Winning a lawsuit is only half the battle. A California money judgment does not pay itself: the court hands you a piece of paper, and collecting on it is up to you. As a judgment creditor, the law gives you powerful tools: you can freeze bank accounts, garnish wages, place liens on real estate, and compel the debtor to disclose assets under oath. VK Law helps creditors across California turn an unpaid judgment into actual money. To talk through your collection options, call 877-780-4727.
Key Takeaways
- A money judgment is enforceable for 10 years in California and can be renewed before it expires: miss the window and you may lose the right to collect.
- Common collection tools include writs of execution, bank levies, wage garnishment, and real-property liens (an abstract of judgment).
- A judgment debtor examination forces the debtor to disclose assets and income under oath.
- Unpaid judgments generally accrue interest at 10% per year, so waiting still adds to what you are owed.
- An out-of-state (“sister state”) judgment can be domesticated in California so you can collect on assets here.
- To talk through your options, call VK Law at 877-780-4727.
What “judgment enforcement” means in California
When a court enters a money judgment in your favor, it confirms that someone owes you a specific amount. It does not collect that money for you. The party who owes the money (the judgment debtor) may simply refuse to pay. The party owed the money (the judgment creditor) has to take additional legal steps to actually get paid. That process is called judgment enforcement, or judgment collection.
California law gives creditors a defined set of tools to reach a debtor’s money and property. The right tool depends on what the debtor owns: a paycheck, a bank account, real estate, a business, or some combination. A skilled judgment enforcement lawyer helps you locate those assets and use the correct procedure to capture them.
How to collect a judgment in California: your main tools
Writ of execution
A writ of execution is a court order that authorizes a sheriff to seize a debtor’s non-exempt property to satisfy your judgment. It is the foundation for many collection methods: the sheriff uses the writ to levy bank accounts, garnish wages, or seize other property. You typically obtain a writ from the court in the county where the judgment was entered, then a separate writ for each county where the debtor has assets.
Bank levy
A bank levy lets you reach money the debtor holds in a checking or savings account. Using a writ of execution, the sheriff serves the bank, which freezes funds up to the amount you are owed and turns them over. Timing matters, because the levy only captures what is in the account at the moment it is served.
Wage garnishment
If the debtor is employed, you can garnish a portion of their wages. The debtor’s employer withholds part of each paycheck and sends it toward your judgment until it is paid. California limits how much of a person’s pay can be taken, and some income is protected, so the garnishment must follow the state’s exemption rules.
Real-property liens (abstract of judgment)
Recording an abstract of judgment with a county recorder creates a lien on real estate the debtor owns in that county. The lien attaches to the property and generally must be paid before the debtor can sell or refinance. It is a patient tool: it can sit on the property and collect, with interest, when the real estate changes hands.
Till taps and keeper levies
If the debtor runs a cash business, a till tap sends the sheriff to the business to take cash on hand from the register. A keeper levy goes further: the sheriff stations a “keeper” at the business for a set period to collect incoming receipts. Both reach money a typical bank levy might miss.
Charging orders
If the debtor owns an interest in a partnership or a limited liability company (LLC), a charging order directs that distributions the debtor would receive from that business be paid to you instead. It is a key tool when the debtor’s main asset is a stake in a closely held company.
Finding the debtor’s assets: the judgment debtor examination
You can only collect from assets you can find. A judgment debtor examination (often called a debtor’s exam) is a court-ordered proceeding that requires the debtor to appear and answer questions, under oath, about their income, bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, and other property. You can also require the debtor to bring documents such as bank statements and pay stubs.
A debtor’s exam is one of the most useful steps in collection: it turns guesswork into a roadmap. If the debtor ignores a properly served order to appear, the court can issue a warrant. We use these examinations to pinpoint exactly which collection tool will work.
How long you have to collect: the 10-year rule and renewal
In California, a money judgment is enforceable for 10 years from the date it is entered (Code of Civil Procedure section 683.020). When that period expires, you generally lose the ability to enforce the judgment, and any enforcement liens are extinguished.
