a consumer needs to collect money awarded to him by the court

Collecting Your Judgment

How to collect money awarded to you by the court.

Collecting Your Judgment

Watch our video on Collecting a Judgment from an Individual here. Court forms are available at California Courts – Forms. Select “Small Claims” from the pull down menu. Forms are also available at the Court Clerk’s office. Completed Sample Forms are available here. Starting September 2, 2021 all litigants in Small Claims Court can appear virtually or telephonically for FREE. Read the details from the court here.
The video below refers to forms and other resources – you can access the direct links in the description of the video which can be found directly on our YouTube channel.

If you win your case, the money the court awards you is called the judgment. You are the Judgment Creditor. The person who owes you money is the Judgment Debtor. The Judgment Debtor has 30 days from the mailing of the entry of judgment to pay you the money, or do one of the following: 

How do I collect my money?

If the Judgment Debtor does not pay you within 30 days from the mailing of the entry of judgment, there are ways the Sheriff can help you collect your money. To collect money, you must first get an EJ-130 Writ of Execution. A Writ of Execution is an order from the court to the Sheriff that allows the Sheriff to collect money owed to you. You get a Writ of Execution at the court clerk’s office. Here are some ways the Sheriff can help collect your money:

  • If you know where the Judgment Debtor banks, you can ask the Sheriff to collect money from their account (bank account levy).
  • If you know where the Judgment Debtor works, the Sheriff can collect 25% of the debtor’s wages each pay period until your judgment is paid in full (wage garnishment).
  • If the Judgment Debtor is a business and uses a cash register, you can instruct the Sheriff to do a Till Tap. This lets the Sheriff make a single trip to the business and take all cash and checks from the cash register.
  • You can also request a Keeper. This lets the Sheriff stay at the business location for eight hours or more and collect all cash and checks received that day.

You must complete the Sheriff Instruction Sheet to let the Sheriff know what you want done. There are fees for all of these services.

How can I find out where the Judgment Debtor works or banks?

You can request a Judgment Debtor Hearing.

What else can I do to collect?

Here are three other ways you can put pressure on the Debtor to pay your judgment.

  • Place a lien on property. If the Judgment Debtor owns real estate, you can place a lien on their property. If you do this, the Judgment Debtor will not be able to sell or refinance that property without paying you first. To do this, fill out an EJ-001 Abstract of Judgment form and take it to the clerk’s office. After the clerk stamps it, record it at the County Recorder’s Office in the county where the property is located.
  • Suspend the debtor’s driver license.  If your judgment involves an automobile accident, the Department of Motor Vehicles can suspend the Judgment Debtor’s driver license until payment is made. (DMV Forms DL-17 for a judgment less than a $1,000 or DL-30 for a judgment more than a $1,000)
  • Place a lien on a business. If your judgment is against a business, you can record a lien with the California Secretary of State’s office. To do this, submit the form online and pay a $5 filing fee.

Can I add collection costs and interest to my judgment?

Yes. Interest on a judgment accrues automatically, typically at 10%. However, for judgments entered or renewed on or after January 1, 2023, a reduced 5% interest rate applies if the debtor is an individual, the debt is under $200,000 for medical expenses or under $50,000 for personal debt, and the debt is not related to torts, fraud, or unpaid wages. Interest should be specifically added if you’re requesting a writ of execution. To do this, you need to file MC-012 Memorandum of Costs After Judgment at the clerk’s office.

How long do I have to collect?

You have 10 years from the date the judgment was issued to collect your money. If you cannot collect within 10 years, you can generally renew the judgment for an additional 10 years.

However, as of January 1, 2023, a judgment can only be renewed once for five years, if it was entered against an individual and relates to medical expenses of less than $200,000, or personal debt of less than $50,000. Some exceptions may apply, so it’s important to contact a Small Claims Advisor to explore your options.

To renew your judgment, you must file Form EJ-190 Application for and Renewal of Judgment and Form EJ-195 Notice of Renewal of Judgment. These forms must be filed with the clerk before the end of the 10-year period. You must also serve a copy of each form on the Judgment Debtor and file a Proof of Service with the court.

Court forms are available at California Courts – Forms. Select “Small Claims” from the pull-down menu. Forms are also available at the Court Clerk’s office. County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. Last change: Aug. 22, 2025.