How to Collect Your Judgment in North Dakota
You already won. Here's how to actually get paid — debtor's exam, wage garnishment, bank levies, and property liens, with the exact North Dakota forms and deadlines.
Your collection options in North Dakota
Work them roughly in this order — find the assets first, then go after them.
Find the money — debtor's asset exam
Form NDCC ch. 28-25 (proceedings supplementary to execution)Compels the debtor to disclose, under oath, where they bank, work, and what they own — the information every other step depends on.
After judgment, the court may issue a supplemental order under NDCC 28-25-02 requiring the debtor to appear and be examined under oath about non-exempt assets and disclose property that can be applied to the judgment.
Garnish wages
Form Garnishee Summons + Garnishment Disclosure (statutory forms under NDCC ch. 32-09.1)Diverts part of the debtor's paycheck to you — up to Lesser of 25% of disposable earnings for the week, or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40x the federal minimum hourly wage; the maximum is further reduced by $20 for each dependent family member residing with the debtor.
Creditor must serve a notice before garnishment of earnings (NDCC 32-09.1-04) and a Garnishee Summons. The garnishee (employer/bank) must serve a completed Garnishment Disclosure form on the creditor within 20 days. Garnishment reaches both wages and bank deposits.
Filed with: Court that entered the judgment (district court / small claims). Garnishment is governed by NDCC ch. 32-09.1.
Levy the bank account
Form Garnishee Summons + Garnishment Disclosure (NDCC ch. 32-09.1); Writ of Execution (NDCC ch. 28-21)Freezes and pulls non-exempt funds straight from the debtor's bank account.
A bank account is reached by serving a Garnishee Summons and Notice on the bank (garnishee), which must return a Garnishment Disclosure within 20 days; or by sheriff's levy under a Writ of Execution (NDCC ch. 28-21). The creditor files the garnishment with the court that entered 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.
A docketed money judgment is a lien on all real property of the debtor in the county where it is docketed with the clerk of district court (NDCC 28-20-13). To reach property in other counties, the creditor files a transcript of judgment with the clerk of district court in each such county.
The fine print that matters in North Dakota
How long your judgment lasts
A ND judgment may be collected for 10 years and renewed once for an additional 10 years (NDCC 28-20-21). The creditor may renew up to 90 days before the judgment expires for another 10-year term.
Interest while you wait
NDCC 28-20-34: rate equals the prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal on the first Monday in December plus 3 percentage points, rounded up to the next one-half percent, not compounded. Set annually by the State Court Administrator. The prime rate on Dec 1, 2025 was 7.00%, yielding 10.00% for 2026.
What the debtor can protect (exemptions)
Wage exemption: 75% of disposable earnings (or 40x federal minimum wage/week) is exempt, plus a $20 reduction per dependent. ND also has statutory homestead and personal-property exemptions limiting execution sales. Tax and child-support debts are not subject to the standard 25% cap.
North Dakota gotchas
ND judgments last 10 years and can be renewed only ONCE for a second 10-year term (NDCC 28-20-21) — not indefinitely renewable. Post-judgment interest is variable, reset every year by the State Court Administrator (prime + 3%); 2026 = 10.00%. Wage garnishment max is reduced by $20 per dependent, which is unusual. Garnishee/employer must return the Garnishment Disclosure within 20 days. Real-property lien is county-by-county and tracks the 10-year judgment life.
Let us prepare your North Dakota collection paperwork
We prepare your North Dakota-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.
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.
North Dakota Judgment Collection FAQ
A North Dakota judgment is enforceable for 10 years, and can be renewed before it expires. A ND judgment may be collected for 10 years and renewed once for an additional 10 years (NDCC 28-20-21). The creditor may renew up to 90 days before the judgment expires for another 10-year term.
Yes. Garnishment in North Dakota can reach Lesser of 25% of disposable earnings for the week, or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40x the federal minimum hourly wage; the maximum is further reduced by $20 for each dependent family member residing with the debtor. Exemptions: 75% of disposable earnings is exempt (or 40x federal minimum wage per week, whichever is greater), minus a $20-per-dependent reduction of the garnishable maximum. Standard limits do not apply to child-support or tax debts (NDCC 32-09.1-03).
Through Order for examination of the judgment debtor (supplementary proceedings; NDCC 28-25-02) (NDCC ch. 28-25 (proceedings supplementary to execution)) — the court orders the debtor to appear and disclose their assets under oath. After judgment, the court may issue a supplemental order under NDCC 28-25-02 requiring the debtor to appear and be examined under oath about non-exempt assets and disclose property that can be applied to the judgment.
A docketed money judgment is a lien on all real property of the debtor in the county where it is docketed with the clerk of district court (NDCC 28-20-13). To reach property in other counties, the creditor files a transcript of judgment with the clerk of district court in each such 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 North Dakota-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 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 North Dakota
Where you file your garnishment or levy depends on the counties.
Cass County
Burleigh County
Grand Forks County
Ward County
Williams County
Stark County
Morton County
Stutsman County
Richland County
McKenzie County
Rolette County
Ramsey County
All 53 counties in North Dakota
Official North Dakota sources
- https://www.ndcourts.gov/news/north-dakota/north-dakota-supreme-court/general-news/interest-rate-set-for-2026-judgments
- https://www.ndcourts.gov/state-court-administration/interest-rate-on-judgments
- https://codes.findlaw.com/nd/title-28-judicial-procedure-civil/nd-cent-code-sect-28-20-34.html
- https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t32c09-1.pdf
- https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t28c21.pdf
- https://www.ndcourts.gov/Media/Default/Legal%20Resources/Legal%20Self%20Help/Small%20Claims/Judgment%20Collection%20-%20Judgment%20Debtor.pdf
- https://codes.findlaw.com/nd/title-32-judicial-remedies/nd-cent-code-sect-32-09-1-03.html
This page is general information about collecting a money judgment in North Dakota, 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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