New hampshire judgment expiration is the question behind “how long is a judgment good for in New Hampshire”: a money judgment entered by a New Hampshire court is enforceable for a fixed number of years, it cannot simply be renewed, and it earns interest the whole time.
This guide gives the New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire judgment expiration figures on this page were verified against a dated 50-state compilation and New Hampshire sources as of October 2026; the statute named here is where to check them yourself.
New Hampshire Judgment Expiration at a Glance
| Enforceable for | 20 years from accrual of the cause of action on the judgment (entry) |
| Renewable | Limited |
| Renewal window | within 20 years of entry |
| Post-judgment interest | simple interest at the rate the State Treasurer sets each year: the discount rate on 26-week Treasury bills at the last auction before the end of September plus 2 points, rounded to a tenth; set by… |
| Statute | RSA 508:5 (20-year action on a judgment); RSA 336:1 (judgment interest) |
In This New Hampshire Judgment Expiration Guide:
What a Money Judgment Is Before the New Hampshire Judgment Expiration Clock Starts
A money judgment is a court’s final order that one party owes another a set amount. In New Hampshire, the Circuit Court (including small claims for disputes up to $10,000) and the Superior Court enter them. The judgment itself is a court record. A judgment lien is separate: it only attaches to real estate once a certified copy of the judgment is recorded at the county registry of deeds.
The New Hampshire Judgment Expiration Figures
The New Hampshire Judgment Expiration figures in the table above apply to this part as well.
| Rule | Bonus Bank Daily verified figure |
|---|---|
| Statute | RSA 508:5 (20-year action on a judgment); RSA 336:1 (judgment interest)compilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Enforceable for | 20 yearscompilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Clock runs from | accrual of the cause of action on the judgment (entry)compilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewable | Limitedcompilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| How it is renewed or kept alive | an action of debt on the judgment within 20 years, and not afterward (RSA 508:5); the statute read provides no administrative renewalcompilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewal window | within 20 years of entrycompilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Post-judgment interest | simple interest at the rate the State Treasurer sets each year: the discount rate on 26-week Treasury bills at the last auction before the end of September plus 2 points, rounded to a tenth; set by December 1 and in effect January 1 to December 31 (RSA 336:1(II))compilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
The New Hampshire judgment expiration figures on this page were verified against a dated 50-state compilation and New Hampshire sources as of October 2026; the statute named here is where to check them yourself.
Is there a judgment against you, or one you need to collect?
The renewal window and the exemption deadlines in New Hampshire are short and they do not wait. A New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Judgment Expiration Actually Means
This part of the New Hampshire Judgment Expiration guide uses the same sources listed at the end of the page.
Once the enforcement period ends, the creditor can no longer use court collection tools on that judgment, such as writs of execution, trustee process or periodic payment orders. A recorded real-estate lien lasts only as long as the judgment can still be sued on, so it ends then too. In most cases the underlying debt is not erased, but the court can no longer be used to collect it.
Confirm the details with the statute, the court clerk or an attorney.
Renewal and Revival Under the New Hampshire Judgment Expiration Rule
Check each New Hampshire Judgment Expiration point here against your own court papers before you act.
New Hampshire has no filing that simply renews a judgment. To keep it alive, the creditor files a new lawsuit on the judgment, called an action of debt, in a New Hampshire court. Because this is a new lawsuit, the debtor is served and may respond, and the court decides it like other civil cases, with a hearing if the case is contested.
A new judgment from that case starts its own enforcement period.
The Judgment Lien in New Hampshire
If your paperwork differs from this New Hampshire Judgment Expiration summary, the court record controls.
A creditor creates a judgment lien by recording a certified copy of the judgment with an affidavit at the registry of deeds in the county where the debtor’s real estate sits (RSA 524:13). The lien covers the debtor’s real estate in that county and lasts as long as the judgment can still be sued on, unless it is satisfied or discharged first.
It ranks behind liens that already had priority when it was recorded. The statute allows re-recording while the judgment is alive, and secondary sources say the lien reaches property acquired later. Confirm with the registry.
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Interest on a New Hampshire Judgment
Post-judgment interest is simple interest on the unpaid judgment amount, so it does not compound. The rate is reset each calendar year. The State Treasurer publishes the yearly rate, and the New Hampshire Judicial Branch posts it for court users. Check the rate for the year in question with the court clerk.
