After a debt judgment in Iowa: 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). File a Motion to Quash Garnishment and Request for Hearing (Small Claims Form 3.20) within 10 days after you receive the Notice of Garnishment (Form 3.19).

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

How to claim an exemption in Iowa

File a Motion to Quash Garnishment and Request for Hearing (Small Claims Form 3.20) within 10 days after you receive the Notice of Garnishment (Form 3.19). You can also file an Affidavit of Property Exempt from Execution (Form 3.21).

Law: Iowa Code §§ 642.14, 642.14A, 642.14B; Instructions for Defendant Responding to a Small Claims Action

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

Interest and how long the judgment lasts in Iowa

Interest after the judgment

The one-year Treasury constant maturity rate (Federal Reserve H15) published just before the judgment, plus 2%; the Judicial Branch posts the monthly figure (for example 4.47% on October 7, 2026, which gives 6.47%). If the contract sets a rate, that rate applies, up to the legal maximum in Iowa Code § 535.2.

How long it lasts

A creditor can sue on an Iowa court judgment for up to 20 years. A judgment is a lien on your real estate for 10 years; it does not attach to your homestead except as the law allows.

Law: Iowa Code §§ 535.3(1)(a), 668.13(2)-(3); § 614.1(6); § 624.23

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Your paycheck after a judgment in Iowa

Stricter than federal – on top of the federal limit, each judgment creditor can garnish only a yearly maximum tied to your expected income: $250 if you expect to earn under $12,000; $400 ($12,000–$15,999); $800 ($16,000–$23,999); $1,500 ($24,000–$34,999); $2,000 ($35,000–$49,999); 10% of expected earnings at $50,000 or more. Support orders and some other debts are exceptions.

Law: Iowa Code § 642.21

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

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)

Your bank account after a judgment in Iowa

The creditor has the sheriff serve a garnishment on your bank. If the bank's answers show it holds your money, the creditor must serve you a notice of garnishment and levy within 7 business days, telling you how to claim exemptions and ask for a hearing. Up to $1,000 total in cash, bank or credit union deposits, or other personal property you choose is exempt.

Law: Iowa Code § 627.6(14)

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

Steps to protect your money in Iowa

  1. Open every letter

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

  2. Gather proof

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

  3. File the claim on time

    How it works in Iowa: File a Motion to Quash Garnishment and Request for Hearing (Small Claims Form 3.20) within 10 days after you receive the Notice of Garnishment (Form 3.19).

  4. Show up at the hearing

    A judge decides disputed claims; bring every paper.

  5. Ask for free help

    Free help: Iowa Legal Aid (LawHelp network).

Free help in Iowa

Questions about collection after a judgment in Iowa

What is the judgment interest rate in Iowa?

The one-year Treasury constant maturity rate (Federal Reserve H15) published just before the judgment, plus 2%; the Judicial Branch posts the monthly figure (for example 4.47% on October 7, 2026, which gives 6.47%). If the contract sets a rate, that rate applies, up to the legal maximum in Iowa Code § 535.2.

How long does a judgment last in Iowa?

A creditor can sue on an Iowa court judgment for up to 20 years. A judgment is a lien on your real estate for 10 years; it does not attach to your homestead except as the law allows.

How much of my pay can be taken in Iowa?

Stricter than federal – on top of the federal limit, each judgment creditor can garnish only a yearly maximum tied to your expected income: $250 if you expect to earn under $12,000; $400 ($12,000–$15,999); $800 ($16,000–$23,999); $1,500 ($24,000–$34,999); $2,000 ($35,000–$49,999); 10% of expected earnings at $50,000 or more. Support orders and some other debts are exceptions.

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

The creditor has the sheriff serve a garnishment on your bank. If the bank's answers show it holds your money, the creditor must serve you a notice of garnishment and levy within 7 business days, telling you how to claim exemptions and ask for a hearing. Up to $1,000 total in cash, bank or credit union deposits, or other personal property you choose is exempt.

What is the deadline to claim an exemption in Iowa?

File a Motion to Quash Garnishment and Request for Hearing (Small Claims Form 3.20) within 10 days after you receive the Notice of Garnishment (Form 3.19). You can also file an Affidavit of Property Exempt from Execution (Form 3.21).

More for Iowa

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources