Wage Garnishment Limits by State (50 States + DC)
How much of a paycheck a creditor can take in each state, and which states protect more than the federal limit.
Last updated October 5, 2026 · 51 jurisdictions · Download CSV
Federal floor. Federal law (15 U.S.C. 1673) caps garnishment for ordinary consumer debt at the lesser of 25% of disposable weekly earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage. A state can protect more. Child support, taxes and student loans follow different rules. Try the wage garnishment calculator.
| State | Garnishment rule | Law cited |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Max 25% Wage garnishment At least $1,000 per paycheck Claim of exemption | Alabama court form C-24A/C; Alabama court form PS-20 |
| Alaska | $473/week or 75% protected Wage garnishment | Alaska Court System form CIV-530 |
| Arizona | 10% max Wage garnishment | A.R.S. § 33-1131 |
| Arkansas | Federal limit Wage garnishment | Arkansas Legal Aid |
| California | 20% max, often less Wage garnishment | CCP § 706.050 |
| Colorado | 20% max Wage garnishment | C.R.S. § 13-54-104 |
| Connecticut | 25% max Wage garnishment (wage execution) | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-361a(f) |
| Delaware | 85% protected Wage garnishment | 10 Del. C. § 4913 |
| District of Columbia | 25% of pay above 40x DC minimum wage Wage garnishment | D.C. Code § 16-572 |
| Florida | Protected up to $750/week Head of family wages | Fla. Stat. § 222.11 |
| Georgia | 25% max Wage garnishment | O.C.G.A. § 18-4-5 |
| Hawaii | Tiered: 5% / 10% / 20% Wage garnishment | HRS § 652-1 |
| Idaho | 25% max Wage garnishment | Idaho Code § 11-207 |
| Illinois | 15% of gross, max Wage garnishment (wage deduction) | 735 ILCS 5/12-803 |
| Indiana | 25% max Wage garnishment | Ind. Code § 24-4.5-5-105 |
| Iowa | Yearly cap per creditor Wage garnishment | Iowa Code § 642.21 |
| Kansas | 25% max Wage garnishment | K.S.A. 60-2310 |
| Kentucky | 25% max Wage garnishment | KRS 427.010(2) |
| Louisiana | At least 75% protected Wage garnishment | La. R.S. 13:3881 |
| Maine | 25% max Wage garnishment (consumer credit) | 9-A M.R.S. § 5-105 |
| Maryland | At least 75% protected Wage garnishment | Md. Com. Law § 15-601.1 |
| Massachusetts | At least 85% protected Wage garnishment | M.G.L. c. 246, § 28 |
| Michigan | 25% max (federal cap) Wage garnishment | 15 U.S.C. § 1673 |
| Minnesota | 10% to 25%, by income Wage garnishment | Minn. Stat. § 571.922 |
| Mississippi | 25% max after 30 days Wage garnishment | Miss. Code § 85-3-4 |
| Missouri | 25% max; 10% for head of family Wage garnishment | RSMo § 525.030 |
| Montana | At least 75% protected Wage garnishment | Mont. Code § 25-13-614 |
| Nebraska | 25% max; 15% for head of family Wage garnishment | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1558 |
| Nevada | 18% or 25% Wage garnishment | NRS 31.295 |
| New Hampshire | 50x minimum wage/week protected Wage garnishment | RSA 512:21 |
| New Jersey | 10% max for most people Wage garnishment | N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56 |
| New Mexico | 25% max Wage garnishment | N.M. Stat. § 35-12-7 |
| New York | Up to 10% of income Wage garnishment 30x minimum wage/week Protected floor | CPLR 5231; CPLR 5231(b) |
| North Carolina | Family earnings protected Wage garnishment | N.C.G.S. § 1-362 |
| North Dakota | Max 25% Wage garnishment | N.D.C.C. § 32-09.1-03 (mirror) |
| Ohio | At least 75% protected Wage garnishment | R.C. 2329.66(A)(13) |
| Oklahoma | At least 75% protected Wage garnishment | 12 O.S. § 1171.1 |
| Oregon | At least 75% protected Wage garnishment | ORS 18.385 |
| Pennsylvania | Not for most consumer debts Wage garnishment | 42 Pa.C.S. § 8127 |
| Rhode Island | Federal limit Wage garnishment | R.I. court wage attachment notice |
| South Carolina | Not for consumer credit Wage garnishment | S.C. Code § 37-5-104 |
| South Dakota | Max 20% Wage garnishment | SDCL § 21-18-51 (mirror) |
| Tennessee | 25% max Wage garnishment | Tenn. Code § 26-2-106 |
| Texas | Not for consumer debt Wage garnishment | Tex. Const. art. XVI, § 28 |
| Utah | 25% max Wage garnishment (consumer credit) | Utah Code § 70C-7-103 |
| Vermont | 85% protected Wage garnishment, consumer debt 75% protected Wage garnishment, other debt | 12 V.S.A. § 3170; 12 V.S.A. § 3170 |
| Virginia | 25% max Wage garnishment | Va. Code § 34-29 |
| Washington | At least 80% protected Wage garnishment (consumer debt) | RCW 6.27.150(4) |
| West Virginia | 20% max Wage garnishment | W. Va. Code § 38-5A-3 |
| Wisconsin | At least 80% protected Wage garnishment | Wis. Stat. § 812.34 |
| Wyoming | Max 25% Wage garnishment, consumer credit | Wyo. Stat. § 40-14-505 (mirror) |
How we collected this
Each rule comes from the state statute linked on that state's Financialist page. Some states ban garnishment for most consumer debts; others use tiers by income or a protected-earnings floor, so one percentage can't describe them. We show the rule as the state page states it and link to the law.
Related
Statute of limitations by state · All state debt pages · Garnishment calculator
Cite this page
Financialist Editorial Team. "Wage Garnishment Limits by State (50 States + DC)." Financialist, October 5, 2026. https://financialist.com/research/state-wage-garnishment-limits
Free to quote with a link back. Each row links to the state page that carries the statute citation.
Financialist Editorial Team. "Wage Garnishment Limits by State (50 States + DC)." Financialist, October 5, 2026. https://financialist.com/research/state-wage-garnishment-limits
Free to quote with a link back. Each row links to the state page that carries the statute citation.