After a debt judgment in Michigan: 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). File Objections to Garnishment and Notice of Hearing (SCAO form MC 49) with the court within 14 days after the writ is served on you, and mail copies to the plaintiff and the garnishee.

How long it lasts
10 years
Interest after the judgment
13%
Exemption form
Official exemption form

How to claim an exemption in Michigan

File Objections to Garnishment and Notice of Hearing (SCAO form MC 49) with the court within 14 days after the writ is served on you, and mail copies to the plaintiff and the garnishee. You can object if the money is exempt, if the balance is wrong, or for other legal reasons about the garnishment (not to challenge the judgment itself). The court sets a hearing. Objections filed later can still be heard, but they do not stop payment unless the court orders it. If no objection is filed, the garnishee sends the held money to the creditor 28 days after the writ was served on the garnishee.

Law: MCR 3.101(J), (K); SCAO forms MC 12, MC 49

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

The judgment's life in Michigan

Interest after the judgment

If the judgment is on a written contract with a set interest rate (such as many credit card or loan agreements), interest runs at the contract rate from the date the complaint was filed, but no more than 13% a year. Otherwise, interest is 1% plus the average rate on 5-year U.S. Treasury notes, reset every January 1 and July 1 as certified by the State Treasurer, compounded yearly.

How long it lasts

10 years from the date of the judgment (for District Court judgments entered since May 25, 1973, and Circuit Court judgments). Within those 10 years, the creditor can sue on the judgment to get a new judgment, which lasts another 10 years. Small claims judgments last 6 years.

Law: MCL 600.6013(7), (8); MCL 600.5809(3)

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Your bank account after a judgment in Michigan

The creditor gets a writ of garnishment for nonperiodic payments served on your bank, which must hold the money in your account. Michigan has no fixed dollar amount protected automatically in a bank account; exempt money, such as Social Security, can be claimed by filing objections.

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 Michigan

The federal limit applies, so a creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage per week.

Law: SCAO form MC 14; 15 U.S.C. § 1673

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

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 Michigan

  1. Watch for notices

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

  2. Find where your money comes from

    Proof of where the money came from, like award letters, wins exemption claims.

  3. File the claim on time

    Michigan's rule: File Objections to Garnishment and Notice of Hearing (SCAO form MC 49) with the court within 14 days after the writ is served on you, and mail copies to the plaintiff and the garnishee.

  4. Attend the hearing

    If the creditor objects, the judge decides at a hearing. Bring your proof.

Where to get free help in Michigan

Questions about collection after a judgment in Michigan

How much interest does a judgment add in Michigan?

If the judgment is on a written contract with a set interest rate (such as many credit card or loan agreements), interest runs at the contract rate from the date the complaint was filed, but no more than 13% a year. Otherwise, interest is 1% plus the average rate on 5-year U.S. Treasury notes, reset every January 1 and July 1 as certified by the State Treasurer, compounded yearly.

How long does a judgment last in Michigan?

10 years from the date of the judgment (for District Court judgments entered since May 25, 1973, and Circuit Court judgments). Within those 10 years, the creditor can sue on the judgment to get a new judgment, which lasts another 10 years. Small claims judgments last 6 years.

How much of my pay can be taken in Michigan?

The federal limit applies, so a creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage per week.

Can my bank account be frozen in Michigan?

The creditor gets a writ of garnishment for nonperiodic payments served on your bank, which must hold the money in your account. Michigan has no fixed dollar amount protected automatically in a bank account; exempt money, such as Social Security, can be claimed by filing objections.

What is the deadline to claim an exemption in Michigan?

File Objections to Garnishment and Notice of Hearing (SCAO form MC 49) with the court within 14 days after the writ is served on you, and mail copies to the plaintiff and the garnishee. You can object if the money is exempt, if the balance is wrong, or for other legal reasons about the garnishment (not to challenge the judgment itself). The court sets a hearing. Objections filed later can still be heard, but they do not stop payment unless the court orders it. If no objection is filed, the garnishee sends the held money to the creditor 28 days after the writ was served on the garnishee.

Related Michigan pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources