A judgment is the court’s formal decision declaring, in the classic definition used by the New York booklet, that one individual is indebted to another and fixing the amount owed. In broader modern use, judgments can do more than that, but the booklet preserves the debt-focused formulation because it is traditional and easy to test.
The important point is that a judgment comes from a court. It is not a private agreement, not an affidavit, and not a notarial certificate. That distinction matters whenever glossary terms move between litigation and document execution.
Practical note: If a document mentions a judgment lien, collection, execution, or satisfaction, the underlying idea is still the same: the court has already spoken. The notary’s role in later documents is ministerial; the notary does not create the judgment by notarizing anything.
Free Practice
Master Judgment and 500+ other real exam questions
Knowing the definition is step one. The New York notary exam tests this concept under time pressure — with four realistic answer choices designed to catch you on the exact details that trip candidates up. See how you'd score right now, for free.
Try the Free NY Notary Practice Test