How Long Does a Texas Judgment Last?

How Long Does a Texas Judgment Last? Short Answer, 10 Years.

If handled properly, a Texas judgment can exist indefinitely. But the creditor must be vigilant. We’ve collected judgments, in full, that were more than twenty years old.

A Texas judgment is valid for ten years from the date it is signed by the judge. After the expiration of ten years the judgment is dormant for two years. During that two year period of dormancy the judgment cannot be enforced.

No discovery, garnishment, executions, or turnover actions are allowed during the dormancy period. But during the two year dormancy period the judgment can be revived by simply filing a motion with the court to revive it. Then the judgment’s life starts over and it is then valid for ten years from the date the judge revives it.

But there is a way to keep the judgment valid that is simple: cause a writ of execution to be issued and served. The judgment is then valid for ten years from the date the writ of execution was issued by the clerk.

Either way, whether by reviving the judgment during the two year dormancy period or timely issuing and serving writs of execution, the creditor can keep a judgment alive indefinitely.