(a) The judgment creditor, judgment debtor, owner of property subject to a judgment lien on personal property created under the judgment, or a person having a security interest in or a lien on the property subject to the judgment lien, may file in the office of the Secretary of State an acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment executed as provided in Section 724.060 or a court clerk's certificate of satisfaction of judgment issued pursuant to Section 724.100, together with a statement containing the name of the judgment creditor, the name and address of the judgment debtor, and the file number of the notice of judgment lien. Upon such filing, the judgment lien created under the judgment that has been satisfied is extinguished as a matter of record. The fee for filing the acknowledgment or certificate is the same as the fee for filing a termination statement under Section 9404 of the Commercial Code.
§ 697.640.Acknowledgment of Satisfaction
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 2. Liens · Article 3. Judgment Lien on Personal Property · Last amended 2001 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 697.640 lets the judgment creditor, debtor, property owner, or a secured party file an acknowledgment or clerk's certificate of satisfaction with the Secretary of State to extinguish a satisfied judgment lien on personal property as a matter of record.
Full Text of § 697.640
(b) The filing officer shall treat an acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment, or court clerk's certificate of satisfaction of judgment, and statement filed pursuant to this section in the same manner as a termination statement filed pursuant to Section 9525 of the Commercial Code.
Plain-English Summary
Once a money judgment is paid off, the public record should reflect it. This section lets several different people take that step: the judgment creditor, the judgment debtor, the owner of property subject to the lien, or anyone holding a security interest or lien on that property. Any of them can file, in the office of the Secretary of State, an acknowledgment of satisfaction executed under § 724.060 or a court clerk's certificate of satisfaction issued under § 724.100, together with a statement naming the creditor and debtor and identifying the notice's file number.
Filing that acknowledgment or certificate extinguishes the judgment lien as a matter of record, and the filing officer treats it the same way it treats a UCC termination statement filed under Commercial Code § 9525 — including charging the same filing fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can file a statement extinguishing a satisfied judgment lien?
The judgment creditor, the judgment debtor, the owner of the property, or a person holding a security interest or lien on the property.
What document accomplishes this?
How does the Secretary of State treat this filing?
The same way it treats a termination statement filed under Commercial Code § 9404, including the same filing fee.
Amendment History
EFFECTIVE 7/1/2001. Amended October 10, 1999 (Bill Number: SB 45) (Chapter 991).
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 satisfaction judgment lien californiaextinguishing judgment lien on personal property