How Long Is a Judgment Valid in Quebec — 10-Year Prescription Rules

Ten Years — With a Reset Button

Under Article 2924 of the Civil Code of Quebec, a judgment debt prescribes — legally expires — after 10 years from the date the judgment becomes final and enforceable. Once prescribed, the debt is permanently unenforceable. No extensions, no appeals.

But here is the part that matters: the 10-year clock resets every time you take a qualifying enforcement action.

What Resets the Clock

Several actions interrupt the prescription period and start a new 10-year window:

• Filing a Notice of Execution — Even filing Form SJ-1103 for wage garnishment interrupts prescription, whether or not the garnishment yields any money
• Executing a bailiff seizure — A bank account seizure, property seizure, or any formal bailiff execution act resets the clock, even if the seizure comes back empty (nulla bona)
• Receiving a partial payment through judicial process — A garnished wage payment or seized bank funds count
• Written acknowledgment of the debt — If the debtor signs a document acknowledging they owe the money, that also resets the clock under Articles 2889–2892 of the Civil Code

The Supreme Court of Canada confirmed in Mohawk Council of Kanesatake v. Sylvestre (2025 SCC 30) that filing and serving a Notice of Execution interrupts prescription — even when the execution attempt recovers nothing.

What Does Not Reset the Clock

Sending a demand letter does not interrupt prescription. Neither does leaving a voicemail, sending an email, or having a verbal conversation about the debt. Informal contact is not a qualifying act under the Civil Code.

The listed prescription reset events are forced execution acts — such as issuing Form SJ-1103 or executing a bailiff seizure — and a written acknowledgment by the debtor. A creditor claim in voluntary deposit is not one of those listed acts; do not rely on it to restart the clock.

A Practical Timeline

Say your judgment was rendered on March 15, 2026, and it became enforceable on April 14, 2026 (30 days after the contested judgment). Your 10-year window runs until April 14, 2036.

If you file a wage garnishment (Form SJ-1103) on June 1, 2028, the clock resets. You now have until June 1, 2038.

If the garnishment runs for two years and then the debtor leaves their job, and you take no further enforcement action, the clock keeps ticking from that 2028 reset. You would need to take another qualifying action before June 1, 2038.

The Strategy for Difficult Debtors

Some debtors are genuinely broke today but may have income or assets in the future. The 10-year renewable prescription means you can wait — as long as you stay active.

A minimum-cost strategy: before each 10-year window closes, use an act the law recognizes as interrupting prescription, such as issuing Form SJ-1103, executing a bailiff seizure, receiving a partial payment through judicial process, or obtaining a written acknowledgment of the debt. A Form SJ-1103 filing costs $52 for an individual creditor or $63.75 for a legal entity; do not rely on a debtor examination request to reset the period.

Do not let the judgment expire through inaction. A Form SJ-1103 filing costs $52 for an individual creditor or $63.75 for a legal entity and can preserve a debt that may become collectible when the debtor's circumstances change.

The complete enforcement guide includes a prescription timeline tracker and the exact steps for each renewal strategy, so you never accidentally let a valid judgment expire.

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