Louisiana Certified Copy of Judgment: How to Get One and Why You Need It

The Piece of Paper That Makes Enforcement Possible

A judgment sitting in the court's records does nothing on its own. To actually enforce it — record a judicial mortgage, garnish wages in another parish, or transfer the case to a different court — you need a certified copy. It is the creditor's proof that a final, signed judgment exists, authenticated by the clerk of court's seal and signature.

Without a certified copy, parish clerks will not record your judicial mortgage, sheriffs in other parishes will not execute your writs, and you cannot register a foreign judgment under the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act.

How to Get a Certified Copy

Go to the clerk of the court that rendered your judgment. For a city court small claims judgment, that is the city court clerk's office. For a JP court judgment, it is the JP court clerk.

Request a certified copy of the signed judgment. Ask specifically for a certified copy — not a minute entry, not an unofficial printout. A certified copy bears the clerk or deputy clerk's original signature and the court's official seal. Minute entries (brief clerk notes about courtroom proceedings) are not judgments and are not enforceable.

Pay the certification fee. Fees vary by court. Ask the clerk's office for its current fee schedule before requesting the copy.

Request multiple copies if needed. You may want more than one: one for your records, one to record a judicial mortgage in the debtor's parish, and one to transfer to another court for out-of-parish enforcement. Each certified copy costs the same fee.

What a Valid Certified Copy Contains

The document must include:

• The full text of the judgment with explicit decretal language — identifying who won, who lost, and the exact dollar amount
• The presiding judge's signature
• The date the judgment was signed
• The clerk's certification stamp or seal confirming it is a true and authentic copy of the original

If any of these elements is missing, the copy may be rejected when you try to use it.

When You Need a Certified Copy

Recording a judicial mortgage. Under La. C.C. arts. 3299 and 3359, you file a certified copy of the judgment with the parish clerk of court in any parish where the debtor owns real property. The judicial mortgage encumbers their real estate for 10 years.

Out-of-parish enforcement. If the debtor's employer, bank account, or property is in a different parish from the court that rendered your judgment, file a petition under La. C.C.P. art. 2452 or art. 2781 in the target parish and attach a certified copy of the judgment. This makes the judgment executory in that parish and allows its officer to act.

Proving the judgment to third parties. If you are negotiating a payment plan with the debtor, their attorney, or a title company, a certified copy is your documentation that the judgment is real and final.

Notice of Judgment vs. Certified Copy

These are different documents. Notice of judgment (La. C.C.P. art. 1913) is the court's formal notification to the parties that a judgment has been signed. It starts the appeal clock running. A certified copy is an authenticated reproduction of the judgment itself, used for enforcement and recording.

You may need both. The notice establishes when the judgment became final. The certified copy is what you file to enforce.

Getting Your Enforcement Started

A certified copy is one of the first things you should obtain after winning your case. Our Louisiana judgment collection guide walks through the complete post-judgment timeline, starting with the documents you need before any enforcement action can begin.

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