After a debt judgment in Maryland: 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 Motion for Release of Property from Levy/Garnishment (form DC-CV-036) within 30 days after the garnishment was served on the bank (for the $6,000 election: within 30 days of the attachment or levy).

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

How to claim an exemption in Maryland

File a Motion for Release of Property from Levy/Garnishment (form DC-CV-036) within 30 days after the garnishment was served on the bank (for the $6,000 election: within 30 days of the attachment or levy). Check the box to elect the exemption allowed by law, or write the legal reason (for example, Social Security). Send a copy to all parties, including the bank. A judge reviews it; sometimes there is a hearing.

Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504(b)(5)-(6), (c); Maryland Courts, Judgments and Debt Collection

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

When a creditor freezes your account in Maryland

A writ of garnishment is served on your bank, which freezes money up to the judgment amount. $500 in each bank is protected automatically, without you asking. You can also elect to protect up to $6,000 in cash or property for any reason (including that $500), and protected money such as Social Security can be released.

Law: Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504(b)(5)

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 Maryland

You keep the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland minimum hourly wage for each week of the pay period. You can contest a wage garnishment with form DC-002, Motion. The creditor must send you a statement of payments within 15 days after the end of each month.

Law: Com. Law § 15-601.1

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

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)

How long a judgment lasts in Maryland

Interest after the judgment

10% a year on the judgment amount (6% for residential rent judgments). Exception: a judgment on a loan of money carries the loan's contract rate on the unpaid principal until the loan's original maturity date (not for mortgage loans).

How long it lasts

12 years. The creditor can renew it for another 12 years.

Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-107(a)-(b); § 11-106; § 5-102(a)(3); Maryland Courts, Judgments and Debt Collection

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Steps to protect your money in Maryland

  1. Read every notice

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

  2. Gather proof

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

  3. Claim your exemptions

    In Maryland: File a Motion for Release of Property from Levy/Garnishment (form DC-CV-036) within 30 days after the garnishment was served on the bank (for the $6,000 election: within 30 days of the attachment or levy).

  4. Show up at the hearing

    Bring your proof to the hearing if the creditor objects.

Free help in Maryland

Questions about collection after a judgment in Maryland

How much interest does a judgment add in Maryland?

10% a year on the judgment amount (6% for residential rent judgments). Exception: a judgment on a loan of money carries the loan's contract rate on the unpaid principal until the loan's original maturity date (not for mortgage loans).

When does a judgment expire in Maryland?

12 years. The creditor can renew it for another 12 years.

Can my wages be garnished in Maryland?

You keep the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland minimum hourly wage for each week of the pay period. You can contest a wage garnishment with form DC-002, Motion. The creditor must send you a statement of payments within 15 days after the end of each month.

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

A writ of garnishment is served on your bank, which freezes money up to the judgment amount. $500 in each bank is protected automatically, without you asking. You can also elect to protect up to $6,000 in cash or property for any reason (including that $500), and protected money such as Social Security can be released.

What is the deadline to claim an exemption in Maryland?

File a Motion for Release of Property from Levy/Garnishment (form DC-CV-036) within 30 days after the garnishment was served on the bank (for the $6,000 election: within 30 days of the attachment or levy). Check the box to elect the exemption allowed by law, or write the legal reason (for example, Social Security). Send a copy to all parties, including the bank. A judge reviews it; sometimes there is a hearing.

Related Maryland pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources