Wage garnishment limits by state, side by side.

Eight states compared

The last two columns use the same example everywhere: $1,000 gross pay a week with $200 of required deductions ($800 disposable earnings), 2026 minimum wages, the Florida head of family without a waiver, the Missouri worker who is not a head of family, a Washington consumer debt and New York outside the city region. The federal cap alone allows $200 on that paycheck.

How to read the federal and state rules together

The Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 USC 1673) sets a ceiling for most wage garnishments: the lesser of 25% of weekly disposable earnings or the amount by which they exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage. States may protect more. When a state formula multiplies a state minimum wage, as Virginia, Washington, Maryland, Illinois and New York do, the protected weekly amount rises each time that wage rises, so check the year of the paycheck.

Disposable earnings means pay after deductions the law requires, such as income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Health premiums and retirement contributions are usually not subtracted, and Wisconsin defines the term more narrowly. Child support, tax levies, defaulted federal student loans and bankruptcy orders follow their own limits and are not part of these pages. Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina are covered in the federal wage garnishment limit calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What is the federal limit on wage garnishment?

For ordinary debts, the lesser of 25% of weekly disposable earnings or the amount by which they exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which is $217.50 a week (15 USC 1673(a)).

Which states protect more than the federal limit?

Each of the eight states here can allow less than the federal cap on some paychecks. Wisconsin and Washington consumer debts cut the share to 20%, Illinois and New York cap it by gross pay, Missouri adds a 10% limit for a resident head of family, Florida protects head-of-family wages up to $750 a week, and Virginia, Washington, Maryland, Illinois and New York protect a weekly floor based on their higher state minimum wages.

Which state rule is lowest in the example?

For $1,000 gross and $200 of required deductions paid weekly, the Florida head-of-family rule gives $0 without a waiver. See the table for the others.

Does the lower of the state and federal limit apply?

Yes. Federal law is a ceiling; where a state sets a lower figure, the state figure controls, and where it sets a higher one the federal cap still applies.

What about Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina?

Those three states restrict garnishment of wages for most private debts and are handled in the federal wage garnishment limit calculator.

Sources

Each state page lists the statute and agency pages it relies on, with the date read. Federal baseline: 15 USC 1673 and 29 CFR 870.10, read November 1, 2026.