If you have questions or concerns about having a garnish of wages this information below will help you to better understand what the wage garnishment laws exemptions are by state.
If you have any worries or specific questions about wage garnishment or getting your wages garnished in your state, you need to find an attorney licensed in your state to receive specific legal advice. This listing may not be current and is directed to debts owed to creditors. If you owe child support, student loans, taxes and alimony, you are probably garnishable no matter where you live.
- Alabama
75% of wages are exempt from garnishment. - Alaska
75% of employee’s weekly net income are exempt or $402.50, whichever is more. - Arizona
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Arkansas
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - California
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Colorado
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Connecticut
25% of disposable earnings or 40 times the federal minimum hourly wage ($5.15), whichever is less are exempt. - Delaware
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - District of Columbia
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Florida
If head of household 100% of wages are exempt. Otherwise federal wage garnishment law applies. - Georgia
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Hawaii
95% of first $100, 90% of second $100, 80% of net wages in excess of $200 per month are exempt from a wage garnish. - Idaho
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Illinois
15% of gross wages or disposable earnings up to 45 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater is exempt from a wage garnishment. - Indiana
75% of disposable earnings or 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater is exempt from a garnishment of wages. - Iowa
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Kansas
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Kentucky
75% of disposable income or 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater is exempt from a wage garnishment. - Louisiana
75% of disposable weekly earnings, but not less than 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage can not be garnished. - Maine
25% of disposable income or up to 40 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less, can be garnished from wages. - Maryland
Greater of 75% or the amount equal to $145 times the number of weeks wages due were earned is exempt. - Massachusetts
$125 per week is exempt from being garnished. - Michigan
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Minnesota
75% of earnings or amount equal to 40 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater cannot be garnished. - Mississippi
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Missouri
90% of weekly net earnings if head of household; if single without dependents, 75%, is exempt from being garnished. - Montana
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Nebraska
75% of disposable earnings (85% if head of household) OR 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater is exempt from deduction by wage garnishment. - Nevada
25% of disposable earnings or 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is less can’t be garnished. - New Hampshire
50 times the federal minimum hourly wage (all future wages are exempt) - New Jersey
Garnishment may not exceed 10% of gross salary. Monies may not be withheld if disposable weekly earnings are less than $154.50 per week or $309.00.00 every 2 weeks. - New Mexico
75% of weekly earnings or 40 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater is exempt from being garnished. - New York
Ten percent (10%) of gross income is exempt from a wage garnishment. - North Carolina
All of last 60 days earnings needed for family’s support; garnishments not granted to general creditors (only for government services and taxes)
- North Dakota
75% of earnings or amount equal to 40 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater is exempt from wage garnishment. - Ohio
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Oklahoma
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Oregon
75% of disposable earnings or 40 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater is exempt from wage garnishment. - Pennsylvania
100% of wages exempt from a wage garnishment. - Rhode Island
Federal wage garnishment law applies. - South Carolina
100 percent of wages exempt from a wage garnishment. - South Dakota
20% of the individuals disposable earnings for a 60 day period are exempt from a wage garnishment. - Tennessee
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Texas
100 percent of wage are exempt from a wage garnishment. - Utah
$142.50 of disposable weekly earnings is subject to a wage garnishment exemption. - Vermont
75% of earnings above minimum wage or amount necessary to support family are exempt from a wage garnishment. - Virginia
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing. - Washington
75% of earnings or 40 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater is exempt from a garnishment of wages. - West Virginia
20% of disposable income or 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage rate, whichever is less is exempt from garnishing wages. - Wisconsin
80% of net earnings is exempt under wage garnishment law. - Wyoming
Federal wage garnishment law applies. This can be found at the bottom of this listing.
Federal Wage Garnishment Regulations
§ 1673. Restriction on garnishment
- (a) Maximum allowable garnishment
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section and in section 1675 of this title, the maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek which is subjected to garnishment may not exceed- (1) 25 per centum of his disposable earnings for that week, or
- (2) the amount by which his disposable earnings for that week exceed thirty times the Federal minimum hourly wage prescribed by section 206 (a)(1) of title 29 in effect at the time the earnings are payable,
whichever is less. In the case of earnings for any pay period other than a week, the Secretary of Labor shall by regulation prescribe a multiple of the Federal minimum hourly wage equivalent in effect to that set forth in paragraph (2).
- (b) Exceptions
- (1) The restrictions of subsection (a) of this section do not apply in the case of
- (A) any order for the support of any person issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or in accordance with an administrative procedure, which is established by State law, which affords substantial due process, and which is subject to judicial review.
- (B) any order of any court of the United States having jurisdiction over cases under chapter 13 of title 11.
- (C) any debt due for any State or Federal tax.
- (2) The maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek which is subject to garnishment to enforce any order for the support of any person shall not exceed—
- (A) where such individual is supporting his spouse or dependent child (other than a spouse or child with respect to whose support such order is used), 50 per centum of such individual’s disposable earnings for that week; and
- (B) where such individual is not supporting such a spouse or dependent child described in clause (A), 60 per centum of such individual’s disposable earnings for that week;
except that, with respect to the disposable earnings of any individual for any workweek, the 50 per centum specified in clause (A) shall be deemed to be 55 per centum and the 60 per centum specified in clause (B) shall be deemed to be 65 per centum, if and to the extent that such earnings are subject to garnishment to enforce a support order with respect to a period which is prior to the twelve-week period which ends with the beginning of such workweek.
- (1) The restrictions of subsection (a) of this section do not apply in the case of
- (c) Execution or enforcement of garnishment order or process prohibited
No court of the United States or any State, and no State (or officer or agency thereof), may make, execute, or enforce any order or process in violation of this section.