Texas judgment expiration is the question behind “how long is a judgment good for in Texas”: a money judgment entered by a Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas judgment expiration figures on this page were read in the Texas statute as of October 2026; confirm the current text before you rely on them.
Texas Judgment Expiration at a Glance
| Enforceable for | 10 years from entry (or from the last writ of execution) |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Renewal window | a dormant judgment must be revived within 2 years after it becomes dormant (CPRC 31.006) |
| Post-judgment interest | post-judgment rate set monthly by the Consumer Credit Commissioner: the Federal Reserve prime rate, floor 5%, ceiling 15% (Fin. Code 304.003) |
| Statute | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 34.001 (dormancy); 31.006 (revival); Tex. Fin. Code 304.003 (interest) |
In This Texas Judgment Expiration Guide:
What a Money Judgment Is Before the Texas Judgment Expiration Clock Starts
A money judgment is a court’s final order saying one person owes another a set amount. In Texas, justice courts, county courts and district courts all enter them, and each has its own limit on how much it can award. The judgment alone is not a lien on land.
A lien on real property exists only after an abstract of the judgment is recorded and indexed in a county’s real property records (Tex. Prop. Code 52.001).
The Texas Judgment Expiration Figures
| Rule | Bonus Bank Daily verified figure |
|---|---|
| Statute | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 34.001 (dormancy); 31.006 (revival); Tex. Fin. Code 304.003 (interest)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Enforceable for | 10 yearsstatute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Clock runs from | entry (or from the last writ of execution)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewable | Yesstatute — verified Oct 2026 |
| How it is renewed or kept alive | keep it alive by issuing a writ of execution within 10 years (each writ restarts a 10-year clock); once dormant, revive by scire facias or an action of debtstatute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Renewal window | a dormant judgment must be revived within 2 years after it becomes dormant (CPRC 31.006)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
| Post-judgment interest | post-judgment rate set monthly by the Consumer Credit Commissioner: the Federal Reserve prime rate, floor 5%, ceiling 15% (Fin. Code 304.003)statute — verified Oct 2026 |
The Texas judgment expiration figures on this page were read in the Texas 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 Texas are short and they do not wait. A Texas 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 Texas Judgment Expiration Actually Means
A “dormant” judgment has not been erased. It is asleep. While it is dormant, the creditor generally cannot get writs of execution or use other collection tools, and any abstract lien based on it ends (Prop. Code 52.006). The underlying debt usually does not disappear, and the creditor may still be able to revive the judgment within the window the statute allows.
Renewal and Revival Under the Texas Judgment Expiration Rule
To keep a live judgment going, the creditor asks the clerk of the court that entered it to issue a writ of execution before the period runs out. Once a judgment is dormant, the creditor files either a scire facias motion in the original case or a new suit (an “action of debt”) on the judgment. The debtor must be formally served with citation and may raise defenses.
The court then decides whether to revive the judgment, after a hearing if one is requested. After revival, a new abstract generally has to be recorded to restore a land lien.
The Judgment Lien in Texas
The creditor gets an abstract of judgment from the clerk of the court that entered the judgment. The creditor then records it with the county clerk in the real property records of each county where the debtor owns or may own land (Prop. Code 52.001–52.002). The lien runs for its own term, counted from the date the abstract is recorded and indexed.
It ends early if the judgment goes dormant, and the creditor can extend it by recording again (Prop. Code 52.006). It covers non-exempt real property in that county, including property the debtor acquires later. A homestead is generally exempt.
Interest on a Texas Judgment
Post-judgment interest generally starts on the day the judgment is rendered and runs until it is paid (Fin. Code 304.005). It compounds once a year (Fin. Code 304.006). The judgment itself should state the rate that applies. The Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner publishes the current monthly rate on its website at occc.texas.gov. Confirm the rate in your judgment with the court clerk or the OCCC.
What a Creditor Can Do While the Texas Judgment Is Alive
Bank levy: a “writ of garnishment” served on a bank can freeze and take non-exempt funds in the debtor’s account (CPRC ch. 63; Tex. R. Civ. P. 657–679). Wage garnishment: Texas generally does not allow garnishing current wages for ordinary consumer judgments, only for child support, court-ordered spousal maintenance and certain federal debts such as taxes and student loans (Tex. Const. art. XVI §28).
