How Long Is a Judgment Good for in Louisiana? Prescription and Revival Rules

The 10-Year Rule

A Louisiana money judgment is enforceable for 10 years from the date it is signed by the judge. After 10 years, the judgment prescribes — meaning it expires and loses its legal force. You can no longer garnish wages, seize property, or use any enforcement tool against the debtor.

This 10-year prescriptive period comes from La. C.C. art. 3501 and applies to all money judgments rendered by Louisiana courts, including small claims and JP court judgments.

The clock starts on the date the judgment is signed, not the date you won at trial or the date the debtor was served. If the judge signed your judgment on March 15, 2026, it prescribes on March 15, 2036.

Revival Before Prescription Runs Out

If you have not fully collected before the 10-year period expires, you can revive the judgment by filing an ex parte motion in the court that rendered it. Under La. C.C.P. art. 2031, timely filing extends the judgment's enforceability for another 10 years.

File the motion before the original judgment prescribes. The revival procedure under La. C.C.P. art. 2031 requires filing before that deadline. Do not wait until the last week; file several months ahead to account for court scheduling.

Protect the Revival Deadline

Record every payment and keep the 10-year deadline on your calendar. Do not treat partial payments, written acknowledgments, or collection activity as a substitute for filing the ex parte motion for revival under La. C.C.P. art. 2031 before prescription runs out.

Judicial Mortgages Have Their Own Clock

If you recorded a judicial mortgage against the debtor's real property, that mortgage has its own 10-year duration under La. C.C. art. 3359 — starting from the date the judgment was signed, not the date you recorded the mortgage. The mortgage and the judgment share the same expiration date.

To keep the judicial mortgage alive beyond 10 years, revive the underlying judgment and file a formal Notice of Reinscription with the Clerk of Court before the 10-year recording period expires. If the judgment prescribes, the mortgage falls with it.

Practical Timeline for Small Claims Creditors

Most small claims judgments under $5,000 are collected within the first year or two — through garnishment, a negotiated payment plan, or the debtor paying voluntarily after receiving a demand letter. But some debtors avoid payment for years, change jobs, or have nothing to seize right now.

If you are sitting on an uncollected judgment and the five-year mark is approaching, do two things:

1. Run a fresh asset check. The debtor's financial situation may have changed.
2. Calendar a revival deadline at least six months before the 10-year expiration, so you have time to file and serve the petition.

Our Louisiana judgment collection guide includes the full timeline — when to pursue active enforcement, when to wait, and how to keep the judgment alive through the 10-year window.

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