After a debt judgment in Washington: 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). Fill out the Exemption Claim form you receive with the writ. Mail or deliver the original to the court clerk and a copy to the plaintiff or its lawyer as quickly as possible, but no later than 28 days after the date on the writ.

How long it lasts
10 years
Interest after the judgment
9%
Exemption form
Official exemption form

Claiming what the law protects in Washington

Fill out the Exemption Claim form you receive with the writ. Mail or deliver the original to the court clerk and a copy to the plaintiff or its lawyer as quickly as possible, but no later than 28 days after the date on the writ. If the plaintiff does not object, the money must be released within 10 days after it gets your claim. If it objects, a hearing must be held within 14 days after it got your claim. You must prove the source and amount of exempt money.

Law: RCW 6.27.140, 6.27.160; RCW 6.27.150; RCW 6.15.010

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

Your bank account after a judgment in Washington

The creditor gets a writ of garnishment and serves it on your bank. The bank must hold money that is not automatically exempt. You get a Notice of Garnishment and of Your Rights and an Exemption Claim form. For consumer debt, $2,000 in bank accounts is protected automatically ($500 for most other debts; $1,000 automatic, up to $2,500, for private student loans). Accounts with only benefits such as Social Security, SSI or unemployment can be claimed as fully exempt.

Law: RCW 6.15.010(1)(d)(iii); RCW 6.27.140

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 Washington

Interest after the judgment

A judgment for consumer debt earns 9% a year, unless a written contract sets a specific interest rate and that rate is stated in the judgment. For private student loan debt it is 2 points above the prime rate.

Law: RCW 4.56.110(1), (4), (5)

How long it lasts

A creditor can collect for 10 years from the date of judgment. Within the 90 days before it expires, the creditor can ask the court for one more 10 years. No judgment can be enforced for more than 20 years.

Law: RCW 4.56.110; RCW 6.17.020(1), (3), (7)

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Wage garnishment in Washington

For consumer debt you keep the greater of 80% of disposable earnings or 35 times the Washington minimum hourly wage per week. For private student loans you keep the greater of 85% or 50 times the highest minimum wage in the state.

Law: RCW 6.27.150(3), (4)

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

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 Washington

  1. Open every letter

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

  2. Collect your records

    Get bank statements and benefit award letters: they prove the source of the money.

  3. Claim your exemptions

    How it works in Washington: Fill out the Exemption Claim form you receive with the writ.

  4. Show up at the hearing

    A judge decides disputed claims; bring every paper.

Where to get free help in Washington

Questions about collection after a judgment in Washington

What is the judgment interest rate in Washington?

A judgment for consumer debt earns 9% a year, unless a written contract sets a specific interest rate and that rate is stated in the judgment. For private student loan debt it is 2 points above the prime rate.

How long does a judgment last in Washington?

A creditor can collect for 10 years from the date of judgment. Within the 90 days before it expires, the creditor can ask the court for one more 10 years. No judgment can be enforced for more than 20 years.

How much of my pay can be taken in Washington?

For consumer debt you keep the greater of 80% of disposable earnings or 35 times the Washington minimum hourly wage per week. For private student loans you keep the greater of 85% or 50 times the highest minimum wage in the state.

What is a bank levy in Washington?

The creditor gets a writ of garnishment and serves it on your bank. The bank must hold money that is not automatically exempt. You get a Notice of Garnishment and of Your Rights and an Exemption Claim form. For consumer debt, $2,000 in bank accounts is protected automatically ($500 for most other debts; $1,000 automatic, up to $2,500, for private student loans). Accounts with only benefits such as Social Security, SSI or unemployment can be claimed as fully exempt.

How do I protect exempt money in Washington?

Fill out the Exemption Claim form you receive with the writ. Mail or deliver the original to the court clerk and a copy to the plaintiff or its lawyer as quickly as possible, but no later than 28 days after the date on the writ. If the plaintiff does not object, the money must be released within 10 days after it gets your claim. If it objects, a hearing must be held within 14 days after it got your claim. You must prove the source and amount of exempt money.

More for Washington

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources