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Abstract of judgment california · Checked October 23, 2026

Abstract of judgment in California: EJ-001 and the county recorder

General information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer before you act on it.

An Abstract of Judgment, form EJ-001, is a one-page summary of your small claims judgment. The small claims clerk certifies it for about $40, and you record it with the county recorder wherever the other side owns real estate, which puts a lien on that property.

Form
EJ-001
Clerk certifies for
About $40
Record at
The county recorder, each county

The steps

  1. Fill in EJ-001. EJ-001

    It summarizes the full judgment from small claims court. Source

  2. Have the clerk certify it. About $40

    Take it to the small claims clerk; certification is about $40. Source

  3. Record it in each county.

    Take the certified abstract and a copy to the county recorder's office where you think they own real estate, and pay the recording fee. One abstract per county. Source

  4. Wait for a sale or refinance.

    The lien has to be paid when the property is sold or refinanced. Source

A worked example

If the other side owns a condo in Alameda County and a cabin in Placer County, you take two certified abstracts: one to each county recorder, each with its own recording fee. Recording only in Alameda leaves the cabin untouched.

Fees and forms change, and your court's clerk has the current ones. General information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer before you act on it.

Ask once, in writing

Before the court steps, most winners send a letter asking for payment by a date. Fill one in and print it; nothing you type leaves this page.

Make the payment letter

Questions people ask next

Is EJ-001 used anywhere else?

Yes. If the other side is more than 150 miles from the court, you file EJ-001 with an EJ-125 in their county to hold the debtor's exam there.

Can I force a sale?

Foreclosing on the lien is possible in some cases: not for consumer debt, and only with enough equity and no homestead exemption. California's page points to the law library or a lawyer for it.

How long does the lien last?

The court's lien page does not say. The judgment itself lasts 10 years and can be renewed.

Your state's full steps

California

Related guides

Judgment Lien After Small Claims Writ of Execution in California Small Claims Renew a Small Claims Judgment Before It Expires, by State

Sources

Checked on October 23, 2026 against these pages.