AZ Judgment Collection

How to Collect Your Judgment in Arizona

You already won. Here's how to actually get paid — debtor's exam, wage garnishment, bank levies, and property liens, with the exact Arizona forms and deadlines.

10 years (renewable)

Judgment good for

Lesser of 10% per year OR 1% plus the federal prime rate (A.R.S. § 44-1201); medical-debt judgments capped lower (lesser of 1-yr Treasury yield or 3%).

Interest accrues at

Restricted

Wage garnishment

10 yrs

Property lien

Arizona restricts wage garnishment for consumer debts

RESTRICTED: Arizona caps consumer wage garnishment at 10% of disposable earnings (far below the 25% federal ceiling) due to Proposition 209. Creditors lean more heavily on non-earnings garnishment (bank accounts) and judgment liens. Prop 209 applies prospectively to garnishments after its Dec 2022 enactment.

Your collection options in Arizona

Work them roughly in this order — find the assets first, then go after them.

Find the money — debtor's asset exam

Compels the debtor to disclose, under oath, where they bank, work, and what they own — the information every other step depends on.

Creditor asks the court for an order requiring the debtor to appear at a hearing, under oath, and produce financial documents (tax forms, bank statements, employment records) so the creditor can identify assets. Can be set immediately after trial or any time after judgment.

Garnish wages

Not available in AZ Form Writ of Garnishment of Earnings (AOC garnishment packet)

Filed with: court that entered the judgment; writ served on the employer (garnishee)

Levy the bank account

Form Writ of Garnishment (Non-Earnings) (AOC garnishment packet)

Freezes and pulls non-exempt funds straight from the debtor's bank account.

Creditor issues a Writ of Garnishment of non-earnings to a bank/financial institution to capture account funds; can issue after a formal written demand for payment of the judgment.

Lien their real estate

Attaches to property the debtor owns for 10 years — you get paid when they sell or refinance. The cheap, passive backstop.

Record a certified copy of the judgment (or an information statement) with the county recorder in each county where the debtor owns or later acquires real property (A.R.S. § 33-961 / § 33-964).

Court fee: county recorder recording fee (varies)

The fine print that matters in Arizona

How long your judgment lasts

Money judgments are valid for 10 years and renewable for successive 10-year periods (extended from 5 to 10 years by HB 2240, 2018). Renew by filing an affidavit of renewal before the 10-year period expires (A.R.S. § 12-1551 / § 12-1612).

Interest while you wait

A.R.S. § 44-1201; rate fixed at entry of judgment

What the debtor can protect (exemptions)

Homestead exemption $400,000 of equity (A.R.S. § 33-1101, inflation-adjusted annually from the $400k base set 2023). On sale of homestead property, the exemption is paid to the debtor first, then the lien creditor. Prop 209 protects 90% of disposable wages. Various personal-property exemptions under A.R.S. Title 33.

Arizona gotchas

MAJOR: Proposition 209 (Dec 2022) slashed the consumer wage-garnishment cap from 25% to 10% of disposable earnings and raised the homestead exemption to $400,000 — Arizona is now a debtor-friendly state for wage garnishment. Judgment-renewal window was extended 5→10 years in 2018, so older guides citing a 5-year renewal are outdated. Interest rate is the lesser of 10% or prime+1%, NOT a flat 10%.

Let us prepare your Arizona collection paperwork

We prepare your Arizona-specific enforcement forms — debtor's exam, garnishment, levy, or lien — plus a plain-English playbook telling you exactly where to file and what each step costs. You file them; we never charge a cut of what you collect.

$299

flat — plus the court/sheriff's own filing fees, paid directly

Collection firms take 33–50% of what they recover. On a $4,000 judgment that's $1,300–$2,000. Our flat fee keeps the rest in your pocket.

Arizona Judgment Collection FAQ

How long do I have to collect a judgment in Arizona?

A Arizona judgment is enforceable for 10 years, and can be renewed before it expires. Money judgments are valid for 10 years and renewable for successive 10-year periods (extended from 5 to 10 years by HB 2240, 2018). Renew by filing an affidavit of renewal before the 10-year period expires (A.R.S. § 12-1551 / § 12-1612).

Can I garnish the debtor's wages in Arizona?

Arizona bars or heavily restricts wage garnishment for ordinary consumer debts. RESTRICTED: Arizona caps consumer wage garnishment at 10% of disposable earnings (far below the 25% federal ceiling) due to Proposition 209. Creditors lean more heavily on non-earnings garnishment (bank accounts) and judgment liens. Prop 209 applies prospectively to garnishments after its Dec 2022 enactment.

How do I find out where the debtor banks or works?

Through Debtor's Examination (order to appear / supplemental proceeding) — the court orders the debtor to appear and disclose their assets under oath. Creditor asks the court for an order requiring the debtor to appear at a hearing, under oath, and produce financial documents (tax forms, bank statements, employment records) so the creditor can identify assets. Can be set immediately after trial or any time after judgment.

Can I put a lien on the debtor's house in Arizona?

Record a certified copy of the judgment (or an information statement) with the county recorder in each county where the debtor owns or later acquires real property (A.R.S. § 33-961 / § 33-964). The lien lasts 10 years.

What does it cost to collect, and what do you charge?

You pay the court and sheriff their own filing/levy fees directly (usually modest, and recoverable from the debtor). Our Judgment Collection service is a flat $299 — we prepare your Arizona-specific enforcement forms and a step-by-step filing playbook; you file them. Compared with collection firms that take 33–50% of what they recover, that's hundreds to thousands less on a typical judgment.

What if the debtor genuinely has no money?

Some debtors are "judgment-proof" — no job, no bank account, no equity — and no tool can squeeze money that isn't there. The honest play is the debtor's exam to confirm what exists, then keep the judgment alive (it lasts 10 years and is renewable) and try again when their situation changes. We give you the tools, not a guaranteed payout.

Collecting a judgment by county in Arizona

Where you file your garnishment or levy depends on the counties.

All 15 counties in Arizona

Apache County Cochise County Coconino County Gila County Graham County Greenlee County La Paz County Maricopa County Mohave County Navajo County Pima County Pinal County Santa Cruz County Yavapai County Yuma County

Official Arizona sources

This page is general information about collecting a money judgment in Arizona, not legal advice. Forms, fees, and procedures change and vary by court — confirm the current requirements with the court that entered your judgment before filing.

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