ENTRY OF JUDGMENTS

RCW 4.64
in effect

RCW 4.64.020 Entry of verdict in execution docket — Effect.

(1) The clerk on the return of a verdict shall forthwith enter it in the execution docket, specifying the amount, the names of the parties to the action, and the names of the party or parties against whom the verdict is rendered; such entry shall be indexed in the record index and shall conform as near as may be to entries of judgments required to be made in the execution docket. (2) Beginning at eight o'clock a.m. the day after the entry of a verdict as herein provided, it shall be notice to all the world of the rendition thereof, and any person subsequently acquiring title to or a lien upon the real property of the party or parties against whom the verdict is returned shall be deemed to have acquired such title or lien with notice, and such title or lien shall be subject and inferior to any judgment afterwards entered on the verdict. (1) The clerk on the return of a verdict shall forthwith enter it in the execution docket, specifying the amount, the names of the parties to the action, and the names of the party or parties against whom the verdict is rendered; such entry shall be indexed in the record index and shall conform as near as may be to entries of judgments required to be made in the execution docket. (2) Beginning at eight o'clock a.m. the day after the entry of a verdict as herein provided, it shall be notice to all the world of the rendition thereof, and any person subsequently acquiring title to or a lien upon the real property of the party or parties against whom the verdict is returned shall be deemed to have acquired such title or lien with notice, and such title or lien shall be subject and inferior to any judgment afterwards entered on the verdict.

RCW 4.64.030 Entry of judgment — Form of judgment summary.

(1) The clerk shall enter all judgments in the execution docket, subject to the direction of the court and shall specify clearly the amount to be recovered, the relief granted, or other determination of the action. (2)(a) On the first page of each judgment which provides for the payment of money, including foreign judgments, judgments in rem, mandates of judgments, and judgments on garnishments, the following shall be succinctly summarized: The judgment creditor and the name of his or her attorney, the judgment debtor, the amount of the judgment, the interest owed to the date of the judgment, and the total of the taxable costs and attorney fees, if known at the time of the entry of the judgment, and in the entry of a foreign judgment, the filing and expiration dates of the judgment under the laws of the original jurisdiction. (b) If the judgment provides for the award of any right, title, or interest in real property, the first page must also include an abbreviated legal description of the property in which the right, title, or interest was awarded by the judgment, including lot, block, plat, or section, township, and range, and reference to the judgment page number where the full legal description is included, if applicable; or the assessor's property tax parcel or account number, consistent with RCW 65.04.045 (1) (f) and (g). (c) If the judgment provides for damages arising from the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle as specified in RCW 46.29.270 , the first page of the judgment summary must clearly state that the judgment is awarded pursuant to RCW 46.29.270 and that the clerk must give notice to the department of licensing as outlined in *RCW 46.29.310 . (3) If the attorney fees and costs are not included in the judgment, they shall be summarized in the cost bill when filed. The clerk may not enter a judgment, and a judgment does not take effect, until the judgment has a summary in compliance with this section. The clerk is not liable for an incorrect summary. (1) The clerk shall enter all judgments in the execution docket, subject to the direction of the court and shall specify clearly the amount to be recovered, the relief granted, or other determination of the action. (2)(a) On the first page of each judgment which provides for the payment of money, including foreign judgments, judgments in rem, mandates of judgments, and judgments on garnishments, the following shall be succinctly summarized: The judgment creditor and the name of his or her attorney, the judgment debtor, the amount of the judgment, the interest owed to the date of the judgment, and the total of the taxable costs and attorney fees, if known at the time of the entry of the judgment, and in the entry of a foreign judgment, the filing and expiration dates of the judgment under the laws of the original jurisdiction. (b) If the judgment provides for the award of any right, title, or interest in real property, the first page must also include an abbreviated legal description of the property in which the right, title, or interest was awarded by the judgment, including lot, block, plat, or section, township, and range, and reference to the judgment page number where the full legal description is included, if applicable; or the assessor's property tax parcel or account number, consistent with RCW 65.04.045 (1) (f) and (g). (c) If the judgment provides for damages arising from the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle as specified in RCW 46.29.270 , the first page of the judgment summary must clearly state that the judgment is awarded pursuant to RCW 46.29.270 and that the clerk must give notice to the department of licensing as outlined in *RCW 46.29.310 . (3) If the attorney fees and costs are not included in the judgment, they shall be summarized in the cost bill when filed. The clerk may not enter a judgment, and a judgment does not take effect, until the judgment has a summary in compliance with this section. The clerk is not liable for an incorrect summary.

