A money judgment expires 12 years from the date of entry or most recent renewal. At any time before expiration of the judgment, the judgment holder may file a notice of renewal and the clerk shall enter the judgment renewed. Upon request of the judgment holder, the clerk shall transmit a copy of the notice of renewal to each clerk to whom a certified copy of the judgment was transmitted pursuant to Rules 3- 621(c)(1) and 3-622 and to each circuit court clerk to whom a Notice of Lien was transmitted pursuant to Rule 3-621, and the receiving clerk shall enter the judgment or Notice of Lien renewed.
Rule 3-625.Expiration and renewal of money judgment
District Court · Last amended January 1, 2020 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceA District Court money judgment is good for 12 years from entry, or from its last renewal, and the holder must file a renewal before that clock runs out to keep it alive.
Full Text of Rule 3-625
Amendment History
Amended Apr. 7, 1986, effective July 1, 1986; November 19, 2019, effective January 1, 2020.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is new.
Plain-English Summary
Money judgments don't last forever. Rule 3-625 gives a District Court money judgment a 12-year lifespan, measured from the date it was entered or, if it's been renewed, from the date of the most recent renewal.
To keep a judgment enforceable past that point, the holder has to act before the 12 years run out: file a notice of renewal, which the clerk then enters as a renewed judgment. That filing resets the 12-year clock from the renewal date.
Renewal in the original court doesn't automatically update copies or liens sitting in other counties. If the judgment holder wants those kept current too, the holder must separately ask the clerk to transmit a copy of the renewal notice to every clerk who previously received a transmitted copy under Rule 3-621(c)(1) or 3-622, and to every circuit court clerk holding a Notice of Lien under Rule 3-621. Each of those clerks then enters the judgment, or the lien, as renewed on their own records.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a District Court money judgment last?
12 years from the date it was entered, or 12 years from the date of its most recent renewal.
What do I need to do to keep a judgment from expiring?
File a notice of renewal with the court before the 12-year period runs out. The clerk enters the judgment as renewed, and the clock resets from that date.
If I renew my judgment, does that update the lien I recorded in another county?
Not automatically. You need to request that the clerk transmit a copy of the renewal notice to each county holding a transmitted copy of the judgment or a Notice of Lien, so those clerks can enter the renewal on their own records.
Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
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