Judgment Enforcement · October 2026

Recording an Abstract of Judgment in California

A judgment doesn’t touch the debtor’s real estate until an abstract is recorded in the county where the property is. How to get one issued and recorded, and how to keep the lien alive.

Direct Legal Blog

Judgment Enforcement

Published October 11, 2026

A money judgment on its own doesn’t encumber anything. Record an abstract of judgment with a county recorder, though, and you have a lien on every interest the debtor holds in real property in that county, including property the debtor buys later. When the property is sold or refinanced, the title company will want the lien dealt with. It’s one of the least expensive collection steps there is, and one of the easiest to get slightly wrong. Here’s the process as of October 2026.

Start here

What the Lien Reaches, and for How Long

Recording an abstract of a money judgment with the county recorder creates a judgment lien on real property (CCP § 697.310(a)). The lien attaches to all of the debtor’s interests in real property in that county, both what the debtor owns when the abstract is recorded and what the debtor acquires later, from the moment it’s acquired (§ 697.340). A few interests are excluded, such as a lease with less than two years left and a beneficiary’s interest in a trust.

The lien lasts 10 years from the date the judgment was entered, not from the date of recording, unless it’s extended by renewal (§ 697.310(b)). A lien for a support judgment, recorded with form FL-480, lasts as long as the judgment is enforceable (§ 697.320).

The lien is county by county. One recorded abstract covers the whole county, so record in each county where the debtor owns property, and consider the counties where the debtor lives or is likely to buy.

From the court

Getting the Abstract Issued

For a civil or small claims judgment, the abstract is Judicial Council form EJ-001, and it has to be certified by the clerk of the court where the judgment was entered (CCP § 674(a)). The clerk’s fee is $40 under the January 1, 2026 statewide fee schedule; some older guides still say $45. The form has to show:

the court, case number, parties, and the dates the judgment was entered and any renewals
each judgment debtor’s name and last known address, and the address where the summons was served
the judgment creditor, the amount of the judgment, and whether enforcement has been stayed
the last four digits of the debtor’s Social Security number and driver’s license number if the creditor knows them, or a statement that they aren’t known

If you learn the numbers later, an amended abstract can add them (§ 674(b)). To list other names the debtor uses, file an affidavit of identity with the application for the abstract or writ, and the abstract can include those names (§ 674(c); § 680.135). That matters when title searches index the debtor under a slightly different name.

What the recorder charges

Recording Fees, Including SB 2

Recording fees are set partly by statute and partly by each county, so the total varies. The pieces:

The base fee. Government Code § 27361 allows $10 for the first page and $3 for each additional page, and counties add other required fees on top. Starting January 1, 2027, AB 2224 raises the base to $15 for the first page and $4 for each additional page.
The SB 2 fee. The Building Homes and Jobs Act fee is $75 per document, capped at $225 per transaction per parcel, and the statute’s list of real estate instruments includes abstracts of judgment (Gov. Code § 27388.1). Counties apply it differently to abstracts, so check the recorder’s schedule.
The involuntary lien notice. Recorders mail the debtor a notice that an involuntary lien was recorded, and some charge for it (Gov. Code § 27297.5).

Two examples, as posted in October 2026. Los Angeles County charges $102 to record a one-page abstract ($15 in base fees, the $75 SB 2 fee, a $10 real estate fraud fee, and a $2 restrictive covenant fee), plus $3 for each additional page, and adds $9 for the lien notice unless the abstract includes a proof of service on the debtor or a statement that the debtor’s address is unknown. Orange County’s schedule effective January 1, 2026 lists $12 for the first page and $3 for each additional page, plus the $75 SB 2 fee and a $10 fraud fee on certain documents. Expect most counties to post new schedules for 2027.

Submitting it

Recording on Paper or Electronically

An abstract can be recorded electronically in the counties that accept e-recording, but not as a born-digital document. Under the Electronic Recording Delivery Act, the only instruments that can be submitted as fully electronic records are reconveyances, substitutions of trustee, and assignments of deeds of trust (Gov. Code § 27397.5). Everything else affecting title, including an abstract, is submitted as a digitized record: a scanned image of the paper original (§ 27390). So you still need the clerk-certified paper abstract.

Recorders accept e-recordings only from authorized submitters, such as title companies, lenders, government agencies, and other submitters that carry the required insurance and have a contract with the county (§ 27391). AB 2224 removed the 2027 end date for those other submitters’ contracts, and it requires every county recorder that collects the recording fee to implement an electronic recording delivery system on or before January 1, 2028 (Gov. Code § 27361(a)(2)). Access will still run through authorized submitters.

We e-record abstracts in 47 of California’s 58 counties and record on paper in the rest. See our e-recording page for the county list and formatting rules.

Keeping it alive

Renewal: Record It Again

Renewing the judgment doesn’t extend the lien by itself. The judgment has to be renewed before its 10 years run (CCP § 683.130), and then a certified copy of the application for renewal has to be recorded in each county before the lien expires. That extends the lien to 10 years from the date the renewal application was filed (§ 683.180). If someone acquired an interest in the property and recorded it before the renewal was recorded, the statute requires that person to be personally served with notice of the renewal, with proof filed within 90 days (§ 683.180(b)).

Personal debt judgments under $50,000 and medical expense judgments under $200,000 can be renewed only once, for five years (§ 683.110(c); § 683.120(c)). Plan the lien around that shorter life.

When it’s paid

Releasing the Lien When the Judgment Is Paid

When the judgment is satisfied, the creditor has to file an acknowledgment of satisfaction with the court immediately, unless it was satisfied in full through a levy under a writ (CCP § 724.030). Form EJ-100 lists each county where an abstract was recorded, with the recording date and instrument number, and a full satisfaction has to be recorded in each of those counties to clear the liens. Each signature needs its own notary acknowledgment.

If the debtor makes a written demand, the creditor has 15 days after actually receiving it to comply. A creditor who doesn’t, without just cause, is liable for the debtor’s damages and a $100 forfeiture (CCP § 724.050). Keep a list of every county where you recorded so the release goes everywhere the lien did.

Before you record

Abstract Checklist

The abstract is on form EJ-001 (FL-480 for support), certified by the clerk, with the debtor’s last known address.
The last four digits of the Social Security and driver’s license numbers are filled in, or marked unknown.
Other names the debtor uses are included through an affidavit of identity.
You know which counties to record in, and have each county’s fees, including SB 2.
There’s a proof of service on the debtor, if the county charges for its lien notice without one.
Your calendar has the lien expiration (10 years from entry) and the renewal deadline.

Direct Legal records abstracts of judgment throughout California, electronically where the county accepts it and on paper elsewhere. Mail us the certified original and we advance the county fees and send you the recorded copy. To collect from a bank account in the meantime, see Bank Levies in California.

Please note

About This Article

This article is general information about California law and court procedure as of October 2026. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Direct Legal Support is a registered process serving and litigation support company, not a law firm. Statutes, court rules, and forms change, so check the current versions and your court’s local rules, and talk with an attorney about your specific matter.