§ 1963. — Registration of judgments for enforcement in other districts.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 28USC1963]
TITLE 28--JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE
PART V--PROCEDURE
CHAPTER 125--PENDING ACTIONS AND JUDGMENTS
Sec. 1963. Registration of judgments for enforcement in other
districts
A judgment in an action for the recovery of money or property
entered in any court of appeals, district court, bankruptcy court, or in
the Court of International Trade may be registered by filing a certified
copy of the judgment in any other district or, with respect to the Court
of International Trade, in any judicial district, when the judgment has
become final by appeal or expiration of the time for appeal or when
ordered by the court that entered the judgment for good cause shown.
Such a judgment entered in favor of the United States may be so
registered any time after judgment is entered. A judgment so registered
shall have the same effect as a judgment of the district court of the
district where registered and may be enforced in like manner.
A certified copy of the satisfaction of any judgment in whole or in
part may be registered in like manner in any district in which the
judgment is a lien.
The procedure prescribed under this section is in addition to other
procedures provided by law for the enforcement of judgments.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 958; Aug. 23, 1954, ch. 837, 68 Stat.
772; Pub. L. 85-508, Sec. 12(o), July 7, 1958, 72 Stat. 349; Pub. L.
100-702, title X, Sec. 1002(a), (b)(1), Nov. 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 4664;
Pub. L. 101-647, title XXXVI, Sec. 3628, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4965;
Pub. L. 104-317, title II, Sec. 203(a), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3849.)
Historical and Revision Notes
This section follows the recommendation of the Supreme Court's
Advisory Committee on Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (1937) which
included the following rule:
``Rule 77. Registration of judgments in other district courts. A
judgment entered in any district court and which has become final
through expiration of the time for appeal or by mandate on appeal may be
registered in any other district court by filing therein an
authenticated copy of the judgment. When so registered the judgment
shall have the same effect and like proceedings for its enforcement may
be taken thereon in the court in which it is registered as if the
judgment had been originally entered by that court. If in the court in
which the judgment was originally entered, the judgment has been
satisfied in whole or in part or if an order has been made modifying or
vacating it or affecting or suspending its operation, the party
procuring the registration shall and any other party may file
authenticated copies of the satisfaction or order with the court in
which the judgment is registered. This rule shall not be construed to
limit the effect of the Act of February 20, 1905, c. 592, Sec. 20 (33
Stat. 729), as amended, U.S.C., title 15, Sec. 100; or the Act of March
4, 1909, c. 320, Secs. 36 and 37 (35 Stat. 1084), U.S.C., title 17,
Secs. 36 and 37; or Sec. 56 of the Judicial Code, U.S.C., title 28,
Sec. 117; or to authorize the registration elsewhere of an order or a
judgment rendered in a divorce action in the District of Columbia.''
Section 2508 of this title provides for the registration of
judgments of the Court of Claims in favor of the United States in any
district. See, also, section 2413 of this title.
The phrase ``for the recovery of money or property'' was not in the
committee's draft of Rule 77 of Federal Rules of Civil Procedure but was
inserted in the revised section to exclude judgments in divorce actions,
and any other actions, the registration of which would serve no useful
purpose.
Amendments
1996--Pub. L. 104-317 in section catchline substituted ``for
enforcement in other districts'' for ``of the district courts and the
Court of International Trade'', in first undesignated par. substituted
``court of appeals, district court, bankruptcy court,'' for ``district
court'' and ``copy of the judgment'' for ``copy of such judgment'', and
added undesignated par. at end.
1990--Pub. L. 101-647 inserted after first sentence ``Such a
judgment entered in favor of the United States may be so registered any
time after judgment is entered.''
1988--Pub. L. 100-702 substituted ``Registration of judgments of the
district courts and the Court of International Trade'' for
``Registration in other districts'' in section catchline and amended
first sentence generally. Prior to amendment, first sentence read as
follows: ``A judgment in an action for the recovery of money or property
now or hereafter entered in any district court which has become final by
appeal or expiration of time for appeal may be registered in any other
district by filing therein a certified copy of such judgment.''
1958--Pub. L. 85-508 struck out provisions which extended provisions
of section to District Court for Territory of Alaska. See section 81A of
this title which establishes a United States District Court for the
State of Alaska.
1954--Act Aug. 23, 1954, extended provisions of section to District
Court for Territory of Alaska.
Effective Date of 1990 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 101-647 effective 180 days after Nov. 29, 1990,
see section 3631 of Pub. L. 101-647, set out as an Effective Date note
under section 3001 of this title.
Effective Date of 1988 Amendment
Section 1002(c) of title X of Pub. L. 100-702 provided that: ``The
amendments made by this section [amending this section and repealing
section 1963A of this title] take effect 90 days after the date of
enactment of this title [Nov. 19, 1988].''
Effective Date of 1958 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 85-508 effective Jan. 3, 1959, on admission of
Alaska into the Union pursuant to Proc. No. 3269, Jan. 3, 1959, 24 F.R.
81, 73 Stat. c16, as required by sections 1 and 8(c) of Pub. L. 85-508,
see notes set out under section 81A of this title and preceding section
21 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.
