Rule 71C.Enforcement of arbitration awards.

Last amended February 1, 2009 · Last verified July 6, 2026

In one sentenceRule 71C gives a party the right to enforce an arbitration award as a circuit court judgment once the thirty-day window to appeal it under Rule 71B has passed without an appeal being filed, letting the clerk enter the award as final judgment and the prevailing party execute on it like any other judgment.

Full Text of Rule 71C

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (dc)

(a) Who may enforce. Any party to an arbitration may seek enforcement of the award entered as a result of the arbitration.

(b) When filed. If no appeal has been filed pursuant to Rule 71B within thirty (30) days of service of the notice of the award, thereby resulting in a waiver of the right to review, the party seeking enforcement of the award may at any time thereafter seek enforcement of the award in the appropriate circuit court as set forth in paragraph (c) of this rule.

(c) Where filed. The motion for entry of judgment shall be filed with the clerk of the circuit court where the action underlying the arbitration is pending or if no action is pending in the circuit court, then in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the county where the award is made.

(d) What filed. A party seeking enforcement of an award shall file a motion for entry of judgment, and shall attach to the motion a copy of the award, signed by the arbitrator, if there is only one, or by a majority of the arbitrators.

(e) How served. If the arbitration arose out of a pending action, service shall be made as provided in Rule 5. If there is no action pending, service shall be made as provided in Rules 4 through 4.4, and upon any counsel who appeared in the arbitration for the party being served.

(f) Procedure after filing. The clerk promptly shall enter the award as the final judgment of the court. After service pursuant to paragraph (e) of this rule, the prevailing party may seek execution on the judgment as in any other case.

(dc) District court rule. Rule 71C applies to arbitration awards arising from actions initially filed in the district court. As provided above, any enforcement is in the circuit court.

Amendment History

[Adopted 12-10-2008, eff. 2-1-2009.]

Committee Comments

Note from the reporter of decisions: The order adopting, effective February 1, 2009, Rule 71B, Rule 71C, and the Committee Comments to Rule 71B Effective February 1, 2009, is published in that volume of Alabama Reporter that contains Alabama cases from 994 So. 2d.

Plain-English Summary

Not every arbitration award gets appealed. Rule 71C addresses what happens once the appeal window closes without a challenge. If no notice of appeal was filed under Rule 71B within thirty days of service of the award, the right to review is waived, and any party to the arbitration may then seek enforcement of the award in circuit court at any time afterward.

To enforce the award, the party files a motion for entry of judgment with the clerk of the circuit court where the underlying action is pending, or, if no action was ever filed there, with the clerk in the county where the award was made. The motion must include a signed copy of the award. Service of the motion follows Rule 5 if an action is already pending, or Rules 4 through 4.4 if not, and must also reach any counsel who appeared in the arbitration.

Once the motion is filed, the clerk enters the award as the court's final judgment. After the required service is completed, the prevailing party may proceed to execute on that judgment exactly as it would with any other civil judgment, without needing further proceedings to establish its validity.

Rule 71C extends to arbitration awards arising from actions originally filed in district court, with enforcement still carried out in circuit court.

Frequently Asked Questions

When can a party enforce an arbitration award under Rule 71C?

Once thirty days have passed after service of notice of the award without a notice of appeal being filed under Rule 71B, the right to review is waived, and the party may seek enforcement in circuit court at any time after that.

Where does a party file to enforce an arbitration award?

The motion for entry of judgment goes to the clerk of the circuit court where the underlying action is pending, or, if none is pending, to the clerk in the county where the award was made.

What has to be filed to enforce an arbitration award?

A motion for entry of judgment, with a signed copy of the award attached, signed by the sole arbitrator or by a majority of the arbitrators.

What happens after the enforcement motion is filed?

The clerk promptly enters the award as the court’s final judgment, and once service is completed, the prevailing party may execute on that judgment as it would in any other case.

How does Rule 71C relate to Rule 71B?

Rule 71C picks up where Rule 71B leaves off: it applies only after the thirty-day appeal period in Rule 71B has expired without an appeal being filed, converting the award into an enforceable judgment.

Does Rule 71C apply to arbitrations from district court cases?

Yes. It covers arbitration awards arising from actions originally filed in district court, with enforcement carried out in circuit court.

Source & verification. The rule text, amendment history, and Committee Comments are reproduced verbatim from the official Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure (Ala. R. Civ. P. 71C). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Alabama (Ala. Const. amend. 328, § 6.11). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 6, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: enforcing an arbitration awardmotion for entry of judgment on awardexecuting on an arbitration awardarbitration award as final judgmentAla. R. Civ. P. 71C