Judgment Lien Duration & Renewal Requirements in New Hampshire

At a glance

Requirements one by one

The judgment and the action on it

RSA 508:5 permits an action of debt on a judgment within 20 years after that cause of action accrued. In Trinity EMS, Inc. v. Coombs, the New Hampshire Supreme Court held that a creditor can sue on an unsatisfied judgment within that period and obtain a new judgment. The court explained that this may be repeated by suing on each successive judgment within its own 20-year window. The statute's “and not afterward” limit bars an action filed after the applicable window; it does not bar a timely action from producing a new judgment.

Recording and duration of the lien

RSA 524:13(I)-(III) lets the creditor record a certified judgment with an affidavit at the registry of deeds in the county where the property lies. The resulting lien reaches the defendant's real estate in that county. Under subsection (IV), that lien lasts “for as long as a suit may be maintained upon the judgment under RSA 508:5,” unless satisfied, discharged, removed, or altered. Re-recording the original judgment does not restart its own action period. A new judgment from a timely action can instead be recorded under the same current statute to create a lien based on that new judgment.

The renewal route and deadline

The route is an action of debt on the unsatisfied judgment, filed within the 20-year period in RSA 508:5. Trinity EMS confirmed that route and the possibility of successive new judgments. There is no special affidavit-only renewal window in these sections. The creditor must distinguish the original recorded lien from a newly obtained and newly recorded judgment.

Satisfaction and recording county

RSA 524:13(V) requires the creditor or attorney to deliver a discharge when a secured judgment is satisfied; the owner records it and pays the recording fee. Under subsection (VI), a court may issue a discharge on proof of full payment if delivery has not occurred within 30 days of a request, or exigent circumstances require an immediate discharge. A lien in another county requires recording there under subsections (I) and (III).

What trips people up

The 2014 case used the older attachment system. Trinity EMS discussed a six-year attachment under then-current RSA 511:55. RSA 524:13, effective January 1, 2017, now supplies a recording-based judgment lien. The case's action-on-judgment holding answers whether a new judgment is possible; today's lien mechanics come from § 524:13.

Common questions

Does re-recording the same judgment give it another 20 years? No. Section 524:13(I) permits re-recording during the judgment's duration, but § 508:5 measures the action period from the judgment cause of action. The path to a new period is a timely action and a new judgment.

Can a creditor record a new judgment in a different county? Yes. Section 524:13(I) allows recording in the county where the real estate is located, with the required affidavit.

Statutes and sources

• RSA 508:5 — “Actions of debt upon judgments, recognizances, and contracts under seal may be brought within 20 years after the cause of action accrued, and not afterward.” https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/LII/508/508-5.htm (accessed 2026-10-09).
• RSA 524:13 — “The judgment lien ... shall remain in force and effect for as long as a suit may be maintained upon the judgment under RSA 508:5.” https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/LIII/524/524-13.htm (accessed 2026-10-09).
• Trinity EMS, Inc. v. Coombs, 166 N.H. 523 (2014) — “a judgment creditor may bring an action for debt on the judgment within twenty years of its rendition, obtain a new judgment.” https://www.courts.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt471/files/documents/2021-08/2014060trinityems.pdf (accessed 2026-10-09).