Seven years or until the SOL pertaining to the judgment expires. Many states have domestic judgment SOL's that are 10 or 20 years, and many judgments are renewable. The older the judgment becomes, the less affect it has on the credit score. It will may cause other problems, for example, if the consumer wants to buy or refinance a home and in some cases, a vehicle(s), the lender may require the judgment be paid before approving any loan.