Arizona judgment expiration is the question behind “how long is a judgment good for in Arizona”: a money judgment entered by an Arizona court is enforceable for a fixed number of years, it can be renewed if the creditor acts inside the window, and it earns interest the whole time.
This guide gives the Arizona figures in a dated table, explains what “dormant” means, how a creditor renews or revives a judgment, how the judgment becomes a lien on real property, what each side can do while it is alive, and how a paid judgment is cleared.
The Arizona judgment expiration figures on this page were read in the Arizona statute as of October 2026; confirm the current text before you rely on them.
Arizona Judgment Expiration at a Glance
| Enforceable for | 10 years from entry (or the last renewal) |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Renewal window | the affidavit must be filed within the 90 days before the 10-year period expires (12-1612(B)); a judgment entered on or before August 2 2013 cannot be renewed by affidavit unless it was renewed on or… |
| Post-judgment interest | unless a statute or a written contract sets another rate: the lesser of 10 percent or the Federal Reserve prime rate (H.15) plus 1 percent, fixed in the judgment at entry and never changing (A.R.S. |
| Statute | A.R.S. 12-1551 (10-year enforcement; renewal); 12-1612 (renewal affidavit); 44-1201 (interest) |
In This Arizona Judgment Expiration Guide:
What a Money Judgment Is Before the Arizona Judgment Expiration Clock Starts
A money judgment is a court’s final order that one party owes another a set amount. In Arizona, superior courts and justice courts (including their small claims divisions) enter them. The judgment is a court record. It becomes a lien on real property only after a certified copy is recorded with a county recorder, together with the information statement required by A.R.S. 33-967.
The Arizona Judgment Expiration Figures
The Arizona Judgment Expiration figures in the table above apply to this part as well.
| Rule | Bonus Bank Daily verified figure |
|---|---|
| Statute | A.R.S. 12-1551 (10-year enforcement; renewal); 12-1612 (renewal affidavit); 44-1201 (interest)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Enforceable for | 10 yearsstatute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Clock runs from | entry (or the last renewal)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewable | Yesstatute — verified Oct 2026 |
| How it is renewed or kept alive | a renewal affidavit filed with the clerk of the court where the judgment is docketed (A.R.S. 12-1612), or an action brought on the judgment; each renewal starts a new 10 years (12-1551(A)-(B))statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewal window | the affidavit must be filed within the 90 days before the 10-year period expires (12-1612(B)); a judgment entered on or before August 2 2013 cannot be renewed by affidavit unless it was renewed on or before August 2 2018statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Post-judgment interest | unless a statute or a written contract sets another rate: the lesser of 10 percent or the Federal Reserve prime rate (H.15) plus 1 percent, fixed in the judgment at entry and never changing (A.R.S. 44-1201(B)); medical-debt judgments have their own cap in 44-1201(A)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
The Arizona judgment expiration figures on this page were read in the Arizona statute as of October 2026; confirm the current text before you rely on them.
Is there a judgment against you, or one you need to collect?
The renewal window and the exemption deadlines in Arizona are short and they do not wait. An Arizona debt defense or collections attorney can read the docket and tell you where you stand, usually in a free first consultation. Every state bar runs a lawyer-referral service that sets up a low-cost first consultation; legal aid represents many people in debt cases at no cost.
What Arizona Judgment Expiration Actually Means
This part of the Arizona Judgment Expiration guide uses the same sources listed at the end of the page.
If a judgment is not renewed in time, it generally becomes unenforceable. That means the creditor can no longer get writs of garnishment or execution or use other court collection tools on it. The debt itself usually does not disappear. What stops working is the court’s power to force collection. Confirm the status of a specific judgment with the court clerk or an attorney.
Renewal and Revival Under the Arizona Judgment Expiration Rule
Check each Arizona Judgment Expiration point here against your own court papers before you act.
The creditor files for renewal or revival in the court that entered the judgment, inside the window shown in the table. The exact filing and whether the debtor must be notified are set by the statute cited above.
The Judgment Lien in Arizona
If your paperwork differs from this Arizona Judgment Expiration summary, the court record controls.
A judgment becomes a lien when a certified copy is recorded with the county recorder in each county where the debtor owns or may own real property, along with the information statement required by A.R.S. 33-961 and 33-967. Under A.R.S. 33-964, the lien lasts as long as the judgment’s enforcement period, but only in the county where it is recorded.
It covers non-exempt real property, including property the debtor acquires later. It generally does not attach to homestead property. Renewing the judgment does not extend the lien automatically; the renewal must also be recorded.
Interest on an Arizona Judgment
The interest rate is fixed when the judgment is entered and is written into the judgment. Interest generally keeps adding to the unpaid balance until the judgment is satisfied. The benchmark rate is published by the Federal Reserve Board at federalreserve.gov. In most cases, the rate stated in the judgment itself is the one that applies, so confirm it with the court clerk or an attorney.
