Satisfaction of Judgment Minnesota: How to Close Your Case After Payment

Getting paid feels like the finish line, but you're not actually done. Under Minn. Stat. § 548.15, once a judgment is satisfied, the creditor must file a certificate of satisfaction with the court. If the creditor does not, the debtor can ask the court to order a certificate or direct satisfaction to be entered.

The Mandatory Filing Deadlines

Minn. Stat. § 548.15, subdivision 1, sets the deadlines for filing the certificate of satisfaction, including Form JGM201:

• File within 10 days after satisfaction
• For payment by check or other noncertified funds, file within 30 days of payment

The 30-day deadline runs from payment, not from when a check clears.

How to File

1. Complete Form JGM201 — the Satisfaction of Judgment form, available from the Minnesota Judicial Branch website under Judgment Enforcement forms
2. Sign the form — as the judgment creditor, you're certifying under oath that the judgment has been satisfied
3. File with the District Court Administrator in the county where the judgment is docketed
4. Pay the $5 filing fee

If the judgment was docketed in multiple counties (to create liens on property in each), you'll need to record certified satisfactions in every county where a transcript was filed. Otherwise, those liens remain active in the court index even though the debt is paid.

What to Do After Filing

Once the satisfaction is on record, you must immediately stop all active enforcement:

• Notify the sheriff in writing to recall any outstanding writs of execution
• Serve formal releases on all garnishees — that means the debtor's employer (if wages were being garnished) and any banks where you had active levies
• Confirm the satisfaction is recorded in every county where you docketed

Leaving active garnishments or liens in place after satisfaction can expose you to liability.

What If You Don't File on Time

If a creditor refuses or neglects to file the satisfaction, the debtor may file a Motion Requesting Satisfaction of Judgment (Form JGM202). Under § 548.15, the court can order the creditor to execute a certificate or direct that satisfaction be entered; the statute does not provide an automatic award of costs or attorney's fees for this motion.

An unsatisfied judgment in the court index can complicate a property sale or refinance while the lien remains recorded. Courts don't look kindly on creditors who leave that burden in place after being paid.

Partial Payments and Settlement

If the debtor pays less than the full balance as part of a settlement agreement, you can still file a satisfaction — it just needs to reflect the settlement terms. A partial satisfaction or satisfaction upon agreed terms is filed the same way.

For installment plans, don't file a full satisfaction until the final payment satisfies the balance. If it is paid by check or other noncertified funds, the 30-day filing deadline runs from payment, not clearing. Keep records of payments and the remaining balance. Under Minn. Stat. § 549.09, taxable disbursements claimed in the required affidavit are deducted first, then the remaining payment is applied to accrued interest and principal.

The Minnesota judgment collection guide includes a payment tracking ledger pre-set for the 2026 statutory 4% interest rate, so you always know the exact balance remaining and when the satisfaction deadline starts.

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