How Long Does a Judgment Stay on Your Credit Report? (2025)

A judgment stays on your credit report for seven years from the date it's entered. Tax liens and Chapter 7 bankruptcies stretch to ten years. Federal student loans? They stick around until you pay them off completely.

That timeline starts the moment the court stamps the judgment, not when you finally pay it. Clearing the debt changes the entry from "unsatisfied" to "satisfied," which helps your score recover faster—but the record itself doesn't budge until those seven years pass.

If you're staring at a judgment right now, you need to know what comes next: how it damages your credit, what you can do about it today, and how to stop it from happening again.

What a Judgment Does to Your Credit Score

The moment a judgment hits your credit file, your score drops. How much depends on where you started, but expect a hit of 50 to 150 points. If you had a 720 score before the lawsuit, you might land in the mid-600s. That pushes you from "good" credit into "fair" territory,where interest rates jump and approvals get harder.

Lenders see a judgment and assume risk. You didn't just miss payments. A creditor took you to court, won, and now has a legal claim to your wages or bank account. That signals instability.

New credit cards will deny you. Mortgage lenders will ask for explanations. Auto loans will charge you 8% instead of 4%. Landlords will reject your rental application. The judgment broadcasts your financial struggle to everyone who pulls your credit.

The Four Types of Judgments on Your Report

Not all judgments look the same to lenders. The type that appears on your credit report changes how much it hurts you.

Unsatisfied Judgment

You lost the lawsuit. You owe the money. You haven't paid it. This is the worst version. It tells lenders you have an active court order against you and you're ignoring it. Your credit score takes the full hit, and it stays that way until you do something.

Satisfied Judgment

You paid the debt,either in full or through a settlement. The court updates the record to show "satisfied." Your score still suffers because the judgment itself remains on your report for seven years. But lenders see that you eventually took responsibility. Some will work with you. Others won't.

Vacated Judgment

You appealed the judgment and won, or the creditor made a procedural error and the court threw it out. Once vacated, the judgment should disappear from your credit report within 30 days. If it doesn't, you'll need to dispute it manually with the credit bureaus.

Renewed or Refiled Judgment

In most states, judgments expire after 10 to 20 years. Before that happens, creditors can renew them. A renewed judgment extends the collection window but doesn't restart the seven-year clock on your credit report. The original filing date still controls when it drops off.

When Judgments Last Longer Than Seven Years

Three types of debt stretch the timeline:

Federal tax liens: The IRS files a lien when you owe back taxes. Unpaid tax liens used to stay on your credit report indefinitely. As of 2018, the major credit bureaus stopped reporting them,but that's a voluntary policy, not a law. If a tax lien appears on your report, it can stay for seven years after you pay it or ten years if you don't.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy: Bankruptcy isn't technically a judgment, but it's a public record that shows up on your credit report for ten years. If a judgment led you to file bankruptcy, the bankruptcy itself will outlast the judgment.

Perkins student loans: These federal loans don't fall off your credit report until you pay them in full. Default on a Perkins loan, and it follows you for decades if you ignore it. The Department of Education can garnish your wages, tax refunds, and Social Security without ever taking you to court.

Why Paying a Judgment Still Matters

You might think, "If it's on my credit for seven years either way, why pay it?" Because an unsatisfied judgment gives creditors legal weapons.

Once a creditor wins a judgment, they can:

• Garnish your wages: In most states, they can take up to 25% of your disposable income every paycheck until the debt is paid.
• Freeze your bank account: They file a bank levy, and your checking account locks up overnight. You can't access your own money until the court releases it.
• Place a lien on your property: If you own a house, they attach a lien. When you sell or refinance, they get paid first.
• Seize assets: In some states, they can take your car, equipment, or other property to satisfy the debt.

Paying the judgment,or settling it for less,stops the bleeding. The creditor can't garnish you anymore. Your bank account stays open. You get control back.

And your credit score starts recovering. An unsatisfied judgment is an active threat. A satisfied judgment is old news. Lenders care about the difference.

How to Remove a Judgment Before Seven Years

If the judgment on your credit report is wrong, you can get it removed early. Here's how.

