This article shall be so construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states which enact these provisions.
§ 5407.Uniformity of interpretation.
Article 54. Enforcement of Judgments Entitled to Full Faith and Credit Summary of Article · Last amended 1970 · Last verified July 21, 2026
In one sentenceCPLR 5407 instructs courts to construe Article 54 so as to make its provisions uniform with how other states applying the same model act interpret theirs.
Full Text of CPLR 5407
Plain-English Summary
Article 54 is New York's enactment of the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, a model law adopted, with variations, across much of the country. CPLR 5407 tells New York courts how to read it: the article has to be construed to carry out its general purpose of making the law uniform among the states that have enacted the same provisions.
That instruction matters when a New York court faces a question Article 54's text doesn't answer directly. Rather than resolving the gap in a way that's purely local, the uniformity clause pushes courts toward an interpretation consistent with how sister states applying the same uniform act have read comparable language, so a sister-state judgment moves through New York's courts the same way it would move through any other enacting state's.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does CPLR 5407 tell courts to consider other states' interpretations?
Because Article 54 is a uniform act, adopted with variations across many states, and the point of a uniform act is consistent treatment nationwide. CPLR 5407 directs New York courts to construe the article to carry out that shared purpose rather than developing a purely local reading.
Is Article 54 based on a model law used in other states?
Yes. Article 54 enacts the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, a model statute other states have also adopted, and CPLR 5407 exists to keep New York's interpretation aligned with that shared framework.
Does CPLR 5407 apply to every section of Article 54?
Yes. It directs courts to construe the article as a whole toward uniformity, not just a single provision, so the instruction reaches the filing, notice, stay, and fee rules together.
Does CPLR 5407 create a substantive defense a debtor can raise?
No. It's an interpretive directive, not a standalone right or defense; it tells courts how to read Article 54's other provisions rather than adding a new one of its own.
What happens if another state's version of the uniform act reads differently from New York's?
CPLR 5407 doesn't override New York's own statutory text; it directs courts to favor an interpretation that promotes uniformity when Article 54's language leaves room for more than one reading, not to adopt another state's variation wholesale.
Amendment History
Add, L 1970, ch 982, § 1, eff Sept 1, 1970.
Source & verification. Provision text, History, and Advisory
Committee Notes are reproduced verbatim from the Consolidated Laws of New York.
Last verified July 21, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: uniform enforcement of foreign judgments act interpretationuniform construction of Article 54 New Yorkconsistency between states CPLR 5407how courts interpret Article 54 CPLR