How Long Does a Judgment Last in Florida?

A Florida judgment is enforceable for 20 years from the date it is entered by the court. During that period, the creditor can use any collection tool available under Florida law to satisfy the debt, including wage garnishment, bank account levies, and personal property seizure. Statutory interest accrues on the unpaid balance for the entire 20-year period.

Florida does not have a formal judgment renewal procedure. Once the 20-year period under Florida Statute § 55.081 expires, the judgment becomes unenforceable unless the creditor has taken action to obtain a new judgment before expiration.

The 20-Year Judgment Lifespan

The 20-year clock begins on the date the judge signs the final judgment and the clerk enters it into the court record. It does not start from the date the debtor is served, the date of the underlying incident, or the date of any post-judgment collection activity.

A judgment does not need to be recorded to be valid or enforceable. Even without recording, the creditor retains the full range of collection tools for the entire 20-year period. Recording matters only for creating a lien on real property.

The Florida Supreme Court confirmed the 20-year enforcement period in Salinas v. Ramsey (2018), settling a longstanding dispute over whether a shorter five-year limitation applied to post-judgment discovery. The court held that discovery in aid of execution is part of the collection effort, not a separate “action on a judgment,” and remains available for the full 20-year life of the judgment.

Collection does not begin immediately after judgment entry. Florida allows a 10-day window after the judgment date during which either party can file a motion for rehearing. Rehearing motions are rarely granted, but a pending motion stays enforcement until the court rules. Once the 10-day period passes without a rehearing request, the creditor can begin using collection tools.

Judgment Liens on Real Property

Recording a certified copy of the judgment with the clerk of court in any Florida county creates a lien on the debtor’s non-homestead real estate in that county. The creditor must record separately in each county where the debtor owns property. Only a certified copy creates a valid lien.

The judgment lien operates on a separate timeline from the judgment itself. A recorded judgment lien is effective for 10 years from the date of recording. Before the 10-year period expires, the creditor can re-record the judgment to extend the lien for an additional 10 years.

If the creditor fails to re-record before the initial 10-year term runs, the real property lien expires. The underlying judgment remains valid and enforceable through other collection methods for the remainder of the 20-year judgment lifespan, but the creditor loses lien priority on real property and must re-record to create a new lien. A new recording creates a new lien that takes priority only from the new recording date, behind any liens that were recorded in the interim.

Personal Property Judgment Liens

Judgment liens on personal property operate under a different statute and a shorter timeline. A creditor creates a personal property lien by filing a judgment lien certificate with the Florida Department of State under § 55.202. This lien is effective for five years. The creditor may file one second certificate within six months before or after the original certificate lapses, extending the lien for an additional five years. No further certificates may be filed after the second, so a personal property lien can encumber assets for a maximum of ten years.

The second certificate is treated as an entirely new lien, not a continuation of the first. Priority resets to the filing date of the second certificate, meaning other creditors who filed liens in the interim will take priority over the renewed lien.

Homestead Protection

Judgment liens do not attach to a debtor’s Florida homestead property. The Florida Constitution exempts a debtor’s primary residence from civil money judgments, and this protection extends to judgment liens. A creditor cannot place a lien on homestead property regardless of how or where the judgment is recorded.

The protection has a critical limitation. If the debtor abandons the property as a homestead, any previously recorded judgment lien can attach. Abandonment occurs when the debtor moves out of the property without intent to return. Renting the home to a third party and moving to a different primary residence generally constitutes abandonment, unless the debtor can demonstrate a genuine intent to reoccupy the property within a reasonable time.

A debtor who owns homestead property and is considering a move should evaluate whether any recorded judgments could attach to the property once it loses homestead status.

Domesticated Foreign Judgments

A judgment entered by a court in another state must be domesticated in Florida before a creditor can use Florida collection tools. Domestication involves filing a certified copy of the foreign judgment with a Florida circuit court clerk under the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (Florida Statutes §§ 55.501-55.509).

The 20-year enforcement period for a domesticated judgment runs from the date the original court entered the judgment, not from the date of Florida domestication. A creditor who obtains a judgment in New York in 2020 and domesticates it in Florida in 2025 has until 2040 to enforce it in Florida, assuming New York’s enforcement period has not already expired.

The creditor must domesticate the judgment before it expires in the issuing state. Florida’s borrowing principle prevents a creditor from reviving a judgment that is already unenforceable in the state where it was entered.

Post-Judgment Interest

Unpaid Florida judgments accrue interest at the statutory rate established by Florida’s Chief Financial Officer. The rate adjusts quarterly and applies to the unpaid balance from the date of judgment entry. Interest accrues automatically and does not require any action by the creditor.

Over 20 years, post-judgment interest can significantly increase the total amount owed. A $100,000 judgment accruing interest at 6% per year grows to approximately $320,000 over the full enforcement period. The compounding effect means that the debtor’s exposure increases every year the judgment remains unpaid.

Four Ways to Eliminate a Judgment

A Florida judgment can be removed or rendered unenforceable in four ways.

The debtor can pay the judgment in full, including accrued interest and any taxable costs. Upon satisfaction, the creditor is required to file a satisfaction of judgment with the court.

The debtor can negotiate a settlement with the creditor for a reduced amount. Settlement agreements should include a provision requiring the creditor to file a satisfaction of judgment upon receipt of the settlement payment. The creditor’s willingness to settle depends on the debtor’s asset protection posture and the creditor’s assessment of collectability.

The debtor can discharge the judgment through bankruptcy. Most civil money judgments are dischargeable in Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 proceedings. Exceptions include judgments arising from fraud, willful and malicious injury, and certain other categories specified in the Bankruptcy Code.

The debtor can wait 20 years for the judgment to expire. Florida does not permit judgment renewal, so the expiration is final. However, the creditor can pursue collection at any point during the 20-year window, and the debtor’s circumstances may change in ways that make previously protected assets vulnerable. Florida courts have also recognized that a creditor may file a new action on the original judgment before the 20-year period expires, potentially obtaining a fresh judgment with a new enforcement period.

Why Ignoring a Judgment Is Risky

A debtor who is currently judgment proof may assume that the judgment will never be collected. The 20-year enforcement window makes that assumption dangerous.

Over two decades, financial circumstances change. A debtor who today earns exempt income and holds only exempt assets may later start a business, receive an inheritance, acquire non-homestead real property, or accumulate savings in a non-exempt account. The creditor can monitor the debtor’s financial position through periodic fact information sheets and resume active collection whenever new non-exempt assets appear.

The safest approach for a debtor facing a judgment is to evaluate the full range of Florida judgment collection laws and consider whether proactive asset protection or negotiated settlement offers a better outcome than passively waiting out the 20-year clock.