Step 1: Verify the Judgment

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus,Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Check the judgment details: the amount, the date, the creditor's name. Compare it to your court records. If anything doesn't match, you have grounds to dispute.

Common errors include:

• The judgment belongs to someone else (identity mix-up)
• The amount is wrong
• The judgment was vacated or dismissed
• The debt was already paid or settled
• The judgment is older than seven years

Step 2: Send a Debt Validation Letter

If the judgment came from a debt collector, they're required to validate the debt under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Send a written request asking them to prove:

• The original creditor's name
• The original amount owed
• Documentation showing the debt is yours
• Proof they own the debt or have authority to collect it

Send the letter within 30 days of their first contact if possible, but you can challenge it anytime. If they can't validate, they must stop collection efforts and remove the judgment from your credit report.

Step 3: Dispute with the Credit Bureaus

File a dispute with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. You can do this online, by mail, or by phone. Mail is better,it creates a paper trail.

In your dispute letter, explain exactly why the judgment is inaccurate. Attach evidence: court documents showing the judgment was vacated, payment receipts, identity theft reports, whatever proves your case.

The bureaus have 30 days to investigate. If they can't verify the judgment with the creditor or the court, they must delete it.

Step 4: Negotiate a Pay-for-Delete

If the judgment is accurate but you want it gone, some creditors will agree to remove it from your credit report in exchange for payment. This is called "pay-for-delete."

It's not guaranteed. The credit bureaus officially discourage it. But creditors can request deletion, and many will if you offer to pay in full or settle for a lump sum.

Get the agreement in writing before you send money. Once they have your payment, you lose leverage.

What Happens If You Do Nothing

Ignoring a judgment doesn't make it disappear. The court order stands. The creditor can enforce it for 10 to 20 years, depending on your state. They can renew it before it expires.

Your credit stays damaged for the full seven years. Your score won't recover as quickly as it would if you paid or settled. Lenders will see an unresolved legal claim against you.

And if the creditor starts garnishing your wages or levying your bank account, you'll pay anyway,just without any negotiating power.

How to Rebuild Your Credit After a Judgment

You don't have to wait seven years to improve your credit. Once the judgment is satisfied or removed, you can start rebuilding.

Pay everything else on time: Payment history is 35% of your credit score. One judgment hurts, but consistent on-time payments on your other accounts help offset it.

Keep your credit utilization low: If you have credit cards, use less than 30% of your available credit. Lower is better. This signals to lenders that you're not desperate for money.

Add positive accounts: A secured credit card or a credit-builder loan adds new, positive payment history to your report. After six months of on-time payments, your score will start climbing.

Dispute any other errors: If your credit report has other mistakes,late payments that weren't late, accounts that aren't yours,dispute them. Every error you remove gives your score a boost.

Recovery takes time, but it's faster than you think. Most people see a 50-point improvement within 12 months of satisfying a judgment and adding positive accounts.

How to Avoid a Judgment in the First Place

The best way to deal with a judgment is to stop it before it happens. Once you're sued, you have options.

Respond to the lawsuit: If you get served with a summons, do not ignore it. Answer the complaint within the deadline (usually 20 to 30 days). If you don't, the creditor wins by default.

Negotiate a settlement: Most creditors would rather settle than go to trial. Offer to pay a lump sum,typically 40% to 60% of the balance,in exchange for dismissing the lawsuit. Get the agreement in writing before you pay.

Consider bankruptcy: If you're facing multiple lawsuits and you can't afford to settle, bankruptcy might be your best option. Chapter 7 wipes out most unsecured debts, including judgments. Chapter 13 stops wage garnishments and lets you repay debts over three to five years. Both stop lawsuits immediately through an automatic stay.

Work with the creditor before they sue: Once your account goes 90 to 180 days past due, creditors start thinking about lawsuits. Call them. Explain your situation. Ask for a payment plan or a settlement. They'd rather work with you than pay a lawyer.

The Bottom Line

A judgment stays on your credit report for seven years, but that doesn't mean you're powerless. Pay it or settle it to stop wage garnishments and start rebuilding your score. Dispute it if it's inaccurate. Negotiate a pay-for-delete if you can. And if you're overwhelmed by debt and lawsuits, bankruptcy might give you the fresh start you need. You're not stuck,you just need a plan.