RCW 4.64.060 Execution docket — Index of record.

Every county clerk shall keep in the clerk's office a record, to be called the execution docket, which shall be a public record and open during the usual business hours to all persons desirous of inspecting it. The record must be indexed both directly and inversely, and include all judgments, abstracts, and transcripts of judgments in the clerk's office. The index must refer to each party against whom the judgment is rendered or whose property is affected by the judgment. Every county clerk shall keep in the clerk's office a record, to be called the execution docket, which shall be a public record and open during the usual business hours to all persons desirous of inspecting it. The record must be indexed both directly and inversely, and include all judgments, abstracts, and transcripts of judgments in the clerk's office. The index must refer to each party against whom the judgment is rendered or whose property is affected by the judgment.

RCW 4.64.080 Entries in execution docket.

When entering a judgment in the execution docket, the clerk shall leave space on the same page, if practicable, in which the clerk shall enter, in the order in which they occur, all the proceedings subsequent to the judgment in the case until its final satisfaction, including when and to what county an execution is issued, when returned, and the return or the substance thereof. When the execution is levied on personal property which is returned unsold, the entry shall be: "levied (noting the date) on property not sold." When any sheriff shall furnish the clerk with a copy of any levy upon real estate on any judgment the minutes of which are entered in the execution docket, the entry shall be: "levied upon real estate," noting the date. When any execution issued to any other county is returned levied upon real estate in such county, the entry in the docket shall be, "levied on real estate of . . . . . ., in . . . . . . county," noting the date, county, and defendants whose estate is levied upon. When any money is paid, the amount and time when paid shall be entered. When a judgment is appealed, modified, discharged, or in any manner satisfied, the facts in respect thereto shall be entered. The parties interested may also assign or discharge such judgment on such execution docket. When the judgment is fully satisfied in any way, the clerk shall write the word "satisfied," in large letters across the face of the record of such judgment in the execution docket. When entering a judgment in the execution docket, the clerk shall leave space on the same page, if practicable, in which the clerk shall enter, in the order in which they occur, all the proceedings subsequent to the judgment in the case until its final satisfaction, including when and to what county an execution is issued, when returned, and the return or the substance thereof. When the execution is levied on personal property which is returned unsold, the entry shall be: "levied (noting the date) on property not sold." When any sheriff shall furnish the clerk with a copy of any levy upon real estate on any judgment the minutes of which are entered in the execution docket, the entry shall be: "levied upon real estate," noting the date. When any execution issued to any other county is returned levied upon real estate in such county, the entry in the docket shall be, "levied on real estate of . . . . . ., in . . . . . . county," noting the date, county, and defendants whose estate is levied upon. When any money is paid, the amount and time when paid shall be entered. When a judgment is appealed, modified, discharged, or in any manner satisfied, the facts in respect thereto shall be entered. The parties interested may also assign or discharge such judgment on such execution docket. When the judgment is fully satisfied in any way, the clerk shall write the word "satisfied," in large letters across the face of the record of such judgment in the execution docket.

RCW 4.64.090 Abstract of judgment.

