(a) The judicial authority may order that the judgment shall be paid to the prevailing party at a certain date or by specified installments. Unless otherwise ordered, the issue of execution and other supplementary process shall be stayed during compliance with such order. Such stay may be modified and vacated at any time for good cause. The stay is automatically lifted by a default in postjudgment court-ordered payments by the judgment debtor.
Section 24-30.—Satisfying Judgment
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceThis rule lets the judge set a payment schedule for a small claims judgment, staying enforcement while the debtor complies but lifting that stay automatically upon default, and requires the winning party to notify the clerk once the judgment is paid in full.
Full Text of Section 24-30
(b) When the judgment is satisfied in a small claims action, the party recovering the judgment shall file a written notice thereof within ninety days with the clerk who shall record the judgment as satisfied, identifying the name of the party and the date. An execution returned fully satisfied shall be deemed a satisfaction of judgment and the notice required in this section shall not be filed. The judicial authority may, upon motion, make a determination that the judgment has been satisfied.
Amendment History
(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 583.) (Amended June 26, 2000, to take effect Jan. 1, 2001; amended June 25, 2001, to take effect Jan. 1, 2002; amended June 30, 2003, to take effect Jan. 1, 2004; amended June 21, 2010, to take effect Jan. 1, 2011.)
Plain-English Summary
Winning a small claims judgment doesn't always mean immediate payment. The judicial authority may order the judgment paid on a set date or through installments, and while the debtor is keeping up with that order, collection efforts like execution and other supplementary process are automatically stayed. That stay isn't permanent or untouchable — it can be modified or vacated at any time for good cause, and it lifts automatically the moment the debtor defaults on a court-ordered payment.
Once the judgment is paid off in full, the party who won it must file a written notice with the clerk within ninety days, who then records the judgment as satisfied along with the party's name and the date. If an execution comes back marked fully satisfied, that counts as satisfaction on its own, so no separate notice is needed. A party can also ask the judicial authority to determine, by motion, that the judgment has been satisfied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay a Connecticut small claims judgment in installments?
Yes, the judicial authority may order the judgment paid by a certain date or through specified installments.
Does paying installments stop the other side from collecting?
Yes, execution and other collection process are stayed while the debtor complies with the payment order, but that stay lifts automatically if the debtor defaults on a payment.
How do I let the court know a small claims judgment has been paid?
The party who recovered the judgment must file a written notice with the clerk within ninety days of satisfaction, unless an execution already came back fully satisfied.
Can the court decide on its own that a judgment has been satisfied?
Yes, the judicial authority may, upon motion, determine that the judgment has been satisfied.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 24-30). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: small claims installment payments CTsatisfying a small claims judgmentstay of execution small claims Connecticutnotice of satisfaction small claims judgment