What a Creditor Can Do While the New Hampshire Judgment Is Alive
Bank levy: through “trustee process,” the creditor can name the debtor’s bank as trustee and reach funds held there, with the bank served through an officer or branch supervisor (RSA 512:9-b). Wage garnishment: wage “trustee process” on a New Hampshire judgment leaves at least 50 times the federal minimum hourly wage per week ($362.50 at $7.25) exempt (RSA 512:21).
Property execution: a “writ of execution,” or a post-judgment attachment of real or other property, can reach nonexempt assets. Debtor examination: on a “Motion for Periodic Payments,” the court summons the debtor to a hearing on ability to pay and may order installment payments (RSA 524:6-a).
What a Debtor Can Do Before the New Hampshire Judgment Expiration
A judgment debtor can claim the exemptions the state provides, negotiate a satisfaction for less than the face amount, pay through the court, or move to vacate a default judgment that was entered without proper service.
Out-of-State Judgments in New Hampshire
A judgment from another state must first be domesticated in New Hampshire before it can be enforced here; once it is, the New Hampshire rules on enforcement and expiration generally apply to it.
Clearing a Paid New Hampshire Judgment
When the judgment is paid, the creditor or their attorney must deliver a discharge of any recorded lien to the debtor or property owner (RSA 524:13). The owner records it at the registry of deeds and pays the recording fee. If the creditor does not comply, the owner may recover reasonable costs and legal fees.
The court has no discharge form, and no deadline was confirmed in the statute text found.
The protected-wage rule above is for actions on judgments from New Hampshire courts. For other actions, wages earned before the writ is served are generally fully exempt. For small-loan contracts under RSA 399-A, a secondary source says only $50 per week is protected. The court does not have to issue a writ of execution before a periodic payment order (Superior Court Rule 51).
New Hampshire’s bank account exemptions are not applied automatically, so a debtor generally has to claim them.
Next rung: what a creditor can take from a bank account, and what is protected, is the next question — the New Hampshire 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.
New Hampshire — the bottom line
- New hampshire 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.
- The New Hampshire judgment expiration rule here allows no ordinary renewal; the creditor’s only route is a new action on the judgment inside the limitations period in the table.
- Interest keeps running until the judgment is paid or the New Hampshire judgment expiration date arrives — the rate and who publishes it are in the table.
New Hampshire Judgment Expiration FAQ
How long is a judgment good for in New Hampshire?
A New Hampshire money judgment is enforceable for 20 years from accrual of the cause of action on the judgment (entry). Once the enforcement period ends, the creditor can no longer use court collection tools on that judgment, such as writs of execution, trustee process or periodic payment orders.
Can a judgment be renewed in New Hampshire?
an action of debt on the judgment within 20 years, and not afterward (RSA 508:5); the statute read provides no administrative renewal
Does a New Hampshire judgment expiration mean the debt is gone?
Once the enforcement period ends, the creditor can no longer use court collection tools on that judgment, such as writs of execution, trustee process or periodic payment orders. A recorded real-estate lien lasts only as long as the judgment can still be sued on, so it ends then too.
What interest does a New Hampshire judgment earn?
simple interest at the rate the State Treasurer sets each year: the discount rate on 26-week Treasury bills at the last auction before the end of September plus 2 points, rounded to a tenth; set by December 1 and in effect January 1 to December 31 (RSA 336:1(II))
Official New Hampshire Sources & Resources
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://law.justia.com/codes/new-hampshire/title-lii/chapter-508/section-508-5/
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://law.justia.com/codes/new-hampshire/title-xxxi/chapter-336/section-336-1/
- New Hampshire statute / opinion: https://gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/LIII/524/524-13.htm
- New Hampshire Judicial Branch – Circuit Court Small Claims Periodic Payment Process: https://www.courts.state.nh.us/district/eclaims/process.htm
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: consumerfinance.gov
- CFPB — Debt collection: know your rights: consumerfinance.gov
This New Hampshire judgment expiration guide was last verified against official New Hampshire sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current rule with the statute or a licensed attorney.
More New Hampshire Money Rights Guides
- New Hampshire Bank Levy Exemptions
- New Hampshire Debt Collection Lawsuit
- New Hampshire Small Claims Limit
- Money Rights Guides for All 50 States
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.