After a debt judgment in Illinois: 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). You can claim exemptions at the court date on the citation or wage deduction notice. If your bank account is frozen, you can file the statewide Emergency Motion to Claim Exemption, with a Notice of Court Date and a proposed Order, and send copies to the creditor and your bank (by email, fax, hand delivery or mail).

How long it lasts
7 years
Interest after the judgment
9%
Exemption form
Official exemption form

How to claim an exemption in Illinois

You can claim exemptions at the court date on the citation or wage deduction notice. If your bank account is frozen, you can file the statewide Emergency Motion to Claim Exemption, with a Notice of Court Date and a proposed Order, and send copies to the creditor and your bank (by email, fax, hand delivery or mail). If the judge grants it, bring the Order to your bank to release the money.

Law: 735 ILCS 5/12-1001; 735 ILCS 5/12-1006; 735 ILCS 5/2-1402

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 Illinois

Interest after the judgment

9% a year for most judgments. A consumer debt judgment of $25,000 or less entered on or after January 1, 2020 earns 5% a year. You can stop interest from growing by paying (tendering) the judgment, costs and interest owed to that date.

How long it lasts

A creditor can enforce a judgment for 7 years after it is entered; after that it must be revived (renewed) in court, and it can be revived up to 20 years after entry. Consumer debt judgments have shorter limits: one entered from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2025 can be revived only by a petition filed no later than 10 years after it was entered; one entered on or after January 1, 2026 cannot be revived but can be enforced for 15 years after entry. Consumer debt judgments entered before 2020 follow the general 20-year rule.

Law: 735 ILCS 5/2-1303(a), (b); 735 ILCS 5/12-108(a); 735 ILCS 5/2-1602(a), (a-10) (as amended by P.A. 104-120, eff. Jan. 1, 2026)

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

When a creditor freezes your account in Illinois

The creditor serves a Citation to Discover Assets on your bank, which freezes your accounts. After a consumer debt judgment, $1,000 in a checking or savings account is automatically protected until the court date; it is part of your $4,000 'any property' (wildcard) exemption, which you must claim in court. Money from Social Security, SSI, disability, pensions, public assistance, child support and unemployment is exempt.

Law: 735 ILCS 5/12-1001.1; 12-1001(b)

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 Illinois

No more than 15% of gross weekly wages, or the amount of disposable earnings above 45 times the higher of the federal or Illinois minimum wage, whichever is less. In Illinois this is called a wage deduction.

Law: 735 ILCS 5/12-803

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

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 Illinois

  1. Read every notice

    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

    Illinois's rule: You can claim exemptions at the court date on the citation or wage deduction notice.

  4. Go to the hearing

    A judge decides disputed claims; bring every paper.

Where to get free help in Illinois

Questions about collection after a judgment in Illinois

How much interest does a judgment add in Illinois?

9% a year for most judgments. A consumer debt judgment of $25,000 or less entered on or after January 1, 2020 earns 5% a year. You can stop interest from growing by paying (tendering) the judgment, costs and interest owed to that date.

When does a judgment expire in Illinois?

A creditor can enforce a judgment for 7 years after it is entered; after that it must be revived (renewed) in court, and it can be revived up to 20 years after entry. Consumer debt judgments have shorter limits: one entered from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2025 can be revived only by a petition filed no later than 10 years after it was entered; one entered on or after January 1, 2026 cannot be revived but can be enforced for 15 years after entry. Consumer debt judgments entered before 2020 follow the general 20-year rule.

Can a creditor take my paycheck in Illinois?

No more than 15% of gross weekly wages, or the amount of disposable earnings above 45 times the higher of the federal or Illinois minimum wage, whichever is less. In Illinois this is called a wage deduction.

Can a creditor take money from my bank account in Illinois?

The creditor serves a Citation to Discover Assets on your bank, which freezes your accounts. After a consumer debt judgment, $1,000 in a checking or savings account is automatically protected until the court date; it is part of your $4,000 'any property' (wildcard) exemption, which you must claim in court. Money from Social Security, SSI, disability, pensions, public assistance, child support and unemployment is exempt.

How do I claim an exemption in Illinois?

You can claim exemptions at the court date on the citation or wage deduction notice. If your bank account is frozen, you can file the statewide Emergency Motion to Claim Exemption, with a Notice of Court Date and a proposed Order, and send copies to the creditor and your bank (by email, fax, hand delivery or mail). If the judge grants it, bring the Order to your bank to release the money.

Related Illinois pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources