Home → Wage garnishment by state
If a payday lender sues you and wins, it may be able to garnish your wages — have your employer send part of your pay to the creditor. But there are hard limits: a federal floor of protection, stronger rules in many states, and a handful of states that bar it for consumer debt altogether.
They usually need a court judgment first. For an ordinary payday debt, a creditor generally cannot garnish your pay until it has sued you and won. That is why responding to a lawsuit matters. What happens if a payday lender sues you →
The federal floor. Even where garnishment is allowed, federal law caps it at the lesser of 25% of your disposable earnings or the amount by which your weekly disposable earnings exceed 30× the federal minimum wage.[1] States can protect more, never less. Some income — Social Security and most federal benefits — is generally exempt entirely.[1]
Find your state’s limit
The maximum a creditor can garnish from disposable earnings for an ordinary consumer debt, with the statute cited. Sort by clicking a heading; pick your state above to highlight its row.
| State | Consumer-debt garnishment limit | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) 75% of wages exempt; tracks the federal 25% ceiling. | Ala. Code § 6-10-7 source ↗ |
| Alaska | Federal cap 25%, but $473/week always exempt Weekly exemption floor of $473 ($743 if sole support) far exceeds the federal floor, protecting low earners more. | Alaska Stat. § 09.38.030 source ↗ |
| Arizona | Limited 10% of disposable earnings Prop 209 cut the cap from 25% to 10% and raised the protected threshold to 60x minimum wage. | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1131 (Prop 209, 2022) source ↗ |
| Arkansas | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) First $25/week absolutely exempt; up to 60 days' wages shieldable by sworn statement. | Ark. Code § 16-66-208 source ↗ |
| California | Limited 20% (or 40% of amount over 48x min wage) 2023 amendment lowered the cap to 20% and raised the threshold to 48x minimum wage (local wage if higher). | Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 706.050 (eff. Sept 1, 2023) source ↗ |
| Colorado | Limited 20% (or amount over 40x min wage) 2019 reform lowered the cap to 20% and raised the floor to 40x minimum wage. | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-54-104 source ↗ |
| Connecticut | Federal cap 25% (floor of 40x higher of fed/CT min wage) Cap matches federal, but the 40x floor shields more income than federal 30x. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-361a(f) source ↗ |
| Delaware | Limited 15% of wages Flat 15% cap (85% exempt) regardless of income; only one attachment at a time. | 10 Del. C. § 4913 source ↗ |
| District of Columbia | Limited 25% of amount over 40x DC min wage; fully exempt at/below 40x Highly protective (2018 Act): low earners fully exempt; more exemptable on hardship. | D.C. Code § 16-572 source ↗ |
| Florida | Limited Head of family exempt up to $750/wk; others 25% Head-of-family exemption fully protects wages up to $750/week absent written consent. | Fla. Stat. § 222.11 source ↗ |
| Georgia | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Tracks the federal cap; private student-loan judgments limited to 15%. | O.C.G.A. § 18-4-5 source ↗ |
| Hawaii | Limited Tiered: 5%/10%/20% by monthly wage band Tiered monthly formula; more protective than a flat 25% for lower earners. | HRS § 652-1 source ↗ |
| Idaho | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Mirrors the federal cap. | Idaho Code § 11-207 source ↗ |
| Illinois | Limited 15% of gross (or amount over 45x min wage) More protective than federal: 15% of gross and a 45x floor using the higher IL minimum wage. | 735 ILCS 5/12-803 source ↗ |
| Indiana | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Federal cap; court may reduce to 10% for hardship. | IC 24-4.5-5-105 source ↗ |
| Iowa | Limited 25%/period, capped by annual dollar limits by income tier Cumulative annual per-creditor caps ($250 up to 10% of wages) by expected annual earnings. | Iowa Code § 642.21 source ↗ |
| Kansas | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Federal cap; one garnishment per creditor per 30 days. | K.S.A. 60-2310 source ↗ |
| Kentucky | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Adopts the federal cap. | KRS 427.010(2) source ↗ |
| Louisiana | Federal cap 25% (75% exempt) 75% exempt, never less than 30x federal minimum wage. | La. R.S. 13:3881(A)(1) source ↗ |
| Maine | Limited 25% (floor of 40x higher of fed/ME min wage) 40x floor uses higher of state/federal minimum wage — more protective than federal 30x. | 9-A M.R.S. § 5-105 source ↗ |
| Maryland | Federal cap 25% (floor of 30x MD min wage) 2020 amendment uses 30x the MD state minimum wage floor statewide. | Md. Code, Com. Law § 15-601.1 source ↗ |
| Massachusetts | Limited 15% of gross (50x min wage exempt) Very protective: exempts the greater of 85% of gross or 50x the applicable minimum wage. | M.G.L. c. 246, § 28 source ↗ |
| Michigan | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) No stricter state percentage; capped at the federal limit. | MCL 600.4012 (federal CCPA limit applies) source ↗ |
| Minnesota | Limited Tiered 10%/15%/25% by income; nothing at/below 40x min wage 25% only above 80x minimum wage; 15% or 10% tiers for lower earners. | Minn. Stat. § 571.922 source ↗ |
| Mississippi | Limited 25%, but wages exempt 30 days after service Resident employees' wages fully exempt for 30 days from service of the writ; then the 25% cap applies. | Miss. Code Ann. § 85-3-4 source ↗ |
| Missouri | Limited 10% head of family; 25% others Missouri-resident head of family capped at 10%; all others 25%. | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 525.030 source ↗ |
| Montana | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Follows the federal formula; higher caps apply only to support orders. | Mont. Code Ann. § 25-13-614 source ↗ |
