To enforce an out-of-state money judgment in California, you register it with a California superior court under the Sister State Money Judgments Act, codified at Code of Civil Procedure sections 1710.10 through 1710.65. Once the clerk enters the judgment and the debtor’s challenge window closes, it works like any California judgment: you can garnish wages, levy bank accounts, record liens on real estate, and compel the debtor to disclose assets under oath.
Which Judgments Qualify
The Act covers any judgment, decree, or order from a court in another U.S. state that requires payment of money.1California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 1710.10 – Sister State Money Judgments Two categories are outside it. Child support and spousal support orders go through a separate process under the Family Code. Judgments from federal courts in other states, or from courts outside the United States, use different procedures. If your judgment is a state-court money judgment from anywhere in the U.S., you are in the right statute.
Filing the Application
You do not file a new lawsuit. You file a sworn application in the superior court for the county where the debtor lives or owns property. The application must be made under oath and must contain:2California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 1710.15 – Sister State Money Judgments
- A declaration that an action on the judgment in California is not time-barred.
- A statement, on information and belief, that no stay of enforcement is in effect in the originating state.
- The unpaid balance plus accrued interest at the originating state’s rate, with a citation to the statute setting that rate.
- Confirmation that no other California action or judgment based on the same sister state judgment is pending or entered.
- The debtor’s name and last known address, or business entity details if the debtor is a company.
- Your name and address as the judgment creditor.
Attach an authenticated copy of the original judgment. That means a certified copy from the issuing court, not a plain photocopy. Filing fees run $225 for judgments of $10,000 or less and $435 for judgments over $25,000, with small courthouse-construction surcharges in a handful of counties including Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco.3Superior Court of California. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule The fee is added to the judgment and recovered from the debtor if collection succeeds.
Entry by the Clerk
No judge reviews the application. The clerk enters the judgment automatically based on what you filed.4California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 1710.25 – Entry of Judgment The entered amount is the unpaid principal, interest at the originating state’s rate through the date of entry, and the California filing fee.
From the moment of entry, interest accrues at the California rate rather than the originating state’s rate. The standard rate is 10 percent per year. A 5 percent rate applies to personal debt judgments under $50,000 and to medical expense judgments under $200,000.5California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 685.010 “Personal debt” here means money owed from a transaction where the goods or services were primarily for the debtor’s personal or household use, such as credit cards or consumer loans. Judgments for fraud, intentional wrongdoing, or unpaid wages do not qualify for the lower rate.
Serving the Debtor
After entry, you must promptly serve the debtor with a notice of entry of judgment on the Judicial Council form. Service follows the same rules as service of a summons, which normally means personal delivery by a process server or another authorized individual.6California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 1710.30 – Notice of Entry of Judgment Sloppy service invites a later challenge that can undo months of collection work, so use a professional process server and keep the proof of service.
The 30-Day Challenge Window
The debtor has 30 days from service to file a motion to vacate the California judgment.7California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 1710.40 Enforcement is stayed automatically while a motion is pending, and the court must also stay enforcement if an appeal is pending or still available in the originating state, or if a stay is in effect there.8Justia. California Code of Civil Procedure 1710.50 – Stay of Enforcement The California court will not revisit the merits of the original ruling. Its focus is whether the original court had jurisdiction and whether the California registration met statutory requirements.
Once 30 days pass with no motion, or after any motion is resolved in your favor, the judgment is fully enforceable.
Collection Tools
An enforceable California judgment opens every tool in the Enforcement of Judgments Law.9California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Title 9 – Enforcement of Judgments
Wage Garnishment
Obtain a writ of execution, then have the sheriff serve an earnings withholding order on the debtor’s employer. California caps garnishment at the lesser of 20 percent of the debtor’s disposable earnings for the pay period, or 40 percent of the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 48 times the state minimum hourly wage.10California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 706.050 With the state minimum wage at $16.90 per hour as of January 2026, weekly earnings up to $811.20 are fully protected.11California Department of Industrial Relations. Minimum Wage If the debtor works in a city with a higher local minimum wage, the local rate controls.
Bank Levies
A bank levy freezes and seizes funds from the debtor’s accounts. You file a writ of execution and have the levying officer serve a notice of levy on the financial institution. The bank places a hold, and after a statutory waiting period the money is turned over. Federal law exempts Social Security benefits from garnishment, and California exempts a range of public benefits and disability payments even when they sit in an ordinary bank account.
Real Property Liens
To lien real estate, obtain an abstract of judgment from the court and record it with the county recorder in each county where the debtor owns or might acquire property. Recording creates an automatic lien on any real property the debtor owns in that county now or later. The debtor cannot sell or refinance without paying off the judgment. Separate abstracts are required for each county.
Debtor’s Examination
When you do not know where the assets are, this is often the most useful tool. Apply for an order requiring the debtor to appear and answer questions under oath about income, bank accounts, real property, and other assets.12California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 708.110 If you have not examined the debtor in the prior 120 days, the court issues the order without a hearing. Personal service is required at least 30 days before the exam, and the order itself creates a one-year lien on the debtor’s personal property. Failure to appear can result in an arrest warrant for contempt.
What the Debtor Can Shield
Not every asset is reachable. The homestead exemption protects equity in a primary residence up to the greater of $300,000 or the countywide median sale price for a single-family home in the prior calendar year, capped at $600,000, with both figures adjusted annually for inflation.13California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 704.730 A forced sale only makes sense when equity clearly exceeds that shield. Other exemptions cover necessary household goods, retirement accounts, tools of trade up to a set value, and various public benefits. A third party who claims ownership of property caught in a levy can file a third-party claim, which typically forces you to post an undertaking to keep the levy in place while the dispute is sorted out.14California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 720.110
The 10-Year Clock
A California judgment is enforceable for 10 years from entry. When it expires, every lien created through enforcement is extinguished.15California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 683.020 To keep it alive, file a renewal application before the 10-year period runs. A renewal extends enforceability for another 10 years from the date of the renewal application.16California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 683.120 You cannot renew within five years of the most recent renewal.17California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 683.110 For certain personal debt and medical expense judgments, renewal is allowed only once and extends the judgment by five years instead of ten. Calendar the deadline the day you register. Letting a judgment expire after years of collection work is one of the most preventable losses in this area.
When to Bring in a Lawyer
The registration itself is mechanical, and many creditors file the application and handle service without counsel. Enforcement is where complications appear. If the debtor moves to vacate, you have to respond within the court’s timeline with a real argument. If assets have been shifted to friends or relatives, California’s Uniform Voidable Transactions Act can pull those transfers back, but it takes its own litigation. High-value judgments involving real property liens, forced sales, or receiverships also justify professional help; the procedural rules are strict and a misstep can dissolve the levy or draw sanctions. For a smaller judgment against a debtor with a steady paycheck, wage garnishment is straightforward enough to run yourself once the judgment is entered.