Guide
Your California foreclosure timeline
Nonjudicial foreclosure in California runs on fixed legal deadlines. This is the full sequence, drawn to the real day counts, plus a calculator that turns your Notice of Default date into your actual dates.
California nonjudicial foreclosure timeline, five stages, from the lender's pre-recording contact through the reinstatement cutoff before sale.
Stage 00
Day 0
Before anything is recorded
Your lender must contact you and complete a foreclosure avoidance assessment before recording anything.
Stage 01
30 days
Notice of Default
The earliest a Notice of Default (NOD) can reach the county recorder.
Stage 02
90 days
Before a sale can be set
No sale date can be set until about 90 days after the NOD is recorded. Your right to cure does not end here. It runs later, see stage 04.
Stage 03
21 days
Notice of Trustee Sale
The NOTS must state that the sale is at auction in 21 days.
Stage 04
5 business days
You can cure until here
Before the sale date on your Notice of Sale, you can still reinstate by paying what is past due plus fees. This is the real end of your window, not the 90-day mark.
Scroll sideways to see every stage.
Find this date on the NOD itself, or look up your property on your county recorder's site.
These are the statutory minimums under California law. An individual case can differ, and this is not legal advice. Source: California Courts, Nonjudicial Foreclosure.
Your two rights, stated plainly
Reinstate: you can reinstate up to five business days before the scheduled sale, by paying the past-due amount plus fees. Your loan continues exactly as it was.
Redeem: you can redeem the property by paying off the entire loan plus fees, up to the day of the sale.
What this does not cover
This page describes the statutory minimums for a nonjudicial foreclosure under California law. It is not legal advice, and an individual loan, lender, or court proceeding can differ. A HUD-approved housing counselor can review your specific dates with you at no cost. For the full context on your options at each stage, see facing foreclosure.