When a judgment has been satisfied such satisfaction may be certified upon the records of the Circuit Court as follows:
Rule 79.02.Entry of satisfaction of judgment.
Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceSets out two ways a satisfied judgment gets recorded in Kentucky circuit court records: the clerk enters satisfaction after an execution shows payment, or the party or attorney who received payment signs an entry or a separate satisfaction document, with the court able to compel the entry on motion.
Full Text of Rule 79.02
(1) Upon the return of an execution showing that a judgment has been satisfied the clerk shall thus enter satisfaction on the judgment: "Satisfaction by execution." A party or his attorney receiving satisfaction of a judgment otherwise than by execution may make, date and sign this entry on the margin of the judgment: "Satisfaction in full." The court may upon motion compel an entry of satisfaction to be made.
(2) The satisfaction of the judgment may be shown by the entry of a document styled satisfaction of judgment indicating that it has been satisfied in full. The aforesaid Satisfaction of Judgment should be executed by the party or his attorney having received said satisfaction. The court may upon motion compel an entry of satisfaction to be made.
Amendment History
(Amended effective July 1, 1976; amended October 14, 1977, effective January 1, 1978; amended July 12, 1989, effective August 28, 1989.)
Plain-English Summary
Rule 79.02 governs how the court's records show that a judgment has been paid. If an execution comes back showing the judgment was satisfied, the clerk enters "Satisfaction by execution" on the record without anyone having to ask. If the judgment was paid some other way, the party or the attorney who received payment can write, date, and sign "Satisfaction in full" on the margin of the judgment.
The rule also allows satisfaction to be shown through a separate document titled a satisfaction of judgment, stating the judgment has been paid in full. That document should be signed by the party or attorney who received payment.
Either way, if no one enters the satisfaction, the court can order it done on motion. This gives a debtor who has paid a way to force the record to reflect that the debt is closed even if the creditor does not act.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I show a judgment has been paid off in Kentucky?
Satisfaction can be entered by the clerk when an execution shows the judgment was paid, or by the party or attorney who received payment signing and dating a "Satisfaction in full" entry on the judgment, or through a separate document called a satisfaction of judgment.
What if the person I owe won't enter satisfaction of judgment?
Rule 79.02 lets the court compel an entry of satisfaction to be made on motion, whether the satisfaction is being shown by a marginal entry or by a satisfaction of judgment document.
Who signs a satisfaction of judgment document in Kentucky?
The satisfaction of judgment document should be executed by the party, or the party's attorney, who received the satisfaction of the judgment.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (Ky. R. Civ. P. 79.02). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Kentucky (Ky. Const. § 116). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
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