Maryland garnishment: you can object at any time, and $500 in the bank is exempt automatically
Maryland procedure · Last verified August 17, 2026
Two provisions do most of the work for a Maryland debtor, and neither depends on catching a deadline.
Rule 2-646(e): "The debtor may file a motion at any time asserting a defense or objection." No window, no forfeiture for delay.
Rule 2-645(c)(4): up to $500 in deposit accounts is exempt "without the necessity of an election by the debtor" — the protection applies whether or not you claim it.
(Rule 2-645 was replaced effective 1 July 2026. Everything below is the current version; the superseded text remains on the rule page for reference.)
Wages: the writ, and how to stop it
Md. Rule 2-646(b):
Issuance of writ. — The judgment creditor may obtain issuance of a writ of garnishment by filing in the same action in which the judgment was obtained a request that contains (1) the caption of the action, (2) the amount owed under the judgment, (3) the name and last known address of the judgment debtor, and (4) the name and address of the garnishee. Upon filing of the request, the clerk shall issue a writ of garnishment directed to the garnishee together with a blank answer form provided by the clerk.
The clerk issues it on a request — no hearing, no judicial review at that stage. Which is why the response provisions matter.
Rule 2-646(e):
Response of garnishee and debtor. — The garnishee shall file an answer within the time provided by Rule 2-321. The answer shall state whether the debtor is an employee of the garnishee and, if so, the rate of pay and the existence of prior liens. The garnishee may assert any defense that the garnishee may have to the garnishment, as well as any defense that the debtor could assert. The debtor may file a motion at any time asserting a defense or objection.
| Who | What they file | When |
|---|---|---|
| Garnishee (the employer) | an answer stating employment, rate of pay, prior liens | within the Rule 2-321 period |
| Garnishee | any defense it has, or any defense the debtor could assert | with the answer |
| The debtor | a motion asserting a defense or objection | at any time |
Two points worth holding onto. The employer may raise your defenses for you — the rule says so. And your own motion has no deadline, so discovering the garnishment late does not forfeit the objection.
If the employer says you do not work there
Rule 2-646(g):
When answer filed. — If the answer denies employment, the clerk shall dismiss the proceeding against the garnishee unless the creditor files a request for hearing within 15 days after service of the answer. If the answer asserts any other defense or if the debtor files a motion asserting a defense or objection, a hearing on the matter shall be scheduled promptly.
A denial of employment ends the garnishment automatically after 15 days unless the creditor asks for a hearing. And any defense — the garnishee's or yours — gets a hearing "promptly."
If the employer ignores it
Rule 2-646(f):
When no answer filed. — If the garnishee fails to file a timely answer, the court on motion of the creditor may order the garnishee to show cause why the garnishee should not be held in contempt and required to pay reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
Contempt plus fees and costs. Employers who sit on a writ are exposed.
Rule 2-646(i) requires the garnishee, while the garnishment is in effect, to "withhold all garnishable wages payable to the debtor" — the withholding is continuous, not a single deduction.
Bank accounts and other property
Rule 2-645 covers everything that is not wages. Rule 2-645(a):
Availability. — Subject to the provisions of Rule 2-645.1 , this Rule governs garnishment of any property of the judgment debtor, other than wages subject to Rule 2-646 and a partnership interest subject to a charging order, in the hands of a third person for the purpose of satisfying a money judgment. Property includes any debt owed to the judgment debtor, whether immediately payable or unmatured.
Note the reach: any debt owed to the debtor, whether immediately payable or unmatured.
Rule 2-645(c) sets out what the writ must tell you:
(4) notify the judgment debtor and garnishee that federal and state exemptions may be available, and that up to an aggregate amount of $500 in deposit accounts of the debtor held by a depository institution pursuant to Code, Courts Article, § 11-504 is exempt from execution without the necessity of an election by the debtor; (5) notify the judgment debtor of the right to contest the garnishment by filing a motion asserting a defense or objection; and (6) notify the judgment debtor that, if the garnishee files an answer pursuant to section (e) of this Rule and no further filings concerning the writ of garnishment are made with the court within 120 days following the filing of the answer, the garnishee may file a notice of intent to terminate the writ of garnishment pursuant to subsection (k)(2) of this Rule.
