Kentucky Small Claims Judgment Collection Process

You won your small claims case in Kentucky District Court. The judge signed the order. And then nothing happened — the person who owes you money walked out of the courtroom and stopped returning your calls. The Kentucky Court of Justice does not collect judgments for you. That responsibility falls entirely on the judgment creditor.

Here is how the process works, from the day the judgment is entered through full collection.

Wait Out the 10-Day Appeal Window

Under KRS 24A.340, the losing party has 10 calendar days from the date the judgment is stamped "Entered" by the Circuit Court Clerk to file a Notice of Appeal. You cannot request garnishment or execution orders during this window.

On Day 11, if no appeal has been filed and no supersedeas bond has been posted, enforcement tools become available. Before filing anything, confirm with the Clerk that no appeal is pending.

Send a Written Demand for Payment

Kentucky law does not require a post-judgment demand letter before enforcing, but court practice favors one. A written demand specifying the case number, court division, total owed (principal, interest, and costs), and payment instructions gives the debtor a final opportunity to pay voluntarily. This is the cheapest path to collection by a wide margin.

Identify the Debtor's Assets

If voluntary payment does not come, the next step is figuring out what the debtor owns or earns. Kentucky provides two formal tools:

Post-judgment interrogatories under Civil Rule 69.02 — written questions served on the debtor requiring disclosure of employers, bank accounts, real property, and vehicles. The debtor has 30 days to answer under oath. If they refuse, file Form AOC-198 to compel answers.

Debtor examinations — subpoena the debtor to appear in court and testify under oath about their assets. Public records at the County Clerk (deed books), the PVA (property assessments), and the Secretary of State (business entities) supplement formal discovery.

Choose the Right Enforcement Tool

Kentucky offers several collection mechanisms, and the right one depends on what assets you find:

• Wage garnishment (Form AOC-150): continuous order to the debtor's employer to withhold up to 25% of disposable earnings each pay period
• Bank garnishment (Forms AOC-145 and AOC-150.1): uses an affidavit and a non-wage garnishment order to freeze the debtor's bank balance at the moment of service
• Execution order (Form AOC-135): directs the sheriff to seize and sell non-exempt personal property
• Judgment lien (KRS 426.720): recorded with the County Clerk against the debtor's real property, preventing sale or refinance without paying the judgment

Each tool is filed through the Office of Circuit Court Clerk. The clerk issues the order; the sheriff or constable handles service. Creditors cannot personally seize property.

Track Interest and Close the Case

The default post-judgment interest rate is 6% per annum, compounded annually, under KRS 360.040 for judgments entered on or after June 29, 2017. Keep a ledger — partial payments go first to costs, then accrued interest, then principal.

Kentucky judgments are enforceable for 15 years from entry (KRS 413.090). When the debtor pays in full, you close the case by filing Form AOC-191 (Motion for Satisfaction of Judgment) with the Circuit Court Clerk, signed under oath or before a notary. The court enters AOC-191.1, officially extinguishing the judgment on the docket.

The Complete Process in Our Guide

The Kentucky Small Claims Judgment Collection Guide walks through every enforcement tool with the exact forms, fees, exemptions, and county office hand-offs. It includes an interest calculation ledger, an asset discovery checklist, and a form-filing tracker so you know where you stand at each step.

If the debtor has assets but will not pay voluntarily, the law gives you tools. Knowing which tool matches which asset — and which forms go to which office — is how judgments get collected.

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