An assignee of a judgment is not entitled to enforce the judgment under this title unless an acknowledgment of assignment of judgment to that assignee has been filed or the assignee has otherwise become an assignee of record under Section 673.
§ 681.020.Acknowledgment of Assignment of Judgment
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 2. General Provisions · Last amended 2021 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 681.020 bars an assignee of a judgment from enforcing it under the Enforcement of Judgments Law unless an acknowledgment of assignment of judgment has been filed for that assignee, or the assignee has otherwise become an assignee of record under § 673.
Full Text of § 681.020
Plain-English Summary
Buying or otherwise acquiring a judgment through assignment does not, by itself, hand the assignee enforcement power. This section requires one more step first: filing an acknowledgment of assignment of judgment, or otherwise becoming an assignee of record under § 673, before the assignee can wield any of the enforcement tools this title provides.
This requirement connects directly to § 680.240's definition of judgment creditor, which includes an assignee of record but only once that status is properly established. An assignee who skips the filing step is not just at procedural risk -- under this section, that assignee is not entitled to enforce the judgment at all, regardless of whatever private assignment agreement exists between the assignee and the original judgment creditor.
For anyone considering buying a judgment as an investment or accepting one as payment for a debt, this section is the reminder that the paperwork of becoming an assignee of record is not optional formality -- it is the precondition to collecting at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
If someone assigns their judgment to me privately, can I start collecting on it right away?
Not under this title. Section 681.020 requires an acknowledgment of assignment of judgment to be filed, or the assignee to otherwise become an assignee of record under § 673, before the assignee is entitled to enforce the judgment.
What happens if an assignee tries to enforce a judgment without filing the acknowledgment of assignment?
The assignee is not entitled to enforce the judgment under this title, which can expose any enforcement action taken to challenge for lack of standing.
How does this section relate to the definition of "judgment creditor"?
Section 680.240 defines judgment creditor to include an assignee of record, and this section supplies the filing requirement that determines when an assignee attains that status.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2020 ch 36 (AB 3364),s 23, eff. 1/1/2021.
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: acknowledgment of assignment of judgment californiaassignee of judgment enforcement rights california