Property execution: a “writ of execution” directs a constable or sheriff to seize and sell the debtor’s non-exempt property. In justice court it generally cannot issue until 30 days after judgment. Debtor examination: “post-judgment discovery” (Tex. R. Civ. P. 621) and a “turnover order” (CPRC 31.002) let the creditor learn about assets and have the court order them handed over.
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What a Debtor Can Do Before the Texas Judgment Expiration
Claim exemptions: Texas protects the homestead (Prop. Code ch. 41) and personal property up to $50,000 for a single adult or $100,000 for a family, plus current wages and many federal benefits (Prop. Code ch. 42). TexasLawHelp.org posts exemption forms. Challenge a bank garnishment: a debtor served under Rule 663a may file a motion to dissolve or modify the writ (Tex. R. Civ. P. 664a).
Pay through the court: if a creditor refuses payment or refuses to sign a release, a debtor may pay into the court’s registry and ask the court to order a release (CPRC 31.008). Default judgment: a debtor may file a motion for new trial within 30 days after the judgment is signed (Tex. R. Civ. P. 329b). After that, a bill of review may be available.
Confirm deadlines with the clerk or an attorney.
Out-of-State Judgments in Texas
Texas has adopted the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (CPRC ch. 35). The creditor files an authenticated copy of the out-of-state judgment with a Texas court clerk, along with an affidavit giving the debtor’s address. The clerk then mails the debtor notice of the filing (CPRC 35.003–35.004). Once filed, it is treated like a Texas judgment and is subject to the same defenses and procedures.
Separately, CPRC 16.066 bars suit on a foreign judgment that is already barred in the state that issued it, and adds an age limit when the debtor has lived in Texas for a long time.
Clearing a Paid Texas Judgment
The creditor usually signs a “release of judgment” (many county courts post a form). It is filed with the clerk of the court that entered the judgment and recorded in the real property records of each county where an abstract was filed. No general Texas statute was found setting a deadline for the creditor to file it.
If a creditor refuses payment or won’t sign, the court may hold a hearing and direct the debtor to prepare and file a recordable release (CPRC 31.008). A homestead owner may also file a release affidavit after giving the creditor 30 days’ notice by certified mail (Prop. Code 52.0012).
Child support judgments under the Family Code do not go dormant (CPRC 34.001(c)). Judgments in favor of the State or a state agency do not go dormant either. Their abstract lien lasts 20 years from recording and can be renewed once for another 20 years (Prop. Code 52.006(b)–(c)). An abstract usually cannot be recorded without a mailing address for each judgment creditor unless a penalty fee is paid (Prop.
Code 52.0041).
Next rung: what a creditor can take from a bank account, and what is protected, is the next question — the Texas 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.
Texas — the bottom line
- Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas judgment expiration date arrives — the rate and who publishes it are in the table.
Texas Judgment Expiration FAQ
How long is a judgment good for in Texas?
A Texas money judgment is enforceable for 10 years from entry (or from the last writ of execution), and it can be renewed. A “dormant” judgment has not been erased. It is asleep.
Can a judgment be renewed in Texas?
keep it alive by issuing a writ of execution within 10 years (each writ restarts a 10-year clock); once dormant, revive by scire facias or an action of debt
Does a Texas judgment expiration mean the debt is gone?
A “dormant” judgment has not been erased. It is asleep.
What interest does a Texas judgment earn?
post-judgment rate set monthly by the Consumer Credit Commissioner: the Federal Reserve prime rate, floor 5%, ceiling 15% (Fin. Code 304.003)
Official Texas Sources & Resources
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.34.htm
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.31.htm
- Statute — judgment dormancy, renewal and interest (opened and read): https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FI/htm/FI.304.htm
- Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Courts, Post-Judgment Civil Procedures; TexasLawHelp.org, Exempt Property in Debt Collection: https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/justice-of-the-peace-courts/justice-1/post-judgment-civil-procedures.html
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: consumerfinance.gov
- CFPB — Debt collection: know your rights: consumerfinance.gov
This Texas judgment expiration guide was last verified against official Texas sources in October 2026. Rules change — confirm the current rule with the statute or a licensed attorney.
More Texas Money Rights Guides
- Texas Bank Levy Exemptions
- Texas Debt Collection Lawsuit
- Texas 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.