Public works stop payment notice: within 30 days after recording of notice of completion, acceptance, or cessation
30 days after date the notice of completion, acceptance, or cessation was recorded, under Cal. Civ. Code 9356(a).
Rule text
A stop payment notice is not effective unless given before the expiration of whichever of the following time periods is applicable: (a) If a notice of completion, acceptance, or cessation is recorded, 30 days after that recordation. (b) If a notice of completion, acceptance, or cessation is not recorded, 90 days after cessation or completion.
Calculate this deadline
Deadline
Monday, December 7, 2026
- Trigger (Date the notice of completion, acceptance, or cessation was recorded): Friday, November 6, 2026.
- Exclude the trigger day and count 30 calendar days: Sunday, December 6, 2026.
- That day is a Sunday, so the deadline moves to the next court day: Monday, December 7, 2026 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b; Cal. Gov. Code 6800, 6707 (state agency filings); Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a) (federal statutes and federal court filings)).
Rules applied
Cal. Civ. Code 9356(a)
A stop payment notice is not effective unless given before the expiration of whichever of the following time periods is applicable: (a) If a notice of completion, acceptance, or cessation is recorded, 30 days after that recordation. (b) If a notice of completion, acceptance, or cessation is not recorded, 90 days after cessation or completion.Official source
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b; Cal. Gov. Code 6800, 6707 (state agency filings); Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a) (federal statutes and federal court filings)
CCP 12: "The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day, and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded." CCP 12a(a): "If the last day for the performance of any act provided or required by law to be performed within a specified period of time is a holiday, then that period is hereby extended to and including the next day that is not a holiday. For purposes of this section, “holiday” means all day on Saturdays, all holidays specified in Section 135 and, to the extent provided in Section 12b, all days that by terms of Section 12b are required to be considered as holidays." Gov. Code 6707: "When the last day for filing any instrument or other document with a state agency falls upon a Saturday or holiday, such act may be performed upon the next business day with the same effect as if it had been performed upon the day appointed." FRCP 6(a): "The following rules apply in computing any time period specified in these rules, in any local rule or court order, or in any statute that does not specify a method of computing time. (1) ... (A) exclude the day of the event that triggers the period; (B) count every day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays; and (C) include the last day of the period, but if the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period continues to run until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday."Official source
- CITATION CORRECTION to task scope: Civ. Code 9100 defines who may give a public works stop payment notice (direct contractors may not); the 30-day/90-day timing is in 9356. Give the notice to the officer specified in 9354(b). 'Before the expiration of' 30 days: same 'before' ambiguity as the lien rules.
- If the clerk's office is closed or inaccessible on the last day (weather, emergency or local closure orders), the deadline may be extended. Check local orders.
This calculator applies the cited rules to the dates you enter. It is not legal advice. Court orders, local rules, and case-specific facts can change a deadline; verify before relying on it. Rule set pending attorney review.
Worked example
Date the notice of completion, acceptance, or cessation was recorded on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Wednesday, April 14, 2027.
- Trigger (Date the notice of completion, acceptance, or cessation was recorded): Monday, March 15, 2027.
- Exclude the trigger day and count 30 calendar days: Wednesday, April 14, 2027.
Unsettled points
- The calculator shows day 90 (or 60 or 30) rolled to the next business day if a holiday, as Civ. Code 10 and CCP 12a support, with advice to record earlier.Other reading: If the forward roll under Civ. Code 10, 11 and CCP 12a were not honored, the last day would be the unrolled day, one to three days earlier.
Notes
CITATION CORRECTION to task scope: Civ. Code 9100 defines who may give a public works stop payment notice (direct contractors may not); the 30-day/90-day timing is in 9356. Give the notice to the officer specified in 9354(b). 'Before the expiration of' 30 days: same 'before' ambiguity as the lien rules.
Related deadlines
- Mechanics lien (private works): preliminary notice within 20 days after first furnishing work (20 days after)
- Mechanics lien: direct contractor records claim of lien within 90 days after completion (no notice of completion/cessation recorded) (90 days after)
- Mechanics lien: direct contractor records claim of lien within 60 days after owner records notice of completion or cessation (60 days after)
- Mechanics lien: subcontractor/supplier/laborer records claim of lien within 90 days after completion (no notice recorded) (90 days after)
- Mechanics lien: subcontractor/supplier/laborer records claim of lien within 30 days after owner records notice of completion or cessation (30 days after)
- Owner may record notice of completion on or within 15 days after completion (15 days after)
- Owner gives copy of recorded notice of completion/cessation to direct contractor and preliminary-notice claimants within 10 days (10 days after)
- Mechanics lien: action to enforce (foreclose) lien within 90 days after recording claim of lien (90 days after)
Rules current as of 2026-10-27. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.