§ 724.060.Contents and Execution of Acknowledgment of Satisfaction
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 5 · Chapter 1. Satisfaction of Judgment · Last amended 2005 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 724.060 lists the seven pieces of information an acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment must contain, requires it to be acknowledged like a real property conveyance, and lists who may execute it -- the creditor, an assignee of record, their attorney, or in child support cases the local child support agency.
(a)An acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment shall contain the following information:
(1)The title of the court.
(2)The cause and number of the action.
(3)The names and addresses of the judgment creditor, the judgment debtor, and the assignee of record if any. If an abstract of the judgment has been recorded in any county, the judgment debtor's name shall appear on the acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment as it appears on the abstract of judgment.
(4)The date of entry of judgment and of any renewals of the judgment and where entered in the records of the court.
(5)A statement either that the judgment is satisfied in full or that the judgment creditor has accepted payment or performance other than that specified in the judgment in full satisfaction of the judgment.
(6)A statement whether an abstract of the judgment has been recorded in any county and, if so, a statement of each county where the abstract has been recorded and the book and page of the county records where the abstract has been recorded, and a notice that the acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment (or a court clerk's certificate of satisfaction of judgment) will have to be recorded with the county recorder of each county where the abstract of judgment has been recorded in order to release the judgment lien on real property in that county.
(7)A statement whether a notice of judgment lien has been filed in the office of the Secretary of State and, if such a notice has been filed, a statement of the file number of such notice, and a notice that the acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment (or a court clerk's certificate of satisfaction of judgment) will have to be filed in that office in order to terminate the judgment lien on personal property.
(b)The acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment shall be made in the manner of an acknowledgment of a conveyance of real property.
(c)The acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment shall be executed and acknowledged by one of the following:
(1)The judgment creditor.
(2)The assignee of record.
(3)The attorney for the judgment creditor or assignee of record unless a revocation of the attorney's authority is filed.
(4)The local child support agency director or his or her designee, if the local child support agency has been providing child support services pursuant to Section 17400 of the Family Code. The acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment may be recorded by the local child support agency pursuant to Section 27282 of the Government Code.
Plain-English Summary
This section defines the acknowledgment document itself, the form that runs through nearly every section in this chapter. It has to identify the court and the case by title, cause, and number; name and address the judgment creditor, judgment debtor, and any assignee of record (using the debtor's name exactly as it appears on any recorded abstract); and state the date of entry of judgment and any renewals.
Beyond identification, the acknowledgment has to make its central declaration — that the judgment is satisfied in full, or that the creditor accepted different payment or performance in full satisfaction — and then disclose the recording landscape. It must say whether an abstract has been recorded in any county (and if so, where, and at what book and page), with a notice that the acknowledgment or a clerk's certificate under § 724.100 still has to be recorded there to release the real property lien. It must make the parallel disclosure for any notice of judgment lien filed with the Secretary of State, since that filing likewise needs a follow-up filing to terminate the lien on personal property.
Subdivision (b) requires the acknowledgment to be executed the way a conveyance of real property is acknowledged, and subdivision (c) limits who can do that: the judgment creditor, the assignee of record, the attorney for either (absent a filed revocation of authority), or, in child support cases, the local child support agency director or a designee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must an acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment state about recorded abstracts?
Whether an abstract has been recorded in any county and, if so, each county, book, and page where it was recorded, along with notice that a further recording is needed to release the real property lien.
Who is allowed to execute the acknowledgment?
The judgment creditor, the assignee of record, the attorney for either (unless a revocation of authority has been filed), or, where a local child support agency has been providing services, that agency's director or a designee.
How must the acknowledgment be executed?
In the same manner as an acknowledgment of a conveyance of real property.
Does the acknowledgment need to address a judgment lien on personal property?
Yes. It must state whether a notice of judgment lien was filed with the Secretary of State and, if so, the file number and the need for a further filing to terminate that lien.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 339, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.
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
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