Judgment Expiration by State 2024

Knowing your rights as an individual is important as it will help serve you best in times of great need. Anyone who owns a judgment that was not collected must determine how long the judgment can survive before it expires legally. Someone looking to enforce payment will be interested in finding out the information about your whereabouts and how much you currently owe.

In states with longer expiration dates, it is important to either pay what you owe or seek legal advice where necessary to achieve peace of mind. Remember to stay abreast of all new laws and ways that a judgment can be revived or extended if it has already expired.

Regardless of the time to expiration, it is always best to know how much you owe and to verify all information presented before you. Just because you owe money to a judgment collector does not mean that you necessarily need to comply with the exact things they say. Seek legal advice and know your rights. In certain cases, you may be able to reduce, limit, or throw out your case with the help of a qualified financial and legal team.

States with Long Judgement Expirations

The longest limit before a judgment expiration is around 20 years. Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Virginia have a 20-year statute of limitations on their judgments. This means that a judgment creditor has 20 years to track their debtors and legally request and enforce that they pay.

Kentucky has a similarly long time frame of 15 years. New Mexico is close behind with a limit of 14 years. The most common expiration is ten years which is valid in 23 states.

States with Short Judgement Expirations

States with low limits on expiration include Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Nevada, Georgia, Mississippi, Utah, and Vermont. These states have an expiration limit of between 5-8 years.

Although the limit is very small, this does not mean that the judgment collector is any less motivated - usually the exact opposite. If a judgment collector feels that they are pressed for time or in an area with a smaller population, they may move their case forward much more quickly and with greater intent than someone in an otherwise different situation.