How to Collect Your Judgment in Kentucky

A Kentucky judgment is enforceable for 15 years, and can be renewed before it expires. The underlying money judgment is enforceable for 15 years (KRS 413.090 / 413.110 statute of limitations on a judgment). The judgment LIEN on real estate is a separate, shorter clock: under HB 83 (eff. June 29, 2023), a judgment lien recorded on or after 6/29/2023 expires 10 years after the date of final judgment and may be renewed ONCE for a single additional 5-year period (KRS 426.720). Liens recorded before that date follow the prior 15-year rule.

Yes. Garnishment in Kentucky can reach Lesser of 25% of disposable earnings for the week, or the amount disposable earnings exceed 30x federal minimum wage (federal CCPA cap, applied via KRS 427.005/427.010).. Exemptions: 25%/30x federal wage cap (KRS 427.010). The creditor or clerk holds garnished wages 15 days after the employer's check to let the debtor assert exemptions (AOC-150). Personal-property exemptions in KRS 427.010-427.060.

Through Discovery in Aid of Execution (judgment-debtor examination under CR 69.03) — the court orders the debtor to appear and disclose their assets under oath. Under Kentucky Civil Rule 69.03 the creditor may either (a) serve written interrogatories on the debtor (personally served; debtor must answer and file within 14 days) or (b) serve a CR 69 subpoena ordering the debtor to appear before the court for examination and to produce documents (bank records, titles, paystubs). Standard discovery tools (interrogatories, document requests, depositions) are available.

Record a Notice of Judgment Lien in the office of the county clerk in each county where the debtor owns real estate; the notice must state the date of final judgment and meet KRS 426.720 content/service requirements (HB 83). The lien attaches to debtor's real property in that county. The lien lasts 10 years.

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 Kentucky-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.

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 15 years and is renewable) and try again when their situation changes. We give you the tools, not a guaranteed payout.