] |
| Owner or public entity name and address | [________________________________] |
| Direct contractor name and address | [________________________________] |
| Construction lender name and address, if any | [________________________________] |
| Claimant name and address | [________________________________] |
| Claimant's relationship to the project parties | [________________________________] |
| Person to or for whom claimant provided work | [________________________________] |
| General description of labor, service, equipment, or material furnished | [________________________________] |
| Dates through which work was furnished | [________________________________] |
| General description of future work, if any, and estimated total value | [________________________________] |
| Gross amount due for furnished work | $[________] |
| Just credits, payments, and offsets | $[________] |
| Net amount claimed for work already furnished | $[________] |
Select the recipient and demand
To: [RECIPIENT NAME, CAPACITY, AND ADDRESS]
☐ Private work — owner. Claimant has a lien right and is not the direct contractor. Under Civil Code sections 8520 and 8522, claimant gives the owner this stop payment notice and requests withholding of sufficient funds due or to become due to the direct contractor to pay the net amount claimed. The owner may elect not to withhold if the owner previously recorded a qualifying payment bond, subject to the notice and copy requirements of section 8522(b).
☐ Private work — construction lender. Claimant has a lien right under Civil Code section 8530 and gives this notice to the responsible person at the lender office or branch administering or holding the construction funds. ☐ A claimant bond in the amount of 125% of the claim under section 8532 accompanies this notice. ☐ This notice is unbonded. Section 8536 permits the lender to elect not to withhold on an unbonded notice or, for a claimant other than the direct contractor, when the specified recorded payment bond exists.
☐ Public work — public entity. Claimant gives this notice to the official or office specified by Civil Code section 9354 for this public contract. Under section 9358, claimant requests withholding from sums due or to become due to the direct contractor in an amount sufficient for the net claim and the public entity's reasonable litigation costs.
Amount demanded: $[________], representing only the amount due after just credits and offsets for work furnished through [__/__/____]. Claimant requests application of the selected statutory withholding rule; this notice does not demand an automatic 125% reserve.
Preliminary notice record, if required: Sent to [RECIPIENTS] on [__/__/____] by [METHOD], with proof retained at [LOCATION]. The private and public preliminary-notice rules have different recipients and exceptions (Civil Code §§ 8200, 9300).
Claimant signature and verification
I, [CLAIMANT OR AUTHORIZED SIGNER], state that I have read this notice; I know its contents; the project, work, credits, and amount claimed above are true and correct of my own knowledge, except matters stated on information and belief, which I believe to be true. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on: [__/__/____] At: [CITY, STATE]
Claimant or authorized signer: [________________________________]
Printed name and capacity: [________________________________]
Record of delivery
| Recipient and statutory capacity | Address and delivery method | Date of delivery | Evidence retained |
|---|---|---|---|
| [________________________________] | [________________________________] | [__/__/____] | [________________________________] |
| [________________________________] | [________________________________] | [__/__/____] | [________________________________] |
Sources and references
- California Legislative Counsel, official current Code bulk file,
pubinfo_2025.zip,LAW_SECTION_TBL.datand corresponding section LOBs (download dated September 28, 2026), read October 6, 2026. - Civil Code §§ 8102–8536, private-work notice; Civil Code §§ 9300–9358, public-work notice; Code of Civil Procedure § 2015.5.
About this template
- Last updated
- October 6, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 6, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- California
- Category
- Real Estate
Legal authority
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8102 (notice content)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8502 (private notice signature and verification)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8506 (private notice recipients)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8200 (private preliminary notice)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8508 (private notice timing)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8520 (private owner eligibility)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8522 (private owner withholding)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8530 (private lender eligibility)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8532 (optional private lender claimant bond)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 8536 (private lender withholding elections)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 9300 (public preliminary notice)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 9352 (public notice signature and verification)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 9354 (public notice recipient)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 9356 (public notice timing)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 9358 (public withholding)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2015.5 (verification by declaration)
Real estate documents transfer ownership, define who can use a property, and record agreements between buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants. Deeds, purchase agreements, leases, and easements have to be drafted to meet state recording requirements, and mistakes show up at closing or years later in title disputes. Good real estate paperwork moves transactions forward quickly and avoids the kind of problems that only surface when it is time to sell or refinance.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on October 6, 2026.
Cal. Civ. Code § 8102(a) (checked October 6, 2026): "Notice under this part shall, in addition to any other information required by statute for that type of notice, include all of the following information to the extent known to the person giving the notice"
Cal. Civ. Code § 8502 (checked October 6, 2026): "A stop payment notice shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8100) of Title 1, and shall be signed and verified by the claimant."
Cal. Civ. Code § 8506 (checked October 6, 2026): "A stop payment notice to a construction lender holding construction funds shall not be effective unless given to the manager or other responsible officer or person at the office or branch of the lender administering or holding the construction funds."
Cal. Civ. Code § 9352 (checked October 6, 2026): "A stop payment notice shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8100) of Title 1, and shall be signed and verified by the claimant."
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