California Judgment Collection Time Limit: How Long You Have to Collect

A California judgment does not last forever. You have a fixed window to collect, and if you miss the renewal deadline, you lose the right to enforce entirely — no matter how much the debtor owes you.

The 10-Year Rule

Under CCP § 683.020, a California money judgment is enforceable for 10 years from the date of entry. That means 10 years from the date the court clerk entered the judgment, not the date of the hearing or the date you received the notice.

During those 10 years, you can use every enforcement tool California provides: bank levies, wage garnishments, property liens, debtor examinations, keeper levies, and vehicle seizures. The 30-day waiting period after the clerk mails the Notice of Entry of Judgment is the only pause.

Renewal: Extending the Judgment

You can file Form EJ-190 (Application for and Renewal of Judgment) after five years have elapsed since the judgment was entered or last renewed, but must file it before the current 10-year period expires. Most judgments can be renewed for another 10 years. A judgment against a natural person with an unsatisfied principal under $50,000 for personal debt or under $200,000 for medical expenses can be renewed only once, for five years.

There is no grace period. If the 10-year anniversary passes without a renewal filing, the judgment expires and becomes unenforceable. You cannot revive it.

The renewal filing fee is $45 (Government Code § 70626). Once renewed, most judgments are enforceable for another 10 years, and interest continues to accrue on the unpaid balance.

Other judgments can be renewed more than once. In theory, they can remain enforceable for 20, 30, or more years through successive renewals. In practice, if a debtor has not paid after two decades, the economics usually do not justify continued enforcement — but the option exists.

For the full renewal procedure: How to renew a judgment in California.

Interest Accrual During the Collection Period

Your judgment accrues simple interest for the entire time it remains unpaid:

• 10% per year for standard judgments (CCP § 685.010(a)(1))
• 5% per year for judgments against a natural person with an unsatisfied principal under $50,000 for personal debt or under $200,000 for medical debt, entered or renewed on or after January 1, 2023 (CCP § 685.010(a)(2))
• 7% per year for judgments against local or state public entities

Interest accrues from the date of entry, not the date enforcement begins. On a $5,000 judgment at 10%, that is $500 per year or about $1.37 per day. Over 10 years, interest alone adds $5,000 to the balance.

Details on calculating interest: California judgment interest rates.

What Happens to Liens When the Judgment Expires

Real property liens (Abstract of Judgment, Form EJ-001): A recorded abstract creates a lien that lasts 10 years from the date of recording. If the judgment is renewed, record a certified copy of Form EJ-190 with the County Recorder before the lien expires to extend it. But if the judgment expires without renewal, the lien expires with it — even if the abstract was recorded recently.

Personal property liens (Secretary of State, Form JL-1): A judgment lien filed with the Secretary of State under CCP § 697.510 is valid for 5 years. You can extend it by filing a Continuation Statement (Form UCC-3/JL-Continuation) during the 6-month period before it expires. But like real property liens, the lien cannot outlive the underlying judgment — if the judgment expires, the lien is unenforceable.

Active levies: If the judgment expires without renewal, the judgment and its collection remedies end; do not rely on an active levy to continue afterward.

Practical Timeline

Most successful collection happens within the first 1–3 years, while information about the debtor's assets and employment is fresh. Here is a realistic timeline:

1. Days 1–30: Mandatory enforcement stay. Wait for Form SC-133 (asset statement) from the debtor.
2. Months 1–6: Primary enforcement attempts — bank levies, wage garnishment, debtor examinations.
3. Months 6–24: Follow-up enforcement if initial attempts came up short. File MC-012 to recover costs. Consider property liens for long-term collection.
4. Years 2–10: Periodic re-attempts as the debtor's financial situation changes. A debtor who was judgment-proof at year one may have a new job or bank account at year three.
5. Year 9–10: Decide whether to renew. File EJ-190 before the 10-year deadline if any balance remains.

Do Not Wait Until the Last Minute

Calendar the 10-year expiration date when you receive your judgment. Set a reminder for 6 months before it expires. The renewal filing itself is straightforward, but you need time to calculate the current balance (principal plus accrued interest minus any partial payments) for the EJ-190 form.

The complete enforcement workflow — every tool, form, and fee — is covered in our California judgment collection guide.

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