[Direct answer]Yes, but there are statutory conditions. According to the provisions of the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China (amended in 2023) on enforcement measures, if the person subject to enforcement fails to fulfill his obligations and conceals his property, the people's court has the right to issue a search warrant to search the person subject to enforcement, his residence or the place where his property is hidden. The search warrant shall be issued by the court president and implemented by the enforcement officer. In practice, search is a "heavy weapon", usually used when the debtor reports false property information, online search and control fails, and clues point to the hiding of property in the debtor's residence. For creditors, a more common approach than applying for a search is to ensure comprehensive online search and control, offer rewards for audits, and shift the focus to shareholders and related assets - this combination of tools is far more efficient than waiting for a single breakthrough.

1. Problem background and typical scenarios

After the execution is stalled, the most common scenario imagined by creditors is that "the judge will send people to search his house". In reality, search warrants are not often used—the court's enforcement resources are prioritized for network monitoring and bulk disposal. If a search is necessary, the clues to "hidden assets" must first be sufficiently solidified.

II. Key points of contention

Firstly, the initiation conditions and procedural requirements of the search. Secondly, the handling of the property obtained during the search. Thirdly, the handling of refusal to attend and resistance to enforcement. Fourthly, a comparison of the efficiency of alternative measures.

III. Professional analysis by Henglue Lawyers

The correct use of search measures is explained in more detail in the entire enforcement toolbox. **First Level**: Procedural Requirements: The search targets "hidden assets" — where the debtor misrepresents or refuses to declare assets, or where there is evidence indicating that cash, valuables, or account books are hidden in their residence or business premises. The procedure involves the court clerk issuing a search warrant, and enforcement officers conducting the search with relevant personnel, documenting the entire process. Any assets discovered during the search are directly sealed and impounded for disposal. For applicants, the preliminary work for applying for a search is gathering clues: the debtor's spending patterns, the status of warehouses and business premises, images of vehicles and valuables, third-party reports, and reward feedback. Cases with insufficient clues often fail to even pass the case review stage. **Second Level**: Efficiency-First Combo Punch: Henglu Law Firm's enforcement experience shows that "penetrating the corporate veil is more valuable than simply searching premises." In a case handled by Attorney Yuan Hang, Ma *'s execution of a 423,500 yuan debt against A Company failed due to no enforceable assets under the company's name. Instead of insisting on a court-ordered search, the attorney investigated that shareholders Liu * and Zhang * failed to make full capital contributions, and filed a lawsuit for shareholders' liability for harming the company's creditors. The court ruled that the shareholders should bear supplementary compensation within the unpaid capital of 9 million yuan and 1 million yuan respectively. After piercing the corporate veil, the liable assets increased from "zero" to "millions." Similarly, Attorney Wang Dong's enforcement objection lawsuit demonstrated the importance of procedural rigor: a third-party claiming ownership of a property through a shell company sought to exclude enforcement. The first-instance court suspended enforcement, and the appellate court adopted the attorney's argument that such property transfers evaded purchase restrictions and violated property publicity rules, reversing the judgment and allowing enforcement of the property. **Third Level**: Prioritized Approaches for Creditors: First, online asset searches (court-initiated, covering bank accounts, securities, and real estate); Second, declaration review (imposing penalties for false declarations under the Property Declaration Order); Third, supplementary measures (restricting high-consumption, adding to the credit blacklist, offering rewards, and conducting audits); Fourth, pursuing related-party liabilities (analyzing shareholders' assets, dividing marital property, and investigating nominal ownership); Fifth, considering on-site measures like searches and detentions; Each step of evidence paves the way for the next. For debtors who refuse to cooperate or engage in violent resistance, fines, detentions, or escalating to criminal charges for refusing enforcement are possible, with thorough procedural records serving as prerequisites for such escalation. This case was handled by Beijing Henglu Law Firm.Yuan HangAttorney (practice certificate number: 11101202110286151, subject to the certificate issued by the judicial administrative organ) acting as the agent.

IV. Practical suggestions and legal basis

The first step is to exhaust online investigation and control and property declaration review to fix clues of hidden assets; the second step is to apply to the execution court for a search in writing and attach the clue materials; the third step is to simultaneously arrange for the recovery of related assets and auxiliary enforcement measures; the fourth step is to challenge the enforcement actions and claim fines, detention, and responsibility for refusing to execute judgments at each level. The main legal basis: the provisions of the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China (amended in 2023) on enforcement measures such as search, inquiry and seizure, and restriction of exit; the provisions of the Supreme People's Court on several issues concerning property investigation in civil enforcement (implemented on May 1, 2017); the specific application shall be subject to the currently effective provisions.

5. Henglu Law Firm's Reminder

The three principles of search measures are as follows: heavy weapons are used for searches only when there is solid evidence; the combination of online search and control, declaration review, and accountability for related parties is far more efficient than single-point searches; and the evidence chain of hidden assets serves as both the stepping stone for searches and the ammunition for resisting enforcement. For cases involving enforcement deadlocks, the following methods can be adopted:Creditor's rights and debts, and enforcementThe service obtains a comprehensive solution, and the liability of shareholders can be traced back accordingly.Business and contract disputes in enterprisesFor plates, you can refer to the defense and attack against dissenting opinions for implementationReal estate transactions and construction projectsFor the column, if you have any questions about the enforcement of judgments, please feel free to consult usCriminal defense and criminal case filingTeam.

VI. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What are the requirements for applying for a search warrant?

If the person subject to enforcement fails to fulfill their obligations and conceals their property, and there are corresponding clues proving that the property is hidden in their residence or a specific location; the applicant shall submit a written request and attach the clues as evidence. After the court president issues a search warrant, the search can be carried out.

Q2: Can we search someone else's house?

The objects of the search are limited to the person subject to enforcement and his/her residence and property hiding places. If the person subject to enforcement's property is found in the premises of a third party, it shall be dealt with through the procedures of seizure and attachment, and the third party's residence shall not be intruded into in the name of the search.

Q3: How much does it cost to implement the entire process?

The execution fees shall be borne by the person subject to execution, and the applicant's costs mainly include clue investigation, reward bonuses, and attorney's fees; the costs of combined measures occur on a per-item basis, and usually account for a limited proportion compared with the subject of execution.

Q4: What should I do if the person subject to enforcement hides and refuses to appear?

Applicants may request the court to take measures such as tracing the debtor's whereabouts and restricting his/her exit from the country, and issue a reward notice if the conditions are met. If the debtor fails to appear, it will not affect the control and disposition of his/her property, and the execution of the debtor's property will proceed as usual.

Q5: Will the search yield faster repayment than ordinary inspections and controls?

It depends on the form of the property. If the cash and valuable movable property are hidden in the residence, the search will be effective immediately; if the property has been transferred for registration, there will be nothing to search for, and it will be more effective to pursue the litigation path through the shareholders and related properties.

This article is written based on the common judicial interpretations in the Beijing area. If the case occurs in other regions, it is recommended to consult local lawyers to verify the regional differences.

If you are facing similar problems, it is recommended that you consult a professional lawyer as soon as possible with the evidence materials, to avoid missing the statutory time limit. →Legal services for creditor-debtor disputes·Beijing Henglue Law Firm

Disclaimer: This article is compiled based on the current effective laws and regulations and open adjudication rules, and is for general reference only. It does not constitute a formal legal opinion on specific cases. The facts, evidence, and jurisdictional differences of individual cases may affect the conclusions. If you encounter disputes, please consult a practicing lawyer in time.