A debt buyer can't extend a judgment it bought past 10 years

A general district court judgment can be enforced for 10 years, and the court retains its case documents for that period. For judgments entered before July 1, 2026, a creditor can file an abstract of the judgment in circuit court. It is then treated like a circuit court judgment and can be extended twice by 10 years, keeping it enforceable for up to 30 years. That can let a debt buyer that bought the judgment garnish wages or freeze bank accounts after the original court file is gone, leaving people with little ability to use that file to challenge the debt.

This law closes that path for newer judgments when a debt buyer purchases the judgment from the creditor, an assignee, or another debt buyer. For general district court judgments entered on or after July 1, 2026, docketing the judgment in circuit court does not change its 10-year limit in those cases. You do not need to apply for the protection. Earlier judgments remain under the old rules.

Del. Marcus Simon was the bill’s chief patron, and the Virginia Poverty Law Center urged lawmakers to support it. The House first passed it 63–34. The Senate passed an amended version 21–19, with every Democrat voting yes and every Republican voting no. The House agreed to the Senate changes 67–30, and Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed it on April 13, 2026.