After a debt judgment in the District of Columbia: 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). File a notice of claim of exemption, or a motion to quash the attachment, with the clerk; the court must act promptly after notice.
- How long it lasts
- 12 years
- Interest after the judgment
- See the rule
Claiming what the law protects in the District of Columbia
File a notice of claim of exemption, or a motion to quash the attachment, with the clerk; the court must act promptly after notice. For wages, you can also file a motion claiming undue financial hardship to exempt more of your pay; the court must hold a hearing within 30 days. No fixed filing deadline is set by statute, so act quickly.
Law: D.C. Code § 15-503(d); § 16-572.01; D.C. Superior Court Small Claims Handbook (2026)
Count your deadline to claim an exemption
Interest and how long the judgment lasts in the District of Columbia
- Interest after the judgment
The contract rate if the contract sets one. Otherwise, 70% of the IRS underpayment rate, rounded to the nearest full percent; the court can lower it for good cause or if you cannot pay in good faith. The court's posted rate is 5% a year since January 1, 2025.
- How long it lasts
12 years from when it could first be enforced. The creditor can extend it for another 12 years by getting an order of revival before it expires. A new law bars revival of medical debt judgments once it takes effect.
Law: D.C. Code § 28-3302(c); § 15-101; § 15-103
Bank levies in the District of Columbia
The creditor files a Writ of Attachment on Non-Wages served on a D.C. bank branch. The bank has 10 days to answer. If it is holding your money, the creditor must get a Judgment of Condemnation before the bank pays it over. Some income, such as Social Security, is 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
Your paycheck after a judgment in the District of Columbia
Only 25% of the part of your weekly disposable wages above 40 times the D.C. minimum hourly wage can be taken. The creditor cannot start collecting until 10 business days after judgment.
Law: D.C. Code § 16-572
These garnishment limits are from our sister site, which checks them against official sources: Debt Collector Map: District of Columbia
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)
What to do now in the District of Columbia
Read every notice
Notices from the court, your bank or your employer can carry short deadlines.
Collect your records
Benefit letters and bank statements show which money is exempt.
Claim your exemptions
How it works in the District of Columbia: File a notice of claim of exemption, or a motion to quash the attachment, with the clerk; the court must act promptly after notice.
Show up at the hearing
Bring your proof to the hearing if the creditor objects.
Where to get free help in the District of Columbia
Questions about collection after a judgment in the District of Columbia
What is the judgment interest rate in the District of Columbia?
The contract rate if the contract sets one. Otherwise, 70% of the IRS underpayment rate, rounded to the nearest full percent; the court can lower it for good cause or if you cannot pay in good faith. The court's posted rate is 5% a year since January 1, 2025.
When does a judgment expire in the District of Columbia?
12 years from when it could first be enforced. The creditor can extend it for another 12 years by getting an order of revival before it expires. A new law bars revival of medical debt judgments once it takes effect.
How much of my pay can be taken in the District of Columbia?
Only 25% of the part of your weekly disposable wages above 40 times the D.C. minimum hourly wage can be taken. The creditor cannot start collecting until 10 business days after judgment.
Can my bank account be frozen in the District of Columbia?
The creditor files a Writ of Attachment on Non-Wages served on a D.C. bank branch. The bank has 10 days to answer. If it is holding your money, the creditor must get a Judgment of Condemnation before the bank pays it over. Some income, such as Social Security, is protected.
What is the deadline to claim an exemption in the District of Columbia?
File a notice of claim of exemption, or a motion to quash the attachment, with the clerk; the court must act promptly after notice. For wages, you can also file a motion claiming undue financial hardship to exempt more of your pay; the court must hold a hearing within 30 days. No fixed filing deadline is set by statute, so act quickly.
Related the District of Columbia pages
Sources
- D.C. Code § 15-503(d); § 16-572.01; D.C. Superior Court Small Claims Handbook (2026)
- D.C. Code § 28-3302(c); § 15-101; § 15-103
- D.C. Code § 28-3814 (debt collection; lawsuit requirements)
- D.C. Code § 28-3302 (judgment interest)
- D.C. Code § 15-103 (revival)
- D.C. Code § 16-572 (wage garnishment limit)
- D.C. Code § 16-572.01 (hardship motion)
- D.C. Law 26-172, Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2026
- Superior Court Rules for the Small Claims and Conciliation Branch
- Superior Court Civil Rule 60
- Superior Court Civil Rule 202 (fees)
- D.C. Superior Court 2026 Small Claims Handbook
- D.C. Courts judgment interest rates
- D.C. Courts – Small Claims Branch
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.