The abstract of a judgment shall contain (1) the name of the party, or parties, in whose favor the judgment was rendered; (2) the name of the party, or parties, against whom the judgment was rendered; (3) the date of the rendition of the judgment; (4) the amount for which the judgment was rendered, and in the following manner, viz: Principal $. . . .; interest $. . . .; costs $. . . .; total $. . . . . The abstract of a judgment shall contain (1) the name of the party, or parties, in whose favor the judgment was rendered; (2) the name of the party, or parties, against whom the judgment was rendered; (3) the date of the rendition of the judgment; (4) the amount for which the judgment was rendered, and in the following manner, viz: Principal $. . . .; interest $. . . .; costs $. . . .; total $. . . . .

RCW 4.64.100 Abstract of verdict — Cessation of lien, certificate.

The clerk shall, on request and at the expense of the party in whose favor the verdict is rendered, or the party's attorney, prepare an abstract of such verdict in substantially the same form as an abstract of a judgment and transmit such abstract to the clerk of any court in any county in the state as directed, and shall make a note on the execution docket of the name of the county to which each of such abstracts is sent. The clerk receiving such abstract shall, on payment of the statutory fee, enter and index it in the execution docket in the same manner as an abstract of judgment. The entry shall have the same effect in such county as in the county where the verdict was rendered. Whenever the verdict, or any judgment rendered thereon, shall cease to be a lien in the county where rendered, the clerk of the court shall on request of anyone, and the payment of the cost and expense thereof, certify that the lien has ceased, and transmit such certificate to the clerk of any court to which an abstract was forwarded, and the clerk receiving the certificate, on payment of the statutory fee, shall enter it in the execution docket, and then the lien of such verdict or judgment shall cease. Nothing in this section or RCW 4.64.020 shall be construed as authorizing the issuance of an execution by a clerk in any other county than that in which the judgment is rendered. The clerk shall, on request and at the expense of the party in whose favor the verdict is rendered, or the party's attorney, prepare an abstract of such verdict in substantially the same form as an abstract of a judgment and transmit such abstract to the clerk of any court in any county in the state as directed, and shall make a note on the execution docket of the name of the county to which each of such abstracts is sent. The clerk receiving such abstract shall, on payment of the statutory fee, enter and index it in the execution docket in the same manner as an abstract of judgment. The entry shall have the same effect in such county as in the county where the verdict was rendered. Whenever the verdict, or any judgment rendered thereon, shall cease to be a lien in the county where rendered, the clerk of the court shall on request of anyone, and the payment of the cost and expense thereof, certify that the lien has ceased, and transmit such certificate to the clerk of any court to which an abstract was forwarded, and the clerk receiving the certificate, on payment of the statutory fee, shall enter it in the execution docket, and then the lien of such verdict or judgment shall cease. Nothing in this section or RCW 4.64.020 shall be construed as authorizing the issuance of an execution by a clerk in any other county than that in which the judgment is rendered.

RCW 4.64.110 Transcript of district court docket.

A transcript of the district court docket shall contain an exact copy of the district court judgment from the docket. A transcript of the district court docket shall contain an exact copy of the district court judgment from the docket.

RCW 4.64.120 Entry of abstract or transcript of judgment.

It shall be the duty of the county clerk to enter in the execution docket any duly certified transcript of a judgment of a district court of this state and any duly certified abstract of any judgment of any court mentioned in RCW 4.56.200 , filed in the county clerk's office, and to index the same in the same manner as judgments originally rendered in the superior court for the county of which he or she is clerk. Jurisdiction over the judgment, including modification to or vacation of the original judgment, transfers to the superior court. The superior court may, in its discretion, remand the cause to district court for determination of any motion to vacate or modify the original judgment. It shall be the duty of the county clerk to enter in the execution docket any duly certified transcript of a judgment of a district court of this state and any duly certified abstract of any judgment of any court mentioned in RCW 4.56.200 , filed in the county clerk's office, and to index the same in the same manner as judgments originally rendered in the superior court for the county of which he or she is clerk. Jurisdiction over the judgment, including modification to or vacation of the original judgment, transfers to the superior court. The superior court may, in its discretion, remand the cause to district court for determination of any motion to vacate or modify the original judgment.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=4.64&full=trueFetched: 6/28/2026

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