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Is my bank required to tell me when it receives a garnishment order?

It depends. Your bank is required by federal law to send you a notice telling you that a court has issued a garnishment order against money in your bank account only if both of the following two conditions apply:

  • The bank determined that you received federal benefit payments at some time approximately in the last two months that are automatically protected.
  • You have additional money in your account that is not automatically protected.

The notice will state, amongst other information, the amount of money in your account that it determined is automatically protected from garnishment.

Even if the bank is not required to send any notice under federal law, it may still do so as a routine business practice or because it is required to under state law. If you did not receive a notice about the garnishment of your account, ask your bank for a copy of the garnishment order that it received. You can also contact the creditor or the court that issued the order for more information.

Last Reviewed: April 2021

Please note: The terms "bank" and "banks" used in these answers generally refer to national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches or agencies of foreign banking organizations that are regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Find out if the OCC regulates your bank. Information provided on HelpWithMyBank.gov should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion of the OCC.

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