After a debt judgment in Virginia: 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). The garnishment summons must come with a Notice to Judgment Debtor and a Request for Hearing - Garnishment/Lien Exemption Claim (form DC-454).

How long it lasts
10 years
Interest after the judgment
6%
Exemption form
Official exemption form

How to claim an exemption in Virginia

The garnishment summons must come with a Notice to Judgment Debtor and a Request for Hearing - Garnishment/Lien Exemption Claim (form DC-454). Check the exemptions that apply, and deliver or mail the form to the clerk's office of the court that issued the garnishment. You have a right to a hearing within 7 business days after you file. Bring proof (for example, bank statements showing benefit deposits) to the hearing.

Law: Va. Code §§ 8.01-512.4, 34-4.3

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

How long a judgment lasts in Virginia

Interest after the judgment

6% a year. But a judgment on a contract carries the contract's lawful interest rate if that is higher than 6%. The rate in effect when the judgment is entered stays fixed.

How long it lasts

General District Court judgments: enforceable for 10 years. For judgments entered before July 1, 2026, the creditor could keep them alive longer by docketing them in Circuit Court before the 10 years ran out; for judgments entered on or after July 1, 2026, that option is gone and the 10-year limit applies. Circuit Court judgments dated on or after July 1, 2021: 10 years, which the creditor can extend by recording a certificate before it expires (10 more years), and once more after that. Older Circuit Court judgments: 20 years.

Law: Va. Code § 6.2-302; § 16.1-94.1; § 8.01-251

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Your bank account after a judgment in Virginia

The creditor serves a garnishment summons (or a notice of lien) on your bank. Since 2026, the bank must automatically keep a minimum protected balance of up to $1,000 available to you, and must automatically protect certain federal and state benefit deposits, such as Social Security. A householder can also claim up to $5,000 of property, including money ($10,000 if 65 or older), plus $500 per dependent.

Law: Va. Code § 34-4.3; notice in Va. Code § 8.01-512.4

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

Wage garnishment in Virginia

Stricter than federal. A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 40 times the federal or Virginia minimum hourly wage, whichever is higher.

Law: Va. Code § 34-29(A)

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

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 Virginia

  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

    How it works in Virginia: The garnishment summons must come with a Notice to Judgment Debtor and a Request for Hearing - Garnishment/Lien Exemption Claim (form DC-454).

  4. Go to the hearing

    Bring your proof to the hearing if the creditor objects.

Where to get free help in Virginia

Questions about collection after a judgment in Virginia

What is the judgment interest rate in Virginia?

6% a year. But a judgment on a contract carries the contract's lawful interest rate if that is higher than 6%. The rate in effect when the judgment is entered stays fixed.

Can a judgment be renewed in Virginia?

General District Court judgments: enforceable for 10 years. For judgments entered before July 1, 2026, the creditor could keep them alive longer by docketing them in Circuit Court before the 10 years ran out; for judgments entered on or after July 1, 2026, that option is gone and the 10-year limit applies. Circuit Court judgments dated on or after July 1, 2021: 10 years, which the creditor can extend by recording a certificate before it expires (10 more years), and once more after that. Older Circuit Court judgments: 20 years.

Can my wages be garnished in Virginia?

Stricter than federal. A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 40 times the federal or Virginia minimum hourly wage, whichever is higher.

Can my bank account be frozen in Virginia?

The creditor serves a garnishment summons (or a notice of lien) on your bank. Since 2026, the bank must automatically keep a minimum protected balance of up to $1,000 available to you, and must automatically protect certain federal and state benefit deposits, such as Social Security. A householder can also claim up to $5,000 of property, including money ($10,000 if 65 or older), plus $500 per dependent.

How do I protect exempt money in Virginia?

The garnishment summons must come with a Notice to Judgment Debtor and a Request for Hearing - Garnishment/Lien Exemption Claim (form DC-454). Check the exemptions that apply, and deliver or mail the form to the clerk's office of the court that issued the garnishment. You have a right to a hearing within 7 business days after you file. Bring proof (for example, bank statements showing benefit deposits) to the hearing.

Keep reading about Virginia

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources