After a debt judgment in Missouri: 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 verified (sworn) claim of exemption with the court and serve a copy on the creditor within 20 days after you are served with the notice of garnishment.

How long it lasts
10 years
Interest after the judgment
9%

Protecting exempt money in Missouri

File a verified (sworn) claim of exemption with the court and serve a copy on the creditor within 20 days after you are served with the notice of garnishment. If the creditor does not ask for court review within 20 days, the exempt funds must be released. If it objects, the court decides, with any hearing held within 30 days.

Law: Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 90.03(b)-(c); R. 90.035

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

Your bank account after a judgment in Missouri

The creditor gets a writ of garnishment served on your bank by the sheriff. Within 5 days, both the creditor and the bank must send you a copy of the summons and writ. Missouri has no fixed dollar amount automatically protected in a bank account, but exempt funds can be claimed. A head of family may claim $1,250 plus $350 per dependent child in other property, except 10% of wages.

Law: for example under RSMo §§ 513.430 and 513.440, or federal benefits protected by 31 C.F.R. Part 212; RSMo § 513.440

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

Interest and how long the judgment lasts in Missouri

Interest after the judgment

9% a year in non-tort cases such as debt suits, or the contract rate if the contract bears more than 9%, from the date of judgment until paid.

How long it lasts

A judgment is presumed paid 10 years after it was entered, after the last recorded payment, or after it was revived. The creditor can revive it by a motion filed within 10 years after entry, the last payment of record, or the last revival; you get an order to show cause why it should not be revived.

Law: RSMo § 408.040.2; RSMo § 516.350.1; Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 74.09

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

How much of your pay can be taken in Missouri

For most people the federal limit applies (25% of take-home pay, or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less). If you are the head of a family and a Missouri resident, no more than 10% can be taken.

Law: RSMo § 525.030(2)

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

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)

Steps to protect your money in Missouri

  1. Watch for notices

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

  2. Collect your records

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

  3. File the claim on time

    Missouri's rule: File a verified (sworn) claim of exemption with the court and serve a copy on the creditor within 20 days after you are served with the notice of garnishment.

  4. Go to the hearing

    A judge decides disputed claims; bring every paper.

Free help in Missouri

Questions about collection after a judgment in Missouri

How much interest does a judgment add in Missouri?

9% a year in non-tort cases such as debt suits, or the contract rate if the contract bears more than 9%, from the date of judgment until paid.

Can a judgment be renewed in Missouri?

A judgment is presumed paid 10 years after it was entered, after the last recorded payment, or after it was revived. The creditor can revive it by a motion filed within 10 years after entry, the last payment of record, or the last revival; you get an order to show cause why it should not be revived.

How much of my pay can be taken in Missouri?

For most people the federal limit applies (25% of take-home pay, or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less). If you are the head of a family and a Missouri resident, no more than 10% can be taken.

What is a bank levy in Missouri?

The creditor gets a writ of garnishment served on your bank by the sheriff. Within 5 days, both the creditor and the bank must send you a copy of the summons and writ. Missouri has no fixed dollar amount automatically protected in a bank account, but exempt funds can be claimed. A head of family may claim $1,250 plus $350 per dependent child in other property, except 10% of wages.

What is the deadline to claim an exemption in Missouri?

File a verified (sworn) claim of exemption with the court and serve a copy on the creditor within 20 days after you are served with the notice of garnishment. If the creditor does not ask for court review within 20 days, the exempt funds must be released. If it objects, the court decides, with any hearing held within 30 days.

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Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources