How to Collect a Small Claims Judgment in Maryland

You won your case in Maryland District Court. The judge entered a money judgment in your favor. And then — nothing happened. The court doesn't chase the debtor down or force payment. That part is entirely on you.

Roughly 80% of small claims winners discover this the hard way. Maryland's District Court enters the judgment, but collecting the money requires a separate set of filings, fees and deadlines that the court clerk won't walk you through.

Wait Out the Mandatory 10-Day Stay

Before you can do anything, Maryland Rule 3-632(a) imposes an automatic 10-day stay from the date the judgment is entered on the docket. During those 10 days, you cannot file garnishment requests, request a writ of execution, or take any enforcement action.

The clock starts the day after entry. If day 10 falls on a weekend or court holiday, the stay extends to the next business day. On day 11 you can begin filing.

The debtor also has 30 days to appeal under CJP § 12-401, but filing an appeal does not automatically stop collection. The debtor would need to post a supersedeas bond to halt enforcement during the appeal.

Send a Payment Demand

While not legally required, a written demand letter often produces voluntary payment and costs you nothing. State the judgment amount, the case number, the 10% annual post-judgment interest rate under CJP § 11-107, and a reasonable deadline for payment.

Keep it factual. Maryland's Consumer Debt Collection Act (CL § 14-201) prohibits threatening consequences you don't actually have the power to carry out.

Choose Your Enforcement Tool

If the debtor ignores your demand, Maryland offers several enforcement mechanisms. Which one you pick depends on what the debtor owns or earns:

• Wage garnishment (Form DC-CV-065) — the debtor has a job, and you know the employer. The employer withholds the lesser of 25% of disposable wages due or the amount above 30 times Maryland's $15 minimum wage multiplied by the number of weeks those wages cover, calculated per pay period.
• Bank account garnishment (Form DC-CV-060) — you know where the debtor banks. The bank freezes funds up to the judgment amount, then the court orders them released to you.
• Writ of execution (Form DC-CV-040) — the debtor owns physical property worth seizing. The county sheriff levies and sells it at auction.
• Judgment lien (Form DC-CV-035) — the debtor owns real estate in Maryland. Baltimore City records District Court judgment liens without a separate request; in other counties, request recording in the Circuit Court Land Records. A lien may affect a later sale or loan.
• Public records searches — you don't know what the debtor owns. SDAT, Maryland Land Records and Case Search can help identify business, real-property or case records, but they do not reveal bank accounts or employment.

Filing and service charges depend on the request and method: wage or bank garnishments cost $10 to file, plus $60 per defendant for Sheriff/Constable service or $20 if mailed by the clerk; private-server fees vary. A real-property lien transmittal costs $10, plus the $15 Circuit Court recording fee. A Baltimore City execution request costs $70 to file, including the $60 sheriff surcharge, plus $40 for sheriff service.

Track Interest and Payments

Post-judgment interest accrues automatically at 10% per year (simple interest) on the unpaid principal under CJP § 11-107. When partial payments arrive, Maryland's allocation rule applies them first to court costs, then to accrued interest, then to principal.

If you file a wage garnishment, you must mail a monthly report (Form DC-CV-066) to both the debtor and the employer within 15 days after each month ends. Skipping this reporting requirement can get your garnishment dismissed.

Know the Deadlines That Protect Your Judgment

Your Maryland judgment is enforceable for 12 years from the date of entry. Before that window closes, you can file a Request to Renew (Form DC-CV-023) to extend it for another 12 years.

If the debtor is judgment-proof right now — no wages, no bank accounts, no property — the 12-year window gives you time to wait for their financial situation to change and try again.

Close the Case When Paid

Once the judgment is fully satisfied, you must file a Notice of Satisfaction (Form DC-CV-031) within 15 days. If you do not, the debtor can ask the court to declare the judgment satisfied under Maryland Rule 3-626; the court may award the debtor court costs and reasonable attorney's fees.

The gap between winning a judgment and actually getting paid can feel enormous. But Maryland's enforcement tools are methodical, and each one follows a predictable filing-service-response sequence. The challenge is knowing which tool to reach for, when to file it, and what paperwork the court expects at each step.

For the complete form-by-form walkthrough — including interest calculation worksheets, garnishment tracking tools and exemption rules — see our Maryland Small Claims Judgment Collection Guide.

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