Oregon judgment expiration is the question behind “how long is a judgment good for in Oregon”: a money judgment entered by an Oregon 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 Oregon 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 Oregon judgment expiration figures on this page were verified against a dated 50-state compilation and Oregon sources as of October 2026; the statute named here is where to check them yourself.
Oregon Judgment Expiration at a Glance
| Enforceable for | 10 years from entry |
| Renewable | Limited |
| Renewal window | before the 10 years from entry run; a certificate filed after expiry has no effect (18.182(4)) |
| Post-judgment interest | 9 percent per year simple interest from entry unless the judgment specifies another date (ORS 82.010(2)), unless the parties agreed another rate |
| Statute | ORS 18.180 (expiration of judgment remedies, 10 years civil); 18.182 (one 10-year extension by certificate); 82.010 (9 percent) |
In This Oregon Judgment Expiration Guide:
What a Money Judgment Is Before the Oregon Judgment Expiration Clock Starts
A money judgment is a court’s final order saying one person owes another a set amount of money. In Oregon, circuit courts enter most of them, and justice and municipal courts also enter civil judgments. The judgment is the debt itself. A judgment lien is a separate claim on the debtor’s real property that comes from the judgment, under ORS 18.150, 18.152 and 18.162.
The Oregon Judgment Expiration Figures
| Rule | Bonus Bank Daily verified figure |
|---|---|
| Statute | ORS 18.180 (expiration of judgment remedies, 10 years civil); 18.182 (one 10-year extension by certificate); 82.010 (9 percent)compilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Enforceable for | 10 yearscompilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Clock runs from | entrycompilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewable | Limitedcompilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| How it is renewed or kept alive | a certificate of extension, signed by the creditor or the creditor’s attorney, filed in the court that entered the judgment while remedies are still alive and before a full satisfaction is filed (ORS 18.182(1),(3)); it extends remedies 10 years from filing, ONLY ONCE (18.182(5)); a certificate is not allowed after a bankruptcy discharge of the debt (18.182(2))compilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewal window | before the 10 years from entry run; a certificate filed after expiry has no effect (18.182(4))compilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
| Post-judgment interest | 9 percent per year simple interest from entry unless the judgment specifies another date (ORS 82.010(2)), unless the parties agreed another ratecompilation / agency — verified Oct 2026 |
The Oregon judgment expiration figures on this page were verified against a dated 50-state compilation and Oregon 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 Oregon are short and they do not wait. An Oregon 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 Oregon Judgment Expiration Actually Means
When the enforcement period ends, Oregon says the “judgment remedies” have expired. The creditor generally can no longer garnish, levy, or have the sheriff sell property, because ORS 18.252 ties execution to that period. The judgment lien on real property ends at the same time. The judgment is not erased from the court record.
Confirm with the clerk or an attorney whether any collection is still allowed in a specific situation.
Renewal and Revival Under the Oregon Judgment Expiration Rule
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 Oregon
A circuit court money judgment generally becomes a lien on the debtor’s real property in the county where it was entered once it is entered in the register (ORS 18.150). To reach other counties, the creditor records a certified copy of the judgment or a lien record abstract in that county’s County Clerk Lien Record (ORS 18.152, 18.170).
The lien covers property the debtor owns there now and property acquired later, until the lien expires. It does not reach property acquired after a bankruptcy discharge (ORS 18.150(5)). Justice and municipal court judgments become liens only once recorded in the County Clerk Lien Record (ORS 18.162).
Interest on an Oregon Judgment
Post-judgment interest is simple interest, figured only on the unpaid judgment amount, not on interest already added. It runs until the judgment is paid. The rate is set directly in ORS 82.010 rather than published as a rate that changes each year, so the statute is the place to check it. If a contract or the judgment itself sets a different rate, that rate generally controls.