Three notices the writ must carry:
| Notice | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Exemptions may be available, and $500 in deposit accounts is exempt without an election | the protection is automatic |
| The right to contest by motion | and there is no deadline on it |
| The 120-day termination mechanism | a stalled garnishment can be ended |
A writ that omits any of these has not complied with the rule — check the paperwork you received.
The 120-day termination
Subsection (c)(6) points to (k)(2): where the garnishee has answered and no further filings are made for 120 days, the garnishee may file a notice of intent to terminate the writ.
That gives a stalled garnishment an end point. If a creditor has done nothing for four months, the employer or bank can move to bring it to a close.
Service, and the copy to you
Rule 2-645(d):
Service. — The writ shall be served on the garnishee in the manner provided by Chapter 100 of this Title for service of process to obtain personal jurisdiction and may be served in or outside the county. Promptly after service upon the garnishee, the person making service shall mail a copy of the writ to the judgment debtor's last known address. Proof of service and mailing shall be filed as provided in Rule 2-126 .
The garnishee must be served as process is served — not by ordinary mail — and a copy must be mailed to you promptly, with proof of both filed. If no proof of mailing appears in the file, say so.
Rule 2-646(d) carries the same structure for wages, with the copy mailed "upon issuance of the writ."
What the garnishee must answer
Rule 2-645(e):
Answer of garnishee. — The garnishee shall file an answer within the time provided by Rule 2-321 . The answer shall admit or deny that the garnishee is indebted to the judgment debtor or has possession of property of the judgment debtor and shall specify the amount and nature of any debt and describe any property. The garnishee may assert any defense that the garnishee may have to the garnishment, as well as any defense that the judgment debtor could assert. After answering, the garnishee may pay any garnished indebtedness into court and may deliver to the sheriff any garnished property, which shall then be treated as if levied upon by the sheriff.
Again the bank or third party may raise your defenses, and may pay the money into court rather than to the creditor.
The writ of execution
Where the creditor is seizing property directly rather than garnishing a third party, the route is Rule 2-641(a):
Generally. — Upon the written request of a judgment creditor, the clerk of a court where the judgment was entered or is recorded shall issue a writ of execution directing the sheriff to levy upon property of the judgment debtor to satisfy a money judgment.
And Rule 2-651 provides a route to enforce against a person who has been ordered to act:
Upon motion and proof of service, a court in which a judgment has been entered or recorded
Before you do anything
- Read the writ. It must carry the three notices in Rule 2-645(c) — exemptions and the automatic $500, the right to contest, and the 120-day mechanism.
- Check for proof of mailing to your last known address.
- File your motion. There is no deadline, so a late discovery does not cost you the objection.
- Check the employer's answer. A denial of employment ends it in 15 days unless the creditor asks for a hearing.
- Claim every exemption, even though the first $500 in deposit accounts needs no election.
For the underlying judgment, see revising a Maryland judgment. If the judgment was entered by default, Maryland's preliminary-motion structure and its waiver rules are covered in Maryland preliminary motions.
How Maryland compares
| Maryland | Virginia | Pennsylvania | Federal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debtor's objection deadline | none — at any time | — | — | — |
| Automatic bank exemption | $500, no election | — | — | — |
| Garnishee may raise the debtor's defenses | yes, expressly | — | — | — |
| Denial of employment ends it | 15 days unless a hearing is requested | — | — | — |
| Termination for inactivity | 120 days | no | no | no |
| Garnishee served as process | yes | — | — | — |
| Sanction on a silent garnishee | contempt plus fees and costs | — | — | — |
A short checklist
- You can object at any time. Rule 2-646(e) sets no deadline.
- The first $500 in deposit accounts is exempt automatically.
- Check the writ for all three required notices.
- Check for the mailed copy and proof of mailing.
- If you do not work there, the employer's answer ends it unless the creditor moves within 15 days.
- If the garnishment has sat idle 120 days after the answer, the garnishee can move to terminate it.
- Ask the garnishee to pay into court rather than to the creditor while a defense is pending.
Where these rules live
- Md. Rule 2-641 — Writ of execution — Issuance and content
- Md. Rule 2-645 — Garnishment of property — Generally
- Md. Rule 2-646 — Garnishment of wages
- Md. Rule 2-651 — Constructive civil contempt
This page explains what the rules say. It isn't legal advice, and which exemptions apply to your property is governed by statute and case law this site doesn't cover.