How to Collect a Small Claims Judgment in Utah

Winning your small claims case in Utah feels like the hard part is over. Then the debtor doesn't pay, and you realize the court won't collect the money for you. Under Utah law, the entire burden of enforcement falls on you — the judgment creditor. The court is a neutral body. It signed the order, but it won't chase down the debtor's paycheck or freeze their bank account unless you file the right paperwork and pay the fees.

Here is the full enforcement process, start to finish.

Wait Out the 28-Day Stay

Under URCP 62, an automatic stay blocks all enforcement for 28 calendar days after the clerk enters the judgment. During that window, you cannot file for a writ of garnishment, request a debtor examination, or record a lien. The debtor also has those same 28 days to file a Notice of Appeal for a trial de novo in District Court under Utah Code § 78A-8-106.

If the 28th day lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the stay extends through the next business day. Mark day 29 on your calendar — that is the earliest you can start.

Send a Payment Demand

Utah does not require a written demand before enforcement, but sending one is worth the stamp. A clear letter that lists the judgment amount, the case number, the court, and the post-judgment interest already accruing gives the debtor a last chance to settle voluntarily. Some debtors pay when they see the numbers on paper. If they don't, the demand letter becomes part of your collection file.

Figure Out What the Debtor Owns

You cannot garnish a paycheck if you don't know where the debtor works. You cannot freeze a bank account if you don't know which bank. Utah gives you two discovery tools:

• Written interrogatories: Mail the debtor a questionnaire under oath asking about their income, bank accounts, real estate, and personal property. If the debtor returns verified answers at least 3 days before a scheduled hearing, you must cancel the hearing.
• Supplemental proceedings (debtor examination): File an ex parte motion asking the court to order the debtor to appear and testify under oath about their assets. The order must be personally served at least 28 days before the hearing date — mail is not enough.

If the debtor has a known employer or bank, you can skip supplemental asset discovery and use the garnishment process after completing the required employment or account verification.

Choose Your Enforcement Tool

Utah has four main enforcement mechanisms, each targeting a different kind of asset:

You can use more than one tool at a time. A creditor with a debtor who owns a house and earns wages can record a lien and file for wage garnishment simultaneously.

Know the Exemptions

Not everything the debtor owns is fair game. The Utah Exemptions Act protects a primary home (up to $53,700 in equity for a single debtor), a vehicle used for daily transportation (up to $3,000 in equity), household furnishings, retirement accounts, and government benefits like Social Security. Wages are partially protected too — you can garnish no more than 25% of disposable earnings, and nothing at all if weekly disposable earnings fall at or below 30 times the federal minimum wage ($217.50).

Track Interest and Costs

Post-judgment interest runs from the date of entry at the rate set for the year the judgment was entered. For 2026, that rate is 5.51% per annum on standard civil judgments. For consumer goods and services judgments under $10,000, the rate is 13.51%. The rate locks in for the entire 8-year life of the judgment, even if federal rates change later.

Recoverable statutory enforcement fees — such as court filing fees, constable service fees, and recording fees — can be added to the judgment balance when supported by contemporaneous receipts and checks.

Close the Case

When the debtor has paid everything owed — principal, interest, and costs — you must file a Satisfaction of Judgment with the court under URSCP Rule 11. If you recorded a lien with a county recorder, you also need to file a Certificate of Satisfaction in each county where the lien was recorded. The court satisfaction does not release county liens automatically.

If the debtor pays in full and you don't file the satisfaction, the debtor can file a Motion for Satisfaction of Judgment under URCP 58B, attaching proof of payment.

Don't Let the Judgment Expire

A Utah judgment lasts 8 years from entry under Utah Code § 78B-2-311. If the debtor still hasn't paid everything by year 7, you need to renew. For District Court judgments, file a Motion to Renew Judgment. For Justice Court judgments, renewal by motion is not allowed — you must file an entirely new lawsuit. Either way, renewing resets the 8-year clock.

The full process involves a lot of forms, fees, and deadlines. Our Utah small claims judgment collection guide walks through every enforcement tool step by step, with the exact forms, fee amounts, exemption thresholds, and a printable interest-tracking ledger.

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