| Nebraska | Federal cap 15% head of family; 25% others Head-of-family debtors capped at 15%. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1558 source ↗ |
| Nevada | Federal cap 18% (gross ≤ $770/wk) or 25% Uses a 50x-minimum-wage floor and caps lower earners at 18%. | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 31.295 source ↗ |
| New Hampshire | Limited Wages earned after service fully exempt; very limited No continuous garnishment and no prejudgment attachment; ordinary post-judgment wage garnishment is very limited. | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 512:21 source ↗ |
| New Jersey | Limited 10% of gross (up to 25% only above 250% FPL) Default is 10% of gross for most consumers; 25% only if income exceeds 250% of the federal poverty level. | N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56 source ↗ |
| New Mexico | Federal cap 25% (floor of 40x highest applicable min wage) 40x floor is more protective than the federal 30x; exemption follows funds into a traceable account. | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 35-12-7 source ↗ |
| New York | Limited 10% of gross (or 25% of disposable, whichever less) The 10%-of-gross ceiling makes NY notably more protective than the federal 25%. | N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 5231 source ↗ |
| North Carolina | Prohibited Prohibited for consumer debt NC courts cannot garnish wages for credit cards, payday loans or similar debt (only taxes, student loans, support). Out-of-state judgments may still reach an NC employee. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-362 source ↗ |
| North Dakota | Limited 25% (floor of 40x fed min wage), less $20/dependent/week 40x floor plus a $20/week reduction per dependent. | N.D.C.C. § 32-09.1-03 source ↗ |
| Ohio | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Tracks the federal cap; one 25% cap across multiple jobs. | Ohio Rev. Code § 2716.13 source ↗ |
| Oklahoma | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Federal cap; reducible on a showing of undue hardship. | Okla. Stat. tit. 14A, § 5-105 source ↗ |
| Oregon | Limited 25% (or amount over a rising weekly exemption, $400/wk from 7/2026) Replaced the federal-tracking floor with a rising flat weekly exemption (indexed to 30x Oregon min wage from 2027). | ORS 18.385 source ↗ |
| Pennsylvania | Prohibited Prohibited for consumer debt Wages exempt except for a narrow list (support, PHEAA loans, some rent/restitution). Credit cards and payday loans are not garnishable. | 42 Pa.C.S. § 8127 source ↗ |
| Rhode Island | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Federal cap. Wages fully exempt for anyone who received public assistance in the past year; no garnishment on medical-debt judgments. | R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-5-8 source ↗ |
| South Carolina | Prohibited Prohibited for consumer debt No wage garnishment for a consumer credit sale, lease, loan or rental-purchase debt (exceptions: support, taxes, federal student loans). | S.C. Code Ann. § 37-5-104 source ↗ |
| South Dakota | Limited 20% (less $25/week per dependent) 20% cap below the federal 25%; extra $25/week reduction per dependent. | SDCL § 21-18-51 source ↗ |
| Tennessee | Federal cap 25% (plus $2.50/week per child) Federal cap plus a $2.50/week per-dependent-child exemption. | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 26-2-106 & 26-2-107 source ↗ |
| Texas | Prohibited Prohibited for consumer debt Current wages for personal service are constitutionally exempt except for court-ordered support (and federal debts). | Tex. Const. art. XVI, § 28; Tex. Prop. Code § 42.001 source ↗ |
| Utah | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Mirrors the federal cap; 15% for education-loan judgments. | Utah Code § 70C-7-103 source ↗ |
| Vermont | Limited ~15% (85% of consumer-debt wages exempt) Consumer-credit debt far more protected (85% exempt vs. 75%); court may exempt more for high expenses. | 12 V.S.A. § 3170(b) source ↗ |
| Virginia | Limited 25% (floor of 40x higher of fed/VA min wage) Same 25% cap but a higher 40x subsistence floor. | Va. Code § 34-29 source ↗ |
| Washington | Limited ~20% (80% of consumer-debt wages exempt) Consumer debt gets an 80% exemption and a 35x state-min-wage floor — more protective than federal. | RCW 6.27.150 source ↗ |
| West Virginia | Limited 20% (only if weekly wages exceed 50x fed min wage) 20% cap below federal; only via suggestee execution and only above a 50x floor. | W. Va. Code § 38-5A-3 source ↗ |
| Wisconsin | Limited 20% (fully exempt below the poverty line) 20% cap; complete exemption when household income is at/below the poverty line or on need-based assistance. | Wis. Stat. § 812.34 source ↗ |
| Wyoming | Federal cap 25% (federal cap) Federal cap; deposited wages keep their exemption. | Wyo. Stat. § 40-14-505 source ↗ |
Social Security, SSI, veterans’ and most federal benefits are generally protected. If exempt money was taken, you can usually file a claim of exemption to get it back — and to stop future garnishment of protected pay.
Use the table below. If more than your state allows is being taken — or your state bars garnishment for consumer debt — that is a basis to challenge it.
Many courts can reduce a garnishment that leaves you unable to cover necessities. A legal aid office can tell you how to ask.
Legal aid handles wage garnishment every day, at no cost. Find legal aid →
Each state’s figure is the general limit on garnishing disposable earnings for an ordinary consumer-debt judgment, traced to that state’s statute, with the citation shown. Garnishment law has many wrinkles — head-of-household exemptions, different rules for different debts, and local court practice — so treat this as a starting point, not a verdict. Nothing here is legal advice. For your situation, confirm with a lawyer or a free legal aid office.