(a) If an action is brought to enforce a judgment of another jurisdiction expressed in a foreign money and the judgment is recognized in this state as enforceable, the enforcing judgment shall be entered as provided in Section 676.7, whether or not the foreign judgment confers an option to pay in an equivalent amount of United States dollars.
§ 676.10.Enforcement of Foreign Judgment
Title 8.5. Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act · Enacted 1991 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 676.10 requires a California court enforcing another jurisdiction's foreign-money judgment to enter it under § 676.7's rules regardless of whether that foreign judgment itself gave the debtor a dollar-payment option, channels enforcement through the state's foreign-judgment recognition law, credits any prior payment against the foreign-money amount, and limits enforcement to dollars when the other judgment was itself entered only in dollars.
Full Text of § 676.10
(b) A foreign judgment may be enforced in accordance with Title 11 (commencing with Section 1710.10) of Part 3.
(c) A satisfaction or partial payment made upon the foreign judgment, on proof thereof, shall be credited against the amount of foreign money specified in the judgment, notwithstanding the entry of judgment in this state.
(d) A judgment entered on a foreign-money claim only in United States dollars in another state shall be enforced in this state in United States dollars only.
Plain-English Summary
This section bridges the Act with California's separate law on recognizing sister-state and foreign country judgments. When an action seeks to enforce another jurisdiction's judgment that's expressed in foreign money, and California recognizes that judgment as enforceable, subdivision (a) requires the enforcing judgment here to be entered the same way § 676.7 requires — in the money of the claim, with the debtor's dollar-purchase option — even if the original foreign judgment didn't itself offer that dollar option.
Subdivision (b) points to the actual mechanism for enforcing a foreign judgment: Title 11, commencing with § 1710.10, California's foreign-judgment recognition statute. Subdivision (c) makes sure a debtor doesn't pay twice — any satisfaction or partial payment already made on the original foreign judgment gets credited against the foreign-money amount here, once proven, regardless of the California judgment's own entry.
Subdivision (d) closes a gap the other way: if a foreign-money claim was already reduced to judgment only in United States dollars somewhere else, California enforces that judgment only in dollars, without converting it back into the original foreign currency.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a foreign jurisdiction's foreign-money judgment entered for enforcement in California?
The same way § 676.7 requires — in the money of the claim, with the debtor's option to pay the dollar equivalent — even if the original judgment lacked that option.
What law governs the actual enforcement mechanism for a foreign judgment?
Title 11 (commencing with § 1710.10) of Part 3.
Does a prior partial payment on the foreign judgment reduce what's owed here?
Yes, once proven, it's credited against the foreign-money amount specified in the judgment.
What if the foreign-money claim was already reduced to judgment only in dollars elsewhere?
California enforces that judgment only in United States dollars.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1991, Ch. 932, Sec. 1.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: enforcing foreign judgment californiaforeign money judgment recognition