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CA · Checked October 23, 2026

Collect a small claims judgment in California

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

Start after
30 days after the Notice of Entry of Judgment
Who takes the money
The sheriff, with a court order
How long it lasts
10 years, and you can renew it

Next: make the payment letter See the steps

The steps

  1. Wait 30 days.

    Count from the day you were handed or mailed the Notice of Entry of Judgment. In that time the other side can appeal or ask to cancel the decision, and you cannot take steps to collect. Source

  2. Ask them to pay. SC-221

    Ask in writing first. If they ask the court for a payment plan, you have 10 days to answer it. Source

  3. Find out what they own. SC-133

    The other side is supposed to send you a Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets: where they work, where they bank, what they own. If they don't, you can ask the court for a debtor's exam, where they answer questions in court. Source

  4. Get a Writ of Execution.

    The writ is the court's order to the officer. With it, the sheriff can take money from a paycheck (wage garnishment) or a bank account (bank levy). The sheriff, not you, deals with the employer or the bank. Source

  5. Put a lien on real estate.

    Ask the court clerk for an Abstract of Judgment (a one-page summary of the judgment) and record it with the county. That makes a lien: a claim on their real estate that has to be paid when it is sold or refinanced. Source

  6. Add costs and interest.

    Collection costs and interest can be added to what you are owed. Source

  7. Tell the court when you are paid. SC-290

    Once you are paid in full, file an Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment within 14 days. Leaving it out can bring a penalty. Source

  8. Renew before 10 years.

    The judgment expires in 10 years. If collecting will take longer, renew it before then. Source

The court does not collect the money for you, and collecting can take time and money. Free help and your court's own forms: start here. General information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer before you act on it.

Ask once, in writing

Most winners start with a letter asking for payment by a date. Fill one in and print it; nothing you type leaves this page.

Make the payment letter

Sources

Every step above was checked on October 23, 2026 against these pages. Fees and forms change; your court's clerk has the current ones.

Guides for California

Writ of Execution After a Small Claims Judgment, by State Writ of Execution in California Small Claims Judgment Lien After Small Claims Abstract of Judgment in California Small Claims Satisfaction of Judgment After Small Claims Judgment Debtor Examination After Small Claims How to Garnish Wages After a Small Claims Judgment Garnish a Bank Account With a Small Claims Judgment Renew a Small Claims Judgment Before It Expires, by State

Other states

Texas Florida New York Pennsylvania