Renewal of Judgment

Templates and Forms

Money judgments automatically expire after 10 years. Once a judgment expires, it is no longer enforceable, and the judgment creditor is not able to collect any unpaid judgment amounts. To prevent this from happening, the judgment creditor must renew the judgment before the 10 years run out. The lengthy and frequency of renewals depends on the type of judgment and the principle amount due:

• Money judgments for medical debt, where the principal amount owed is under $200,000 may be renewed once, for a period of 5 years. Interest on these judgments accrues at the rate of 5% per year for judgments entered or renewed after January 1, 2023. Interest on judgments entered or renewed before that date accrues at a rate of 10% per year.
• Money judgments for personal debt (e.g., credit cards, service contracts, personal loans, etc.) where the principal amount owed is under $50,000 may be renewed once, for a period of 5 years. Interest on these judgments accrues at the rate of 5% per year for judgments entered or renewed after January 1, 2023. Interest on judgments entered or renewed before that date accrues at a rate of 10% per year.
• All other civil judgments may be renewed for a period of 10 years and may be repeatedly renewed until the judgment is paid in full. Once these judgments are renewed, they cannot be renewed again until 5 years later. Interest on these judgments accrues at the rate of 10% per year.  Some judgment creditors chose to renew these judgments every 5 years, rather than every 10 years, to compound the interest and maximize the amount they are owed.
  
  

For help

SH@LL (Self-Help at the Law Library) (formerly Civil Self Help Center)
609 9^th Street, Sacramento CA 95814
(916) 476-2731 (Appointment Request Line)

Services Provided: SH@LL provides general information and basic assistance to self-represented litigants on a variety of civil legal issues, including name changes. All assistance is provided by telephone. Visit “What we can help with” for a list of qualifying cases.

Eligibility: Must be a Sacramento County resident or have a qualifying case in the Sacramento County Superior Court.

For more information

On the Web:

California Courts Self-Help Website: “Renew your Judgment“

At the Law Library:

• California Practice Guide: Enforcing Judgments and Debts KFC 1065 .A9 S3
• Debt Collection Practice in California KFC 256 .C83
  Electronic Access: On the Law Library’s computers, using OnLaw.
• Enforcing Civil Money Judgments KFC 1065 .C34
  Electronic Access: On the Law Library’s computers, using OnLaw.
• How to Collect When You Win a Lawsuit in California KFC 1065 .Z9 H69 (Reference)
• Matthew Bender Practice Guide: California Debt Collection and Enforcement of Judgments KFC 1065 .E5 M38
  Electronic Access: On the Law Library’s computers, using Lexis Advance.

---

Samples

Application for and Renewal of Judgment (EJ-190)

---

---

Notice of Renewal of Judgment (EJ-195)