North dakota judgment expiration is the question behind “how long is a judgment good for in North Dakota”: a money judgment entered by a North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota judgment expiration figures on this page were read in the North Dakota statute as of October 2026; confirm the current text before you rely on them.
North Dakota Judgment Expiration at a Glance
| Enforceable for | 20 years from docketing (judgments first docketed on or after August 1 2021: 20 years; earlier judgments: 10 years, renewable once) |
| Renewable | Limited |
| Renewal window | older judgments: within the 90 days before the 10-year mark; newer judgments: none |
| Post-judgment interest | the Wall Street Journal prime rate on the first Monday of December plus 3 points, rounded up to the next half point, set by the State Court Administrator before December 20 for judgments entered the… |
| Statute | N.D.C.C. 28-20-13, 28-20-21, 28-20-22, 28-20-23, 28-20-35 (as amended by S.L. 2021 ch. 250, eff. August 1 2021); 28-20-34 (interest) |
In This North Dakota Judgment Expiration Guide:
What a Money Judgment Is Before the North Dakota Judgment Expiration Clock Starts
A money judgment is a court’s final order that one party owes the other a set amount. In North Dakota, the State District Court enters these judgments, and so does the Small Claims Court, whose judgments can be docketed in district court. The judgment is the court’s ruling itself.
A judgment lien is a separate claim that the docketed judgment places on the debtor’s North Dakota real estate in the county where it is docketed. The homestead is excluded.
The North Dakota Judgment Expiration Figures
The North Dakota Judgment Expiration figures in the table above apply to this part as well.
| Rule | Bonus Bank Daily verified figure |
|---|---|
| Statute | N.D.C.C. 28-20-13, 28-20-21, 28-20-22, 28-20-23, 28-20-35 (as amended by S.L. 2021 ch. 250, eff. August 1 2021); 28-20-34 (interest)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Enforceable for | 20 yearsstatute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Clock runs from | docketing (judgments first docketed on or after August 1 2021: 20 years; earlier judgments: 10 years, renewable once)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewable | Limitedstatute — verified Oct 2026 |
| How it is renewed or kept alive | 2021 HB 1251 (S.L. 2021 ch. 250, effective August 1 2021) split the rule: judgments first docketed BEFORE August 1 2021 — a 10-year lien (homestead excepted), renewable by a verified affidavit filed within the 90 days before the 10 years expire, giving 10 more years, canceled of record at 10 years if not renewed or 20 if renewed; judgments docketed ON OR AFTER August 1 2021 — a 20-year lien with no renewal, canceled of record at 20 years (N.D.C.C. 28-20-13, 28-20-21 to -23, 28-20-35 as amended). The affidavit-renewal sections are repealed effective August 1 2031statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewal window | older judgments: within the 90 days before the 10-year mark; newer judgments: nonestatute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Post-judgment interest | the Wall Street Journal prime rate on the first Monday of December plus 3 points, rounded up to the next half point, set by the State Court Administrator before December 20 for judgments entered the following year, never compounded — 10.00 percent for judgments entered in 2026; a rate in the original instrument applies up to the 47-14-09 maximum (N.D.C.C. 28-20-34; ND Courts notice December 1 2025)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
The North Dakota judgment expiration figures on this page were read in the North Dakota 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 North Dakota are short and they do not wait. A North Dakota 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 North Dakota Judgment Expiration Actually Means
This part of the North Dakota Judgment Expiration guide uses the same sources listed at the end of the page.
When the judgment’s term runs out, the clerk cancels it of record. After that, the creditor generally can no longer use court tools like writs of execution, garnishment or the real-estate lien to collect it. In most cases the debt itself does not simply disappear, but whether it can still be enforced through the courts is a separate question. Confirm with the statute, the court clerk or an attorney.
Renewal and Revival Under the North Dakota Judgment Expiration Rule
Check each North Dakota 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 North Dakota
If your paperwork differs from this North Dakota Judgment Expiration summary, the court record controls.
