After a debt judgment in South Carolina: 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). A judgment is collected by a writ of execution carried out by the sheriff.

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

How long a judgment lasts in South Carolina

Interest after the judgment

The Wall Street Journal prime rate in its first edition of each calendar year plus 4 percentage points, compounded yearly. The South Carolina Supreme Court confirms the rate by order by January 15 each year.

How long it lasts

10 years. The creditor can have executions issued and enforce the judgment at any time within 10 years after it is entered, and the judgment is a lien on your real estate in any county where it is entered on the judgment index for 10 years from the date of the judgment. The statutes do not provide a way to renew it.

Law: S.C. Code Ann. § 34-31-20(B); §§ 15-39-20, 15-39-30, 15-35-810

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Bank levies in South Carolina

A judgment is collected by a writ of execution carried out by the sheriff. No amount in a bank account is protected automatically. If you don't claim a homestead exemption, you can protect cash and liquid assets, including bank deposits, up to $7,600 (the amount set July 1, 2024; adjusted every even-numbered year).

Law: Magistrates Court Rule 17(c); S.C. Code Ann. § 15-41-30(A)(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

How much of your pay can be taken in South Carolina

Stricter than federal. Your wages can't be garnished for a debt from a consumer credit sale, consumer lease, consumer loan or rent-to-own agreement, and your employer can't fire you because a creditor tried.

Law: S.C. Code Ann. §§ 37-5-104, 37-5-106

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

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 South Carolina

  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

    The clerk can tell you the form and the deadline.

  4. Attend the hearing

    A judge decides disputed claims; bring every paper.

Free legal help in South Carolina

Questions about collection after a judgment in South Carolina

How much interest does a judgment add in South Carolina?

The Wall Street Journal prime rate in its first edition of each calendar year plus 4 percentage points, compounded yearly. The South Carolina Supreme Court confirms the rate by order by January 15 each year.

How long does a judgment last in South Carolina?

10 years. The creditor can have executions issued and enforce the judgment at any time within 10 years after it is entered, and the judgment is a lien on your real estate in any county where it is entered on the judgment index for 10 years from the date of the judgment. The statutes do not provide a way to renew it.

Can a creditor take my paycheck in South Carolina?

Stricter than federal. Your wages can't be garnished for a debt from a consumer credit sale, consumer lease, consumer loan or rent-to-own agreement, and your employer can't fire you because a creditor tried.

What is a bank levy in South Carolina?

A judgment is collected by a writ of execution carried out by the sheriff. No amount in a bank account is protected automatically. If you don't claim a homestead exemption, you can protect cash and liquid assets, including bank deposits, up to $7,600 (the amount set July 1, 2024; adjusted every even-numbered year).

Keep reading about South Carolina

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources