After a debt judgment in North Dakota: 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). Garnishment of non-wages (such as a bank account): file a sworn schedule of all your personal property (claim of exemptions) within 20 days after the garnishee summons is served on you.

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

Claiming what the law protects in North Dakota

Garnishment of non-wages (such as a bank account): file a sworn schedule of all your personal property (claim of exemptions) within 20 days after the garnishee summons is served on you. Writ of execution: make your claim for exemptions within 10 days after the notice of levy is served on you. The court can hear the claim on 3 days' notice to the creditor. The ND Legal Self Help Center has no exemption forms; Legal Services of North Dakota publishes Claim for Exemptions kits.

Law: N.D. Cent. Code §§ 32-09.1-22, 32-09.1-23, 28-22-06, 28-22-07

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

How long a judgment lasts in North Dakota

Interest after the judgment

The interest rate in the original contract, if it has one. Otherwise, the Wall Street Journal prime rate on the first Monday in December plus 3 percentage points, rounded up to the next half point, set each year by the state court administrator for the next calendar year. It may not be compounded.

Law: up to the state maximum in N.D. Cent. Code § 47-14-09

How long it lasts

Judgments entered on or after August 1, 2023 can be enforced for 20 years. Judgments entered before August 1, 2021 last 10 years and can be renewed once, by affidavit filed within 90 days before they expire, for another 10 years. For judgments entered between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2023, the ND courts say the law is unclear on renewal.

Law: N.D. Cent. Code §§ 28-20-34, 28-21-01, 28-20-21

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Your bank account after a judgment in North Dakota

The creditor can garnish a bank account (non-wages) with a garnishee summons, or the sheriff can levy under a writ of execution. Before a garnishment, you must be served a Notice Before Garnishment at least 10 days ahead. No automatic dollar amount in a bank account is protected; you must claim exemptions. A head of family can protect up to $7,500 of other personal property, including money.

Law: N.D. Cent. Code § 28-22-03

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 North Dakota

Stricter than federal. A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 40 times the federal minimum hourly wage, reduced by $20 a week for each dependent who lives with you. Give your employer a signed list of dependents within 10 days of getting the garnishee summons.

Law: N.D. Cent. Code § 32-09.1-03

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

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)

What to do now in North Dakota

  1. Watch for notices

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

  2. Gather proof

    Benefit letters and bank statements show which money is exempt.

  3. File the claim on time

    North Dakota's rule: Garnishment of non-wages (such as a bank account): file a sworn schedule of all your personal property (claim of exemptions) within 20 days after the garnishee summons is served on you.

  4. Go to the hearing

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

Free help in North Dakota

Questions about collection after a judgment in North Dakota

How much interest does a judgment add in North Dakota?

The interest rate in the original contract, if it has one. Otherwise, the Wall Street Journal prime rate on the first Monday in December plus 3 percentage points, rounded up to the next half point, set each year by the state court administrator for the next calendar year. It may not be compounded.

Can a judgment be renewed in North Dakota?

Judgments entered on or after August 1, 2023 can be enforced for 20 years. Judgments entered before August 1, 2021 last 10 years and can be renewed once, by affidavit filed within 90 days before they expire, for another 10 years. For judgments entered between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2023, the ND courts say the law is unclear on renewal.

Can a creditor take my paycheck in North Dakota?

Stricter than federal. A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 40 times the federal minimum hourly wage, reduced by $20 a week for each dependent who lives with you. Give your employer a signed list of dependents within 10 days of getting the garnishee summons.

Can my bank account be frozen in North Dakota?

The creditor can garnish a bank account (non-wages) with a garnishee summons, or the sheriff can levy under a writ of execution. Before a garnishment, you must be served a Notice Before Garnishment at least 10 days ahead. No automatic dollar amount in a bank account is protected; you must claim exemptions. A head of family can protect up to $7,500 of other personal property, including money.

How do I protect exempt money in North Dakota?

Garnishment of non-wages (such as a bank account): file a sworn schedule of all your personal property (claim of exemptions) within 20 days after the garnishee summons is served on you. Writ of execution: make your claim for exemptions within 10 days after the notice of levy is served on you. The court can hear the claim on 3 days' notice to the creditor. The ND Legal Self Help Center has no exemption forms; Legal Services of North Dakota publishes Claim for Exemptions kits.

Keep reading about North Dakota

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources