Title 11. Money Judgments of Other Jurisdictions · Chapter 1. Sister State Money Judgments · Last amended 1984 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1710.25 directs the clerk to enter judgment for the unpaid balance, accrued interest, and filing fee shown in the application, using the same procedure as an original judgment, with California's own interest rate applying from the date of entry forward.
(a)Upon the filing of the application, the clerk shall enter a judgment based upon the application for the total of the following amounts as shown therein:
(1)The amount remaining unpaid under the sister state judgment.
(2)The amount of interest accrued on the sister state judgment (computed at the rate of interest applicable to the judgment under the law of the sister state).
(3)The amount of the fee for filing the application for entry of the sister state judgment.
(b)Entry shall be made in the same manner as entry of an original judgment of the court. From the time of entry, interest shall accrue on the judgment so entered at the rate of interest applicable to a judgment entered in this state.
Plain-English Summary
This is the section that turns the application into a California judgment. Once the application is filed, the clerk enters judgment for the total of three figures the creditor has already sworn to: the amount still owed under the sister state judgment, the interest that has accrued on it at the sister state's own rate, and the fee paid to file the application itself. No hearing or judicial signature is required to reach this point; the clerk's entry is a ministerial act based on what the sworn application states.
From that point forward, the judgment behaves like any other California money judgment. It gets entered the same way an original judgment would be, and from the moment of entry, interest accrues at the rate California applies to its own judgments rather than the sister state's rate used to calculate the amount brought forward. That shift in the applicable interest rate marks the moment the debt formally becomes a California judgment rather than merely a registered claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a judge have to approve the registration before judgment is entered?
No. The clerk enters judgment based on the sworn application, without a hearing, for the amount the application shows is owed.
What does the entered judgment amount include?
The unpaid balance of the sister state judgment, interest accrued at the sister state's rate up to that point, and the filing fee for the application.
Which state's interest rate applies after the judgment is entered?
California's own rate for judgments entered in this state, replacing the sister state's rate that was used only to compute interest accrued before entry.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 311, Sec. 4.
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:clerk entry sister state judgment californiainterest rate registered out of state judgment