Subject to the provisions of R. 4:42-2 (judgment on multiple claims) judgment shall be entered as follows:
Rule 4:47.Entry of judgment
Last amended September 1, 1996 · Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 7, 2026
In one sentenceRule 4:47 has the clerk enter judgment automatically on a general verdict or a court decision awarding a sum certain, costs, or no relief, but sends every other judgment -- including non-monetary relief or a reserved decision -- through the court's own approval of the judgment's form.
Full Text of Rule 4:47
(a) Unless the court otherwise orders, the clerk shall forthwith prepare, sign and enter the judgment in the Civil Docket without awaiting further direction by the court: (1) upon a general verdict of a jury; (2) upon a decision by the court that a party shall recover only a sum certain or costs or that all relief shall be denied, and (3) upon a special verdict or general verdict accompanied by answers to interrogatories which is forthwith convertible by the court into a money judgment or a judgment that relief shall be denied. Upon payment by the proponent of the judgment of the fee prescribed by N.J.S.A. 22A:2-7, the judgment shall be entered in the Civil Judgment and Order Docket in accordance with R. 4:101-2.
(b) Where the decision of the court grants other than monetary relief, or is reserved or where a special verdict or a general verdict accompanied by answers to interrogatories is not convertible pursuant to paragraph (a), the court shall promptly approve the form of judgment and the clerk of the court shall enter it. The notation of a judgment in the Civil Docket constitutes the entry of the judgment, and the judgment shall not take effect before such entry unless the court in the judgment shall, for reasons specified therein, direct that it take effect from the time it is signed, but no such direction shall affect the lien or priority of the judgment. The entry of the judgment shall not be delayed for the taxing of costs.
Amendment History
New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “History” note beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; the “R.R.” citations refer to the former Revised Rules numbering the current rules replaced.
Source-R.R. 4:59. Amended July 7, 1971 to be effective September 13, 1971; paragraphs (a) and (b); amended July 26, 1984 to be effective September 10, 1984; amended November 2, 1987 to be effective January 1, 1988; paragraph (a); amended June 28, 1996 to be effective September 1, 1996.
Plain-English Summary
Most judgments enter themselves. Unless the court orders otherwise, the clerk prepares, signs, and enters judgment straight into the Civil Docket, without waiting on further direction, whenever the case ends in a general jury verdict, a court decision for a sum certain or costs or denying all relief, or a special or interrogatory-answered verdict the court can readily convert into a money judgment.
Everything else needs the court's own hand: non-monetary relief, a reserved decision, or a verdict that cannot be converted that way. There, the court approves the judgment's form and the clerk enters it, and the notation in the Civil Docket is what makes the judgment effective — not the date it was signed, unless the court says otherwise for stated reasons, and even then the judgment's lien and priority are unaffected.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a judgment enter automatically without further court action in New Jersey?
On a general jury verdict, a court decision for a sum certain, costs, or denial of all relief, or a special or interrogatory verdict the court can readily convert into a money judgment.
What makes a judgment officially effective?
Its notation in the Civil Docket, not the date it was signed, unless the court directs an earlier effective date for stated reasons.
Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the
official New Jersey Rules of Court (N.J. Ct. R. 4:47). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey (N.J. Const. art. VI, § 2, ¶ 3). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 7, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: entry of judgmentcivil docket judgment