After a debt judgment in Louisiana: 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). There is no statewide exemption claim form. You can file a motion in the court that issued the garnishment; the court keeps the power to amend or set aside its garnishment judgment at any time.

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

Protecting exempt money in Louisiana

There is no statewide exemption claim form. You can file a motion in the court that issued the garnishment; the court keeps the power to amend or set aside its garnishment judgment at any time.

Law: La. C.C.P. art. 2412; La. R.S. 13:3923, 13:3881

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

The judgment's life in Louisiana

Interest after the judgment

Judicial interest: each year the Commissioner of Financial Institutions sets the rate at 3.25 points above the Federal Reserve discount rate on the first business day of October, for the next calendar year. The rate for 2026 is 7.50%. If your contract sets an interest rate, that agreed rate can apply instead.

How long it lasts

A money judgment expires (prescribes) 10 years after it is signed. The creditor can revive it before then by an ex parte motion, as many times as it wants; each revival starts a new 10 years.

Law: La. R.S. 13:4202; La. Civ. Code arts. 2000, 3501; La. C.C.P. art. 2031; OFI judicial interest rate table

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Bank levies in Louisiana

The creditor files a garnishment petition and the sheriff serves your bank, which must answer under oath within 30 days. The creditor must send you written notice of the garnishment petition. No separate Louisiana bank account amount was found; 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 Louisiana

The federal limit applies. You keep 75% of your disposable earnings, and never less than 30 times the federal minimum wage per week ($217.50) (La. R.S. 13:3881(A)(1)).

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

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 Louisiana

  1. Read every notice

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

  2. Collect your records

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

  3. Ask the court to protect your money

    How it works in Louisiana: There is no statewide exemption claim form. You can file a motion in the court that issued the garnishment; the court keeps the power to amend or set aside its garnishment judgment at any time.

  4. Go to the hearing

    A judge decides disputed claims; bring every paper.

Free help in Louisiana

Questions about collection after a judgment in Louisiana

What is the judgment interest rate in Louisiana?

Judicial interest: each year the Commissioner of Financial Institutions sets the rate at 3.25 points above the Federal Reserve discount rate on the first business day of October, for the next calendar year. The rate for 2026 is 7.50%. If your contract sets an interest rate, that agreed rate can apply instead.

When does a judgment expire in Louisiana?

A money judgment expires (prescribes) 10 years after it is signed. The creditor can revive it before then by an ex parte motion, as many times as it wants; each revival starts a new 10 years.

Can a creditor take my paycheck in Louisiana?

The federal limit applies. You keep 75% of your disposable earnings, and never less than 30 times the federal minimum wage per week ($217.50) (La. R.S. 13:3881(A)(1)).

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

The creditor files a garnishment petition and the sheriff serves your bank, which must answer under oath within 30 days. The creditor must send you written notice of the garnishment petition. No separate Louisiana bank account amount was found; federal benefits such as Social Security are protected.

How do I protect exempt money in Louisiana?

There is no statewide exemption claim form. You can file a motion in the court that issued the garnishment; the court keeps the power to amend or set aside its garnishment judgment at any time.

Related Louisiana pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources