# New York — How long a money judgment stays enforceable before it must be renewed, by state

For New York, how the statute states the period is A money judgment is presumed to be paid and satisfied after the expiration of twenty years from the time when the party recovering it was first entitled to enforce it; section is CVP § 211, verified against its source on 2026-09-01.

- **State:** New York _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **How long the judgment stays enforceable before it must be renewed or revived:** 20 years, running from the time the creditor was first entitled to enforce the judgment rather than from entry. At the end of it the judgment is conclusively presumed to have been paid and satisfied, and that presumption is displaced only by the debtor's own conduct - a written acknowledgment of the debt signed by the person to be charged, or a payment on it, which starts a fresh 20 years. Property taken by an enforcement order or by levy on an execution counts as a payment. The lien the judgment holds on the debtor's real property runs a shorter clock of its own. _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **What has to happen to extend it:** New York gives the creditor nothing to file that extends the 20 years. What can be renewed is the lien. An action upon the judgment may be brought under CPLR 5014 once ten years have elapsed since the judgment was first docketed, and it may be commenced during the year before that ten years runs out - a one-year window. The judgment in that action is designated a renewal judgment and is docketed as one by the clerk, and its lien takes effect upon the expiration of ten years from the first docketing of the original judgment. CPLR 5203(a) is the section that gives the original lien its ten years, measured from the filing of the judgment-roll. _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **How the statute states the period:** A money judgment is presumed to be paid and satisfied after the expiration of twenty years from the time when the party recovering it was first entitled to enforce it. _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Section:** CVP § 211 _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_

## What the source says

> (b) On a money judgment. A money judgment is presumed to be paid and satisfied after the expiration of twenty years from the time when the party recovering it was first entitled to enforce it. This presumption is conclusive, except as against a person who within the twenty years acknowledges an indebtedness, or makes a payment, of all or part of the amount recovered by the judgment, or his heir or personal representative, or a person whom he otherwise represents. Such an acknowledgment must be in writing and signed by the person to be charged.

## Where each value comes from

This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it.

### State

> New York Consolidated Laws, Civil Practice Law and Rules - CVP § 211. Actions to be commenced within twenty years

### What has to happen to extend it

> An action may be commenced under subdivision one of this section during the year prior to the expiration of ten years since the first docketing of the judgment. The judgment in such action shall be designated a renewal judgment and shall be so docketed by the clerk. The lien of a renewal judgment shall take effect upon the expiration of ten years from the first docketing of the original judgment.

### Section

> New York Consolidated Laws, Civil Practice Law and Rules - CVP § 211. Actions to be commenced within twenty years Current as of January 01, 2026

## Source

- https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/civil-practice-law-and-rules/cvp-sect-211/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/civil-practice-law-and-rules/cvp-sect-5014/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/civil-practice-law-and-rules/cvp-sect-5203/

Last verified: 2026-09-01. Review by: 2027-09-01.
Part of [How long a money judgment stays enforceable before it must be renewed, by state](https://referencesource.org/judgment-renewal-deadlines-by-state/).