What a Creditor Can Do While the Arizona Judgment Is Alive
Bank levy: a “Writ of Garnishment (Non-Earnings)” reaches only the money in the account on the day it is served on the bank, minus a protected exempt amount. Wage garnishment: a “Writ of Garnishment (Earnings)” takes a capped share of wages; for writs filed on or after December 5, 2022, the cap is 10 percent, and a judge can lower it to 5 percent for extreme economic hardship.
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Property execution: a “Writ of Execution” lets the sheriff or constable seize and sell non-exempt property. Debtor examination: a “Supplemental Proceeding / Judgment Debtor’s Examination” under A.R.S. 12-1631 requires the debtor to answer questions about their property, in their home county, and a civil arrest warrant may issue for not appearing.
What a Debtor Can Do Before the Arizona Judgment Expiration
You may claim exemptions by asking for a hearing using the request-for-hearing form that comes with a garnishment notice, or by asking a judge to lower earnings garnishment for extreme economic hardship. You may negotiate a payment arrangement or lump-sum satisfaction directly with the creditor. You may contact the clerk to ask whether the court accepts payments in your case.
You may move to set aside a default judgment under Ariz. R. Civ. P. 60(b), which has strict deadlines. Confirm with the court clerk or an attorney.
Out-of-State Judgments in Arizona
A judgment from another state must first be domesticated in Arizona before it can be enforced here; once it is, the Arizona rules on enforcement and expiration generally apply to it.
Clearing a Paid Arizona Judgment
Under A.R.S. 12-1567, the prevailing party must file a Satisfaction of Judgment with the superior court within 40 days after the judgment is paid in full. If they don’t, or can’t be found, the debtor may file a Motion to Compel Satisfaction of Judgment with proof of payment. If the judgment was recorded as a lien, a satisfaction and lien release under A.R.S.
33-964 should also be recorded with the county recorder to clear the lien.
The general 10-year enforcement rule in A.R.S. 12-1551 does not apply to written judgments and orders for child support and spousal maintenance, or to the costs and attorney fees tied to them. Judgment liens in favor of the state and support judgment liens generally stay in effect until satisfied or released, and state civil judgments do not need an information statement to become a lien. In justice court, A.R.S.
22-524 lets the prevailing party ask the judge at the time of judgment to order the debtor to attend a debtor’s examination hearing.
Next rung: what a creditor can take from a bank account, and what is protected, is the next question — the Arizona bank-levy page joins this guide when that cluster is live; until then, the CFPB debt-collection page in the sources below is the place to read.
Arizona — the bottom line
- Arizona judgment expiration runs on a fixed clock from the date in the table above; when it passes, the creditor’s court tools stop unless the judgment was renewed in time.
- Renewal under the Arizona judgment expiration rule is the creditor’s job, on the window in the table; a judgment nobody renewed is the one a debtor can finally stop paying on.
- Interest keeps running until the judgment is paid or the Arizona judgment expiration date arrives — the rate and who publishes it are in the table.
Arizona Judgment Expiration FAQ
How long is a judgment good for in Arizona?
An Arizona money judgment is enforceable for 10 years from entry (or the last renewal), and it can be renewed. If a judgment is not renewed in time, it generally becomes unenforceable. That means the creditor can no longer get writs of garnishment or execution or use other court collection tools on it.
Can a judgment be renewed in Arizona?
a renewal affidavit filed with the clerk of the court where the judgment is docketed (A.R.S. 12-1612), or an action brought on the judgment; each renewal starts a new 10 years (12-1551(A)-(B))
Does an Arizona judgment expiration mean the debt is gone?
If a judgment is not renewed in time, it generally becomes unenforceable. That means the creditor can no longer get writs of garnishment or execution or use other court collection tools on it.
What interest does an Arizona judgment earn?
unless a statute or a written contract sets another rate: the lesser of 10 percent or the Federal Reserve prime rate (H.15) plus 1 percent, fixed in the judgment at entry and never changing (A.R.S. 44-1201(B)); medical-debt judgments have their own cap in 44-1201(A)
Official Arizona Sources & Resources
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://www.azleg.gov/ars/12/01551.htm
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://www.azleg.gov/ars/12/01612.htm
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01201.htm
- Maricopa County Superior Court Law Library Resource Center, “Collect a Judgment” self-help page: https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/ll/collect/
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: consumerfinance.gov
- CFPB — Debt collection: know your rights: consumerfinance.gov
This Arizona judgment expiration guide was last verified against official Arizona sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current rule with the statute or a licensed attorney.
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Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Bonus Bank Daily is an independent educational resource — not a law firm, not a bank, not a debt collector and not a government agency. Judgment, levy, interest-rate and debt rules change — every figure here carries the date we verified it.
Confirm the current rule with the statute, the court clerk or a licensed attorney in your state before you act.