In North Dakota a judgment becomes a lien when the clerk of district court dockets it, not when an abstract is recorded with another office. It reaches the debtor’s real property in that county, except the homestead, including property the debtor acquires there later. To reach land in another county, a transcript of the judgment must be docketed in that county’s district court.
The lien generally lasts as long as the judgment’s docketed term.
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Interest on a North Dakota Judgment
Interest runs on the unpaid amount from the date the judgment is entered, at the rate fixed for the year of entry. That rate stays the same for the life of the judgment and is simple interest, never compounded. The State Court Administrator publishes each year’s rate as a notice on the North Dakota Courts website (ndcourts.gov).
What a Creditor Can Do While the North Dakota Judgment Is Alive
A creditor generally must wait 30 days after serving the Notice of Entry of Judgment before using collection tools.
What a Debtor Can Do Before the North Dakota 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 North Dakota
A judgment from another state must first be domesticated in North Dakota before it can be enforced here; once it is, the North Dakota rules on enforcement and expiration generally apply to it.
Clearing a Paid North Dakota Judgment
When the judgment is paid, or settled for an agreed amount, the creditor signs a Satisfaction of Judgment before a notary or the clerk of court. The creditor files it with the district court that entered the judgment and serves a copy on each debtor. The court’s process sheet cites N.D.C.C.
28-20-24 for this step but does not state a filing deadline, so confirm any deadline with the statute or the clerk.
North Dakota courts do not collect judgments for the winning party, so collection is up to the creditor. The prevailing party must serve a Notice of Entry of Judgment under N.D.R.Civ.P. 58 before the waiting period for collection starts. Garnishment is void unless the debtor got the required notice before the garnishment (N.D.C.C. 32-09.1-04). Child-support garnishments follow separate, higher limits.
Next rung: what a creditor can take from a bank account, and what is protected, is the next question — the North Dakota 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.
North Dakota — the bottom line
- North dakota 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota judgment expiration date arrives — the rate and who publishes it are in the table.
North Dakota Judgment Expiration FAQ
How long is a judgment good for in North Dakota?
A North Dakota money judgment is enforceable for 20 years from docketing (judgments first docketed on or after August 1 2021: 20 years; earlier judgments: 10 years, renewable once). When the judgment’s term runs out, the clerk cancels it of record. After that, the creditor generally can no longer use court tools like writs of execution, garnishment or the real-estate lien to collect it.
Can a judgment be renewed in North Dakota?
2021 HB 1251 (S.L. 2021 ch.
Does a North Dakota judgment expiration mean the debt is gone?
When the judgment’s term runs out, the clerk cancels it of record. After that, the creditor generally can no longer use court tools like writs of execution, garnishment or the real-estate lien to collect it.
What interest does a North Dakota judgment earn?
the Wall Street Journal prime rate on the first Monday of December plus 3 points, rounded up to the next half point, set by the State Court Administrator before December 20 for judgments entered the following year, never compounded — 10.00 percent for judgments entered in 2026; a rate in the original instrument…
Official North Dakota Sources & Resources
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://www.ndcourts.gov/state-court-administration/interest-rate-on-judgments
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://ndlegis.gov/files/resource/67-2021/effective-dates-legislation/21.9741.01000.pdf
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://ndlegis.gov/api/assembly/67-2021/session-laws/documents/JCVIL.pdf
- North Dakota statute / opinion: https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t28c20.pdf
- North Dakota Courts Legal Self Help Center, “Judgment Collection – Judgment Debtor” guide: https://www.ndcourts.gov/Media/Default/Legal%20Resources/Legal%20Self%20Help/Small%20Claims/Judgment%20Collection%20-%20Judgment%20Debtor.pdf
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: consumerfinance.gov
- CFPB — Debt collection: know your rights: consumerfinance.gov
This North Dakota judgment expiration guide was last verified against official North Dakota 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.