Satisfaction of Judgment in Nevada: How to Close Your Case After Getting Paid

Filing a Satisfaction Isn't Optional

When a debtor pays your Nevada judgment in full — through voluntary payment, wage garnishment, bank levy, execution sale, or any combination — you have a legal duty to file a Satisfaction of Judgment under NRS 17.200. This formally closes the court record and tells the world the debt is resolved.

Skipping this step doesn't just leave the debtor with a cloud on their record. It exposes you to a court-ordered penalty. The debtor can file a Motion for Order of Satisfaction of Judgment, the judge reviews the evidence, and if the debt was paid in full, the court enters a satisfaction order and can assess costs or penalties against you for failing to file.

How to File

1. Complete the Satisfaction of Judgment form. Both the Clark County Civil Law Self-Help Center and Washoe County Justice Courts offer downloadable versions. The form identifies the case, both parties, the original judgment amount, and confirms full payment.

2. File it with the Justice Court clerk that entered the original judgment. Ask the clerk to confirm current filing instructions and any fee.

3. The clerk stamps and enters it on the docket. The judgment shows as satisfied in the court's records.

Don't Forget the Lien Release

If you recorded an Abstract of Judgment with any County Recorder to create a real property lien, the satisfaction alone doesn't remove it. You need to separately record a formal lien release with every County Recorder where the abstract was filed.

Until you record the release, the lien still shows up on title searches. That means the debtor can't sell or refinance their property cleanly — and they have legal grounds to demand you remove it.

Release Active Garnishments Too

If a wage garnishment is still running when the debtor pays the remaining balance through another channel, you must issue a written release to the Sheriff or Constable instructing them to stop withholding from the employer. The officer doesn't know the judgment is satisfied unless you tell them. Continuing to collect after full payment is a serious compliance issue.

Similarly, if the officer is holding funds from a bank levy that haven't been disbursed yet, you need to communicate the updated payoff figure or instruct the release of any overage.

When to File — Timing Matters

File immediately after receiving full payment. NRS 17.200 imposes an immediate statutory duty to file the Satisfaction of Judgment.

If the debtor paid in installments, the satisfaction goes in after the last payment clears. If collection involved multiple enforcement tools (garnishment plus a levy), wait until your accounting confirms the full judgment, plus all accrued interest and approved costs, is covered.

Partial Satisfaction

If the debtor pays part of the judgment, record the payment in your accounting; a partial payment alone does not release the remaining balance. If you agree to accept less than the full amount as settlement, document that agreement and follow the court's procedure for reporting the judgment satisfied.

The Nevada Judgment Collection Guide covers the full end-of-case process: satisfaction filing, lien releases, garnishment stops, and the accounting reconciliation you need before closing the books.

See more Nevada guides →