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

Garnishment, bank levies and exemptions, with the deadline to claim them.

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). Garnishment: after the writ is served on your employer or bank, file an exemption claim with the court clerk, and send a copy to the creditor by fax and mail within 5 days.

How long it lasts
10 years
Interest after the judgment
See the rule

Protecting exempt money in Arkansas

Garnishment: after the writ is served on your employer or bank, file an exemption claim with the court clerk, and send a copy to the creditor by fax and mail within 5 days. If the creditor does not file a written objection within 10 days, the court releases the exempt money without a hearing. Execution (seizure of property): you have 20 days after you get the writ and notice to file a petition claiming your exemptions; the court holds a prompt hearing if the creditor objects.

Law: Ark. Code Ann. § 16-110-402; Ark. Code Ann. § 16-66-104(g)-(h); Ark. R. Civ. P. 62

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 Arkansas

Interest after the judgment

On a contract debt: the rate in the contract or the Federal Reserve primary credit rate on the day of judgment plus 2%, whichever is greater. It cannot be more than the maximum allowed by Arkansas Constitution Amendment 89.

How long it lasts

A judgment lasts 10 years from the date it was entered. The creditor can revive it before the 10 years end. A payment, or a writ of execution or garnishment, starts a new 10-year period (Primus Automotive Financial Services v. Wilburn, 2013 Ark. 258).

Law: Ark. Code Ann. § 16-65-114; Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-114

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Bank levies in Arkansas

The creditor asks the clerk for a writ of garnishment and has it served on your bank. It must mail you a copy of the writ and a 'Notice to Defendant' within 5 days. No garnishment can issue until 10 days after the judgment is entered. Arkansas does not set a fixed dollar amount that is automatically protected in a bank account; federal benefits such as Social Security are protected.

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

How much of your pay can be taken in Arkansas

The federal limit applies – no more than 25% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above $217.50 a week (30 times the federal minimum wage), whichever is less.

Law: 15 U.S.C. § 1673

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

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)

Protecting your pay and bank in Arkansas

  1. Open every letter

    Notices from the court, your bank or your employer can carry short deadlines.

  2. Collect your records

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

  3. Ask the court to protect your money

    How it works in Arkansas: Garnishment: after the writ is served on your employer or bank, file an exemption claim with the court clerk, and send a copy to the creditor by fax and mail within 5 days.

  4. Go to the hearing

    If the creditor objects, the judge decides at a hearing. Bring your proof.

Free legal help in Arkansas

Questions about collection after a judgment in Arkansas

How much interest does a judgment add in Arkansas?

On a contract debt: the rate in the contract or the Federal Reserve primary credit rate on the day of judgment plus 2%, whichever is greater. It cannot be more than the maximum allowed by Arkansas Constitution Amendment 89.

How long does a judgment last in Arkansas?

A judgment lasts 10 years from the date it was entered. The creditor can revive it before the 10 years end. A payment, or a writ of execution or garnishment, starts a new 10-year period (Primus Automotive Financial Services v. Wilburn, 2013 Ark. 258).

How much of my pay can be taken in Arkansas?

The federal limit applies – no more than 25% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above $217.50 a week (30 times the federal minimum wage), whichever is less.

Can my bank account be frozen in Arkansas?

The creditor asks the clerk for a writ of garnishment and has it served on your bank. It must mail you a copy of the writ and a 'Notice to Defendant' within 5 days. No garnishment can issue until 10 days after the judgment is entered. Arkansas does not set a fixed dollar amount that is automatically protected in a bank account; federal benefits such as Social Security are protected.

What is the deadline to claim an exemption in Arkansas?

Garnishment: after the writ is served on your employer or bank, file an exemption claim with the court clerk, and send a copy to the creditor by fax and mail within 5 days. If the creditor does not file a written objection within 10 days, the court releases the exempt money without a hearing. Execution (seizure of property): you have 20 days after you get the writ and notice to file a petition claiming your exemptions; the court holds a prompt hearing if the creditor objects.

Related Arkansas pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources