(a) By Clerk. On the filing of a warrant, or the return, fully paid or satisfied, by the sheriff or other officer of any execution issued on any judgment, the clerk shall forthwith enter satisfaction on the record, provided, however, that satisfaction of a judgment in favor of a minor for more than $5000 shall not be entered except on court order, unless a guardian has been appointed for the minor’s property or the minor has come of age. The clerk may enter satisfaction on the record as to any co-defendant filing a warrant stating that the party has paid the full share of the judgment even though a portion of the total judgment remains unsatisfied.
Rule 4:48-2.Entry of satisfaction
Last amended September 1, 1994 · Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 7, 2026
In one sentenceRule 4:48-2 lets the clerk enter satisfaction of a judgment once a warrant is filed or an execution is returned fully paid, with a court order required for a minor's judgment over $5,000, and lets the court order satisfaction entered if the judgment creditor won't cooperate.
Full Text of Rule 4:48-2
(b) By Order of Court. If a party receiving full satisfaction of a judgment fails to enter satisfaction on the record or deliver a warrant to satisfy, the court may on motion by the party making satisfaction, order satisfaction of the judgment to be entered of record.
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. 4:60-3. Paragraph (a) amended by order of September 5, 1969 to be effective September 8, 1969; paragraph (a); amended July 22, 1983 to be effective September 12, 1983; paragraph (a); amended July 13, 1994 to be effective September 1, 1994.
Plain-English Summary
Marking a judgment satisfied is usually a clerk's job — done on the filing of a warrant, or once the sheriff or another officer returns an execution as fully paid. The one exception is a minor's judgment over $5,000, which needs a court order unless a guardian has already been appointed or the minor has come of age. A co-defendant who has paid a full share can also get satisfaction entered as to that defendant alone, even while the rest of the judgment remains unpaid by others.
Sometimes the party who was paid won't cooperate. If a judgment creditor who received full payment won't enter satisfaction or deliver a warrant, the paying party can move the court for an order directing satisfaction to be entered on the record instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a minor's judgment need a court order to be marked satisfied?
Only if it exceeds $5,000 and no guardian has been appointed and the minor has not come of age; smaller judgments and those situations are handled by the clerk.
What if the judgment creditor won't enter satisfaction after being paid in full?
The paying party may move the court for an order directing the clerk to enter satisfaction of record.
Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the
official New Jersey Rules of Court (N.J. Ct. R. 4:48-2). 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 satisfaction of judgment