CALIFORNIA. A judgment and any lien created by an execution on the judgment expires ten years after the date of the entry of the judgment. Cal. Civ.
(g) Request for entry of default If a responsive pleading is not served within the time limits specified in this rule and no extension of time has been granted, the plaintiff must file a request for entry of default within 10 days after the time for service has elapsed.
Most judgments (the court order saying what you're owed) expire in 10 years. This means you can't collect on it after 10 years. To avoid this, you can ask the court to renew it. A renewal lasts 10 years.
Write the name and last known address of the judgment debtor in the space provided. You may also include any known aliases used by the judgment debtor. Fill in the last 4 digits of the judgment debtor's driver license number and state where it was issued, if you know them.