You can extend a judgment by renewing it before the 10 years run out (Code of Civil Procedure section 683.130). Renewing the judgment resets the enforcement clock for another 10 years and preserves the accrued interest. Because the deadline is strict, calendaring and timely renewal are critical: let the judgment lapse and the right to collect can vanish.
Interest keeps adding up
An unpaid California money judgment generally accrues interest at the rate of 10% per year on the unpaid balance (Code of Civil Procedure section 685.010). That means delay works in your favor in one sense: the amount owed grows over time, though it is no substitute for active collection. (A lower rate can apply to certain smaller consumer and medical-debt judgments entered on or after January 1, 2023; we can confirm which rate applies to your judgment.)
Collecting on an out-of-state judgment in California
If you won a money judgment in another state but the debtor has assets in California, you can usually enforce it here. California’s Sister State Money Judgments Act (Code of Civil Procedure section 1710.10 and following) lets you “domesticate” an out-of-state judgment : register it with a California court so it can be enforced as if it were entered here. Once domesticated, you can use the same tools (levies, garnishment, liens) against the debtor’s California property.
How VK Law helps judgment creditors
VK Law is a law firm serving clients in California, Nevada, and New York. For California judgment creditors, we help you:
- Locate the debtor’s assets, including bank accounts, wages, real estate, and business interests.
- Choose and execute the right collection tool: writ of execution, bank levy, wage garnishment, lien, till tap, keeper levy, or charging order.
- Conduct judgment debtor examinations to compel disclosure of assets under oath.
- Calendar and file judgment renewals so your judgment does not lapse.
- Domesticate sister-state and out-of-state judgments for enforcement in California.
We bill on an hourly basis for collection work, and we will talk through the likely cost and approach before you commit.
This page is part of our California civil litigation practice.
Have a California judgment you need to collect?
To talk with VK Law about enforcing your judgment, call 877-780-4727 for a free consultation.
Related civil litigation pages
- California Civil Litigation
- California Elder Abuse
- California Securities & Financial Fraud
- California Class Action
Last reviewed: June 2026 by the attorneys of Vaksman Khalfin, PC.
This page is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and deadlines change and apply differently to each situation; consult a licensed attorney about your specific facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
A court judgment confirms the debt but does not collect it. As the judgment creditor, you take the next steps: locating the debtor's assets and using tools like a writ of execution, bank levy, wage garnishment, or property lien to get paid. A judgment enforcement lawyer can map out which tool fits your debtor.
A money judgment is generally enforceable for 10 years from the date it is entered. You can renew it before the 10 years expire to keep it alive for another 10-year period. If you let it lapse, you can lose the right to collect, so the deadline matters.
A writ of execution is a court order authorizing a sheriff to seize a debtor's non-exempt property to satisfy your judgment. It is the basis for many collection methods, including bank levies and wage garnishment. You generally need a separate writ for each county where the debtor has assets.
Yes, through a bank levy. Using a writ of execution, the sheriff serves the debtor's bank, which freezes and turns over funds up to the amount owed. A levy captures only what is in the account when it is served, so timing is important.
If the debtor is employed, you can garnish a portion of their pay. The employer withholds part of each paycheck toward your judgment. California caps how much can be taken and protects certain income, so the garnishment must follow the state's exemption rules.
A judgment debtor examination requires the debtor to appear in court and answer questions, under oath, about their income, accounts, real estate, and other property. You can also require them to bring financial documents. If they ignore a proper order to appear, the court can issue a warrant.
Yes. A California money judgment generally accrues interest at 10% per year on the unpaid balance, which is preserved when you renew the judgment. A lower rate can apply to some smaller consumer and medical-debt judgments entered on or after January 1, 2023. We can confirm the rate for your judgment.
Usually, yes. Under California's Sister State Money Judgments Act, you can register ("domesticate") an out-of-state money judgment with a California court and then enforce it against the debtor's California assets using the same tools available for a California judgment.