What a Creditor Can Do While the Oregon Judgment Is Alive
Bank garnishment: the creditor has a writ of garnishment served on the debtor’s bank or credit union, and a bank search fee applies (ORS 18.600–18.850, 18.790). Wage garnishment: a writ of garnishment is served on the employer, which then holds back the nonexempt part of each paycheck. Property execution: the creditor gets a writ of execution, and the county sheriff can seize and sell nonexempt property (ORS 18.252 and following).
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Debtor examination: the court can order the debtor to appear under oath and answer questions about assets, called a judgment debtor examination (ORS 18.265–18.270).
What a Debtor Can Do Before the Oregon 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 Oregon
A judgment from another state must first be domesticated in Oregon before it can be enforced here; once it is, the Oregon rules on enforcement and expiration generally apply to it.
Clearing a Paid Oregon Judgment
Once the money award is paid in full, ORS 18.225 requires the creditor to file a satisfaction document in the county where the judgment was entered. The creditor must also give the debtor a satisfaction for each county where the judgment was recorded. It must be signed by the creditor or their attorney and either notarized or made under penalty of perjury. The court charges no filing fee for it.
If the creditor has not filed it within 10 days after a written request, the debtor may file a motion under ORS 18.235 and may be awarded attorney fees.
Support judgments follow longer periods under ORS 18.180. Child support remedies expire 35 years after the judgment that first sets the obligation. Spousal support remedies expire 25 years after that judgment or 10 years after an unpaid installment comes due, whichever is later. Justice and municipal court judgments follow ORS 18.194, and criminal money awards there run longer, especially restitution.
Garnishments by state agencies for state taxes are not subject to the usual wage exemption claim (ORS 18.855). Exempt wage and bank amounts are adjusted on a schedule and published by the Oregon Judicial Department (ORS 18.385).
Next rung: what a creditor can take from a bank account, and what is protected, is the next question — the Oregon 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.
Oregon — the bottom line
- Oregon 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 Oregon 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 Oregon judgment expiration date arrives — the rate and who publishes it are in the table.
Oregon Judgment Expiration FAQ
How long is a judgment good for in Oregon?
An Oregon money judgment is enforceable for 10 years from entry. When the enforcement period ends, Oregon says the “judgment remedies” have expired. The creditor generally can no longer garnish, levy, or have the sheriff sell property, because ORS 18.252 ties execution to that period.
Can a judgment be renewed in Oregon?
a certificate of extension, signed by the creditor or the creditor’s attorney, filed in the court that entered the judgment while remedies are still alive and before a full satisfaction is filed (ORS 18.182(1),(3)); it extends remedies 10 years from filing, ONLY ONCE (18.182(5)); a certificate is not allowed after a…
Does an Oregon judgment expiration mean the debt is gone?
When the enforcement period ends, Oregon says the “judgment remedies” have expired. The creditor generally can no longer garnish, levy, or have the sheriff sell property, because ORS 18.252 ties execution to that period.
What interest does an Oregon judgment earn?
9 percent per year simple interest from entry unless the judgment specifies another date (ORS 82.010(2)), unless the parties agreed another rate
Official Oregon Sources & Resources
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://law.justia.com/codes/oregon/volume-01/chapter-018/section-18-180/
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://law.justia.com/codes/oregon/volume-01/chapter-018/section-18-182/
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://law.justia.com/codes/oregon/volume-02/chapter-082/section-82-010/
- Oregon statute / opinion: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors018.html
- Oregon Law Help (Legal Aid Services of Oregon / Oregon Law Center), with the Oregon Judicial Department’s guide to collecting a judgment debt: https://oregonlawhelp.org/topics/money-debt-and-consumer-issues/garnishment/what-protected-garnishment-oregon-complete-list
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: consumerfinance.gov
- CFPB — Debt collection: know your rights: consumerfinance.gov
This Oregon judgment expiration guide was last verified against official Oregon sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current rule with the statute or a licensed attorney.
More Oregon Money Rights Guides
- Oregon Bank Levy Exemptions
- Oregon Debt Collection Lawsuit
- Oregon 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.