Won a judgment in Nevada, Texas, New York, or any other state? The Full Faith and Credit Clause lets you domesticate it in California and use California's powerful collection tools against their CA assets.
A "sister state judgment" is a money judgment from another U.S. state that you want to enforce in California. The U.S. Constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause (Article IV, Section 1) requires California to recognize and enforce valid judgments from other states.
California's Sister State Money-Judgments Act (CCP § 1710.10-1710.65) provides a streamlined process to "domesticate" your out-of-state judgment so you can enforce it using California's collection tools.
Obtain an authenticated or certified copy of your judgment from the original state court.
Fill out Application for Entry of Judgment on Sister-State Judgment (Form SJ-100).
File in the county where debtor resides or has property. Pay filing fee (~$465+).
Serve Notice of Entry (Form SJ-110) on debtor. They have 30 days to object.
After 30 days (if no challenge), enforce using all CA collection methods.
| Form/Document | Name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| SJ-100 | Application for Entry of Judgment on Sister-State Judgment | Main application form |
| SJ-105 | Entry of Judgment on Sister-State Judgment | The California judgment |
| SJ-110 | Notice of Entry of Judgment on Sister-State Judgment | Serve on debtor |
| Authenticated Judgment | Certified copy from original state | Proves your judgment exists |
You must wait 30 days after serving notice before enforcing. The debtor can file a motion to vacate during this period. Don't levy bank accounts or garnish wages until the 30 days pass.
Under CCP § 1710.40, the debtor can file a motion to vacate within 30 days on limited grounds:
Most challenges fail. The debtor already had their day in court in the original state. They can't relitigate the case. Focus your response on showing the original court had proper jurisdiction and the judgment is valid and unsatisfied.
Once your sister state judgment becomes a California judgment, you can use all of California's collection tools:
California's 10% post-judgment interest rate (CCP § 685.010) is higher than many states. Interest accrues from the date of the original judgment, not domestication. This can significantly increase what you recover.
$50,000 Nevada judgment from 3 years ago = $15,000 in California interest accrued. Your California judgment is now worth $65,000 plus any interest that accrued under Nevada law.
File in any county where the debtor resides, has property, or does business. If you're not sure where they have assets, file in the county where they live. You can record your abstract of judgment in other counties later to capture property statewide.
Authentication is a certification that the judgment is genuine. It typically involves: (1) the original court clerk certifying the judgment, (2) a judge certifying the clerk's signature, and (3) the clerk certifying the judge's signature. Some states use an apostille or other certification. Contact the original court clerk for their authentication process - costs vary by state.
No. You must serve notice on the debtor and wait 30 days before any enforcement actions. This gives the debtor an opportunity to challenge the domestication. After 30 days with no challenge filed, or after a challenge is denied, you can begin enforcement.
Yes, if the judgment is still enforceable under the original state's law. Check whether (1) the original judgment hasn't expired under that state's statute of limitations, and (2) you've properly renewed it if required. California will enforce it for the same period it would be enforceable in the original state, or 10 years from domestication, whichever is longer.
Yes. You cannot record an abstract of judgment from another state directly with a California county recorder. You must first domesticate the judgment under CCP § 1710.10, get a California judgment, and then record an abstract of the California judgment.
Domesticate the judgment first, then use California's discovery tools. Schedule a debtor examination under CCP § 708.110 where the debtor must appear under oath and answer questions about all assets. You can also send post-judgment interrogatories and subpoena records from banks and employers.
I handle California sister state judgment domestication from application through enforcement. Multi-state collections, authentication coordination, and full California collection strategy.