How Long Is a Judgment Good for in Missouri?

The 10-Year Rule

Under RSMo 516.350, a Missouri judgment is generally enforceable for 10 years from the date it was entered. A payment duly entered on the record can restart that period, and a judgment may also be revived. During the enforceable period, you can pursue collection tools such as wage garnishment, bank garnishment, property execution, and debtor examinations. A small claims judgment cannot become a real-estate lien. Post-judgment interest accrues the whole time at the statutory rate (9% for most non-tort cases under RSMo 408.040).

After 10 years without a qualifying payment entered on the record or a revival, the judgment is presumed paid and becomes unenforceable. You can no longer issue writs, garnish wages, or seize property.

Renewing Before It Expires

If the debtor still hasn't paid after 10 years, you don't have to give up. Under Supreme Court Rule 74.09, you can file a Motion to Revive Judgment before the applicable 10-year period runs out. The timing is critical — file within the period, not after.

The revival process:

1. File a Motion to Revive Judgment in the court that entered the original judgment
2. The clerk issues an Order to Show Cause directing the debtor to appear and explain why the judgment should not be revived
3. If the debtor doesn't respond or can't prove the judgment has been paid, the court enters an order reviving it for another 10-year term
4. The revived judgment carries the same enforcement rights — garnishment and execution — for the new 10-year period

Post-judgment interest doesn't reset. It continues to accrue from the original judgment date, so after a revival, the total balance includes 10+ years of accumulated interest on top of the original principal and costs.

Why the Timeline Matters for Collection Strategy

Ten years is a long time, and a debtor's financial situation can change dramatically. Someone who is judgment-proof today — unemployed, no bank account, no property — might have a steady job, a house, and a retirement account five years from now.

This changes how you think about enforcement:

• If the debtor has assets now, move quickly. File garnishments and pursue execution against eligible personal property while the assets are reachable.
• If the debtor is judgment-proof now, there's no rush. You can wait for their circumstances to improve and re-attempt enforcement later. The judgment keeps accruing interest in the meantime.
• If you're in year 8 or 9, check for payments entered on the record and decide whether to file for revival before the applicable window closes. Once 10 years pass without a qualifying payment entry or revival, the judgment is presumed paid and unenforceable.

Small Claims Judgments Cannot Become Real-Estate Liens

RSMo 482.365.1, 511.350.3, and 517.151 exclude small claims judgments from real-estate liens. The transcript procedure for other eligible judgments does not create a lien from a small claims judgment.

The Clock Starts at Entry, Not at Enforcement

One common misunderstanding: the 10-year period generally runs from the date the judge entered the judgment, not from when you first tried to collect. A payment duly entered on the record can restart the period under RSMo 516.350.

Enforcement activity by itself does not extend the period. But payments entered on the record can restart it; Rule 90.19 also treats certain balance statements that list payments as payments on the record. A formal revival under Rule 74.09 is another way to extend the judgment.

Don't Sit on a Stale Judgment

If you have a Missouri small claims judgment that's been sitting uncollected for years, the most important thing is to check the calendar and the record for payments or a revival. If the judgment remains enforceable, you can pursue available collection tools. If you're approaching the applicable 10-year deadline, file for revival in time.

The Missouri Small Claims Judgment Collection Guide covers the full enforcement timeline — from the 10-day post-judgment waiting period through the 10-year life of the judgment and the revival process.

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