After a debt judgment in Arizona: garnishment, bank levy, exemptions

What can be taken from your pay and bank account, and how to claim exempt money.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026.

Short answer

After a judgment, the creditor can ask the court to take part of your pay or freeze your bank account, but some money is exempt (protected by law). Fill out the Request for Hearing form that comes with the garnishment papers and file it with the court no later than 10 days after you receive the garnishee's answer (for wages, the answer or the nonexempt earnings statement).

How long it lasts
10 years
Interest after the judgment
See the rule
Exemption form
Official exemption form

Claiming what the law protects in Arizona

Fill out the Request for Hearing form that comes with the garnishment papers and file it with the court no later than 10 days after you receive the garnishee's answer (for wages, the answer or the nonexempt earnings statement). Give a copy to all parties. For a bank account, the hearing must start within 5 business days of your request. For wages, it must start within 10 days after the court gets your request.

Law: A.R.S. § 12-1574(D); § 12-1580 (bank and other non-earnings); § 12-1598.07 (earnings)

Official exemption form

Count your deadline to claim an exemption

The date is counted in your browser.

Read the notice you got from the court, your bank or your employer.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Court holidays and local rules can change a deadline. File early, and ask the court clerk if you are not sure.

Exemption claim cover letter

How long a judgment lasts in Arizona

Interest after the judgment

If the contract sets an interest rate, the judgment carries that rate. If not, the rate is the lower of 10% a year or the prime rate plus 1%, fixed on the day of judgment. Medical debt judgments: no more than 3% a year or the 1-year Treasury rate, whichever is lower.

How long it lasts

10 years. The creditor can renew it for another 10 years by filing a renewal affidavit within the 90 days before it expires, or by suing on the judgment.

Law: A.R.S. § 44-1201(A)-(B); § 12-1551; § 12-1612

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

When a creditor freezes your account in Arizona

The creditor gets a writ of garnishment served on your bank. The bank must give you a copy of the writ, the judgment and a notice with a Request for Hearing form within 3 business days. $5,000 in one account at one bank is protected, adjusted for inflation each January 1 since 2024.

Law: A.R.S. § 33-1126(A)(9)

Your bank must protect up to two months of Social Security, SSI, VA and some other federal benefits that were paid into your account by direct deposit. You don't have to ask.

Law: 31 CFR 212.5, 212.6

Wage garnishment in Arizona

No more than 10% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 60 times the highest applicable minimum hourly wage per week, whichever is less. If you prove extreme financial hardship, a judge can lower it to as little as 5%.

Law: A.R.S. § 33-1131(B); A.R.S. § 12-1598.10

These garnishment limits are from our sister site, which checks them against official sources: Debt Collector Map: Arizona

For an ordinary debt, a creditor can take at most 25% of your take-home pay, or the part above 30 times the federal minimum wage if that is less. Many states protect more.

Law: 15 U.S.C. 1673(a)

Steps to protect your money in Arizona

  1. Watch for notices

    Each notice may start a short deadline, so read it right away.

  2. Collect your records

    Proof of where the money came from, like award letters, wins exemption claims.

  3. Claim your exemptions

    How it works in Arizona: Fill out the Request for Hearing form that comes with the garnishment papers and file it with the court no later than 10 days after you receive the garnishee's answer (for wages, the answer or the nonexempt earnings statement).

  4. Go to the hearing

    A judge decides disputed claims; bring every paper.

Free legal help in Arizona

Questions about collection after a judgment in Arizona

How much interest does a judgment add in Arizona?

If the contract sets an interest rate, the judgment carries that rate. If not, the rate is the lower of 10% a year or the prime rate plus 1%, fixed on the day of judgment. Medical debt judgments: no more than 3% a year or the 1-year Treasury rate, whichever is lower.

Can a judgment be renewed in Arizona?

10 years. The creditor can renew it for another 10 years by filing a renewal affidavit within the 90 days before it expires, or by suing on the judgment.

How much of my pay can be taken in Arizona?

No more than 10% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 60 times the highest applicable minimum hourly wage per week, whichever is less. If you prove extreme financial hardship, a judge can lower it to as little as 5%.

What is a bank levy in Arizona?

The creditor gets a writ of garnishment served on your bank. The bank must give you a copy of the writ, the judgment and a notice with a Request for Hearing form within 3 business days. $5,000 in one account at one bank is protected, adjusted for inflation each January 1 since 2024.

How do I claim an exemption in Arizona?

Fill out the Request for Hearing form that comes with the garnishment papers and file it with the court no later than 10 days after you receive the garnishee's answer (for wages, the answer or the nonexempt earnings statement). Give a copy to all parties. For a bank account, the hearing must start within 5 business days of your request. For wages, it must start within 10 days after the court gets your request.

Related Arizona pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources