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

How a creditor collects after a judgment, what the law protects, and how to claim it in time.

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). Bank levy: file a Claim of Exemption (form EJ-160), plus a Financial Statement (form EJ-165) if you need the money for basic needs, with the levying officer named on the Notice of Levy, within 15 days after you were personally served with the notice, or 20 days if it was mailed.

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

Protecting exempt money in California

Bank levy: file a Claim of Exemption (form EJ-160), plus a Financial Statement (form EJ-165) if you need the money for basic needs, with the levying officer named on the Notice of Levy, within 15 days after you were personally served with the notice, or 20 days if it was mailed. If you mail the claim with a tracking number, it counts as filed on the postmark date. For a personal (consumer) debt judgment you can still file after 20 days, but the money can be paid to the creditor any time after the 20 days end. Wage garnishment: file a Claim of Exemption (form WG-006) and Financial Statement (form WG-007) with the levying officer. The creditor has 10 days to oppose; if it does, a judge decides at a hearing. If it doesn't, the claim is granted.

Law: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 703.520, 706.105

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 California

Interest after the judgment

10% a year in general. For judgments entered (or renewed) on or after January 1, 2023, the rate is 5% a year on a personal (consumer) debt judgment under $50,000, such as a credit card or car loan debt, and on a medical debt judgment under $200,000.

How long it lasts

10 years from entry. The creditor can renew it for another 10 years by filing before it runs out. A personal debt judgment under $50,000 or a medical debt judgment under $200,000 can be renewed only once, and only for 5 years.

Law: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 685.010, 683.020, 683.110, 683.120, 683.130

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

When a creditor freezes your account in California

The creditor gets a writ of execution and the sheriff (levying officer) serves a levy on your bank, which freezes the money. Money in your accounts up to $2,325 (from July 1, 2026, adjusted every July 1) is protected automatically. If Social Security or other federal benefits are direct-deposited, the bank must protect two months of those benefits.

Law: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 704.220; form EJ-156

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 California

A creditor can take no more than the lesser of 20% of your weekly disposable earnings, or 40% of the amount by which your weekly disposable earnings exceed 48 times the state (or higher local) minimum hourly wage.

Law: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 706.050

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

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 California

  1. Watch for notices

    Deadlines to claim exemptions can be days, not weeks. Read each notice the day it comes.

  2. Find where your money comes from

    Get bank statements and benefit award letters: they prove the source of the money.

  3. Claim your exemptions

    California's rule: Bank levy: file a Claim of Exemption (form EJ-160), plus a Financial Statement (form EJ-165) if you need the money for basic needs, with the levying officer named on the Notice of Levy, within 15 days after you were personally served with the notice, or 20 days if it was mailed.

  4. Attend the hearing

    A judge decides disputed claims; bring every paper.

Where to get free help in California

Questions about collection after a judgment in California

Does a judgment grow with interest in California?

10% a year in general. For judgments entered (or renewed) on or after January 1, 2023, the rate is 5% a year on a personal (consumer) debt judgment under $50,000, such as a credit card or car loan debt, and on a medical debt judgment under $200,000.

How long does a judgment last in California?

10 years from entry. The creditor can renew it for another 10 years by filing before it runs out. A personal debt judgment under $50,000 or a medical debt judgment under $200,000 can be renewed only once, and only for 5 years.

Can a creditor take my paycheck in California?

A creditor can take no more than the lesser of 20% of your weekly disposable earnings, or 40% of the amount by which your weekly disposable earnings exceed 48 times the state (or higher local) minimum hourly wage.

What is a bank levy in California?

The creditor gets a writ of execution and the sheriff (levying officer) serves a levy on your bank, which freezes the money. Money in your accounts up to $2,325 (from July 1, 2026, adjusted every July 1) is protected automatically. If Social Security or other federal benefits are direct-deposited, the bank must protect two months of those benefits.

How do I protect exempt money in California?

Bank levy: file a Claim of Exemption (form EJ-160), plus a Financial Statement (form EJ-165) if you need the money for basic needs, with the levying officer named on the Notice of Levy, within 15 days after you were personally served with the notice, or 20 days if it was mailed. If you mail the claim with a tracking number, it counts as filed on the postmark date. For a personal (consumer) debt judgment you can still file after 20 days, but the money can be paid to the creditor any time after the 20 days end. Wage garnishment: file a Claim of Exemption (form WG-006) and Financial Statement (form WG-007) with the levying officer. The creditor has 10 days to oppose; if it does, a judge decides at a hearing. If it doesn't, the claim is granted.

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Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources