(a) An application for entry of a judgment based on a sister state judgment shall be filed in a superior court.
§ 1710.20.Filing Application; Proper County
Title 11. Money Judgments of Other Jurisdictions · Chapter 1. Sister State Money Judgments · Last amended 2024 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1710.20 requires a sister state judgment registration application to be filed in superior court, in the county of a resident judgment debtor or any county if none resides in California, and treats applications for $35,000 or less as limited civil cases.
Full Text of § 1710.20
(b) Subject to the power of the court to transfer proceedings under this chapter pursuant to Title 4 (commencing with Section 392) of Part 2, the proper county for the filing of an application is any of the following:
(1) The county in which any judgment debtor resides.
(2) If no judgment debtor is a resident, any county in this state.
(c) A case in which the sister state judgment amounts to thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000) or less is a limited civil case.
Plain-English Summary
Once the application is ready, this section tells the creditor where to file it. Every application goes to a superior court, and venue follows the judgment debtor: if any debtor lives in California, the creditor must file in a county where a debtor resides. If none of the debtors lives in the state, the creditor can choose any California county, since no single county has a stronger claim to the case than another.
The section also sets the case's procedural track by dollar amount. A registration where the sister state judgment amounts to $35,000 or less proceeds as a limited civil case, which brings with it the more streamlined discovery and procedural rules that apply to smaller disputes. Larger judgments proceed as unlimited civil cases with the fuller set of procedures that status carries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which California court handles a sister state judgment registration?
A superior court in the county where a judgment debtor resides, or any county in the state if no debtor resides in California.
Does the size of the sister state judgment affect how the case is classified?
Yes. A judgment of $35,000 or less is treated as a limited civil case, while a larger judgment proceeds as an unlimited civil case.
Can venue be transferred after the application is filed?
Yes, the general venue-transfer rules that apply to civil proceedings remain available even after a registration application is filed under this chapter.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2023 ch 861 (SB 71),s 7, eff. 1/1/2024. Amended by Stats 2002 ch 784 (SB 1316),s 86, eff. 1/1/2003.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: where to file sister state judgment californialimited civil case sister state judgment threshold