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Liens & title · 3 statesJudgment liens on real estate: how they attach, how long they last and how they come off at closing

A money judgment against a seller can become a lien on the seller's house, but each state sets how. Arizona: a recorded judgment, with its required information statement, is a lien for ten years on the debtor's real property in that county; when a homestead is sold, the seller's homestead exemption is paid before the judgment creditor, and a title insurer can record a partial release after a 20-day notice (A.R.S. §§33-964, 33-967, 33-1101). Alabama: the lien arises when the court clerk's certificate of judgment is filed with the county probate judge and lasts ten years from the judgment date, longer on property in a timely enforcement action with a lis pendens; the homestead exemption is $15,000, or $56,400 for owners 62 or older or disabled (Ala. Code §§6-9-210, 6-9-211, 6-10-2). Oklahoma: the lien arises only when a Statement of Judgment is filed with the county clerk, comes off by a Release of Judgment Lien filed there, and the judgment becomes unenforceable without execution, renewal, garnishment or income assignment every five years; the homestead is exempt from forced sale (12 O.S. §§706, 735).

How each state handles judgment liens

  1. Arizona (§§33-964, 33-1101)

    Recorded judgment + information statement; ten years; homestead exemption paid first on a sale; title insurer's partial release after 20 days.

  2. Alabama (§§6-9-210, 6-9-211)

    Certificate of judgment with the probate judge; ten years from the judgment; homestead $15,000 or $56,400.

  3. Oklahoma (12 O.S. §§706, 735)

    Statement of Judgment with the county clerk; Release of Judgment Lien filed there; dormant after five years without renewal.

What the TC does when a judgment shows on title

  • Ask the title company whether the judgment attaches to this seller and this property.
  • Order the payoff and the release or satisfaction document the state uses.
  • Calendar any statutory notice period before closing.

Questions about judgment liens

Can you sell a house with a judgment lien on it?

Yes, but the lien is paid or released at closing unless an exemption applies; Arizona, for example, pays the seller's homestead exemption before the judgment creditor on a homestead sale (A.R.S. §33-964(B)).

How long does a judgment lien last on real estate?

Ten years in Arizona and Alabama (A.R.S. §33-964(A); Ala. Code §6-9-211); in Oklahoma the judgment becomes unenforceable if it isn't executed or renewed within each five-year period (12 O.S. §735).

State guides

Track judgment payoffs and releases as tasks on the deal in ClosingCode.

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Sources: A.R.S. §§33-964, 33-967, 33-1101 (azleg.gov); Ala. Code §§6-9-210, 6-9-211, 6-10-2 (alison.legislature.state.al.us); 12 O.S. §§706, 735 (oklegislature.gov); all read October 29, 2026.

General information, not legal advice. ClosingCode is software; it is not a law firm or brokerage. This guide is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney.