When a money judgment is satisfied, the judgment creditor immediately shall file with the court an acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment. This section does not apply where the judgment is satisfied in full pursuant to a writ.
§ 724.030.Judgment Creditor's Duty to File Acknowledgment of Satisfaction
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 5 · Chapter 1. Satisfaction of Judgment · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 724.030 requires the judgment creditor to immediately file an acknowledgment of satisfaction with the court once a money judgment is satisfied, except when the judgment was satisfied in full through a writ.
Full Text of § 724.030
Plain-English Summary
Once a judgment is paid off, the record should say so without the debtor having to chase the creditor down. Section 724.030 puts that duty squarely on the creditor: file an acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment with the court immediately upon satisfaction.
The exception tracks § 724.020's automatic trigger. If the judgment was satisfied in full pursuant to a writ, the clerk already enters satisfaction in the register of actions on that basis alone, so this section's separate filing duty doesn't apply — there's nothing left for the creditor to file that the record doesn't already show.
For every other kind of satisfaction — a lesser sum accepted in full satisfaction, or payment made directly to the creditor rather than through a levy — this duty is the creditor's own obligation to act on promptly, without waiting for a demand from the debtor.
Frequently Asked Questions
When must a judgment creditor file an acknowledgment of satisfaction?
Immediately once the money judgment is satisfied.
Is there an exception to this filing duty?
Yes. It does not apply where the judgment is satisfied in full pursuant to a writ, since the clerk already enters satisfaction on that basis under § 724.020.
What if the creditor doesn't file the acknowledgment promptly?
The debtor can invoke the formal demand procedure in § 724.050, which carries deadlines, potential attorney's fees, and statutory damages for noncompliance.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1364, Sec. 2. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 1364.
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: duty to file acknowledgment of satisfaction californiajudgment creditor file satisfaction of judgment