Nevada Judgment Debtor Examination: How to Force a Debtor to Reveal Assets

When You Don't Know What the Debtor Owns

You won your small claims case. Now you need to garnish wages or levy a bank account — but you don't know where the debtor works or banks. This is exactly what the judgment debtor examination exists for.

Under NRS 21.270, you can ask the court to order the debtor to appear, sit down under oath, and answer questions about every asset they own — bank accounts, employers, vehicles, real estate, business interests. They have to bring documents if you specify them in the order.

How to File

1. Prepare the motion. You'll file an Ex Parte Motion and Order for Examination of Judgment Debtor with the Justice Court that entered your judgment. "Ex parte" means you don't need to notify the debtor beforehand — the judge reviews your paperwork without a hearing.

2. Include a supporting affidavit confirming the judgment is still unpaid. Some courts combine the motion and affidavit into one form.

3. Attach a document request. You can list specific records you want the debtor to bring — recent pay stubs, three months of bank statements, tax returns, vehicle titles, property deeds. The debtor has to produce existing documents but can't be compelled to create new ones (like a custom asset list they don't already have).

4. Pay the $25 filing fee. Recoverable from the debtor as a post-judgment cost.

5. The judge signs the order setting a date, time and courtroom for the examination.

Serving the Order

The signed order must be personally served on the debtor well before the hearing date. Personal service means a Sheriff, Constable, or licensed private process server hands the order directly to the debtor. You cannot serve it yourself, and you can't use mail.

Ask the sheriff, constable or process server for its current service fee. Court-approved service costs can be included in a Memorandum of Costs.

One important limit: under NRS 21.270, the debtor can't be forced to travel outside the county where they live. If they've moved to Washoe County and your judgment is in Clark County, contact the court about the location and format before setting the examination.

What to Ask at the Examination

The hearing is your chance to map the debtor's finances. Effective questions cover:

• Employment — current employer's name and address, position, pay frequency, gross and net pay
• Bank accounts — every institution, account type, typical balance
• Real property — any property they own, mortgage balance, rental income
• Vehicles — make, model, year, outstanding loans, estimated value
• Business interests — ownership in any business, LLC, or partnership
• Other income — 1099 work, rental income, government benefits, support payments
• Recent transfers — whether they've sold, given away or transferred any property since the judgment

Everything is under oath. The transcript becomes your roadmap for choosing which enforcement tool to use first.

If the Debtor Doesn't Show

You can't go find them yourself. If a properly served debtor fails to appear, you file a request for an Order to Show Cause or a civil bench warrant. In Reno Justice Court, the civil bench warrant costs a $125 administrative processing fee. The bench warrant authorizes law enforcement to bring the debtor before the judge.

Repeated no-shows can result in contempt of court — a serious escalation that Nevada judges don't take lightly.

What to Do with the Information

After the exam, you'll know what the debtor has and where to find it. Match assets to enforcement tools:

• Steady job → wage garnishment
• Bank balance → bank levy
• Real estate equity → abstract of judgment lien
• Personal property (vehicles, equipment) → property seizure

The Nevada Judgment Collection Guide includes a debtor examination preparation worksheet with structured question lists organized by asset type, plus a post-exam action plan for converting what you learned into enforcement filings.

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