Federal cap. State rule.
Your protected amount.
A calm, statute-cited decoder for US wage garnishment, the head-of-family exemption, and bank-account-levy defense. Free, no email, no countdown timers. We show the math, cite the statute, link the form.
- All 50 states + DC
- Primary-source statute citations
- Zero inputs logged
How the cap works
15 USC §1673A consumer-judgment creditor can take the lesser of two numbers:
25%
of disposable earnings
$217.50
weekly floor (30 × $7.25 FMW) — disposable below this is fully protected
Many states cap lower; four prohibit it outright. The decoder applies your state's overlay.
- 15 USC §1673 federal anchor
- Cornell LII + state-legislature primary sources
- 10 Wave-1 states · primary-source statutes
- 51 jurisdictions classified by doctrine
- 0 inputs logged · runs in your browser
- No countdown timers · no false urgency
Decoder
Pick your state. See your cap.
State · paycheck · debt type · head-of-family. We show the math, cite the controlling statute, and point you to the form you'd file to claim your exemption. No inputs are logged.
- 1State
- 2Paycheck
- 3Debt type
- 4Head-of-family
- 5Result
Fill in your state and paycheck to see your federal + state cap.
Output appears here · all values cite primary-source statute · no inputs are logged
All states + DC
The 51 jurisdictions, by doctrine
Each state is tinted by doctrinal framework — not 'good or bad.' Procedural complexity is a feature for some debt classes. Wave-1 states (ringed) ship with primary-source statute pins.
- ALFederal floor
Alabama
- AKFederal floor
Alaska
- AZFederal floor
Arizona
- ARFederal floor
Arkansas
- CAFederal floor
California
- COStricter
Colorado
- CTFederal floor
Connecticut
- DEFederal floor
Delaware
- DCStricter
District of Columbia
- FLStrong HoH
Florida
- GAFederal floor
Georgia
- HIFederal floor
Hawaii
- IDFederal floor
Idaho
- ILStricter
Illinois
- INFederal floor
Indiana
- IAFederal floor
Iowa
- KSFederal floor
Kansas
- KYFederal floor
Kentucky
- LAFederal floor
Louisiana
- MEFederal floor
Maine
- MDFederal floor
Maryland
- MAStricter
Massachusetts
- MIFederal floor
Michigan
- MNFederal floor
Minnesota
- MSFederal floor
Mississippi
- MOStricter
Missouri
- MTFederal floor
Montana
- NEFederal floor
Nebraska
- NVFederal floor
Nevada
- NHFederal floor
New Hampshire
- NJStricter
New Jersey
- NMFederal floor
New Mexico
- NYStricter
New York
- NCProhibition
North Carolina
- NDFederal floor
North Dakota
- OHFederal floor
Ohio
- OKFederal floor
Oklahoma
- ORFederal floor
Oregon
- PAProhibition
Pennsylvania
- RIFederal floor
Rhode Island
- SCProhibition
South Carolina
- SDFederal floor
South Dakota
- TNFederal floor
Tennessee
- TXProhibition
Texas
- UTFederal floor
Utah
- VTFederal floor
Vermont
- VAFederal floor
Virginia
- WAFederal floor
Washington
- WVFederal floor
West Virginia
- WIStricter
Wisconsin
- WYFederal floor
Wyoming
Topics
The five pillars
Each pillar is a standalone primary-source-cited explainer with worked examples and state-by-state cross-links.
Federal cap
15 USC §1673 — the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30× the federal minimum wage, with three worked examples.
Head-of-family
Where states protect more than the federal cap. Florida's strong tiered $750/week + waiver rule, narrow flat-cap variants, and the 40+ states that don't.
Bank-account levy
Automatic federal SSA two-month look-back (31 CFR §212). State-by-state wages-deposited rule. Claim-of-exemption form pointers.
Protection strategies
Federal cap, state stricter mirror, head-of-family election, statutes-of-limitations, and when bankruptcy is the cleanest protective path.
Post-judgment defense
Statute-of-limitations on judgments, judgment renewal, FDCPA overlay, debt-collector revival of stale judgments.
Your state's rule
Every state's cap, head-of-family rule, exempt-property table, and bank-levy procedure — classified by doctrinal framework, not 'good versus bad.'
How it works
Four steps, no black box
Every number traces back to a statute you can read for yourself.
Pick your state
Start from the 51-jurisdiction map. Each state is tinted by doctrinal framework — federal-floor mirror, stricter mirror, consumer prohibition, or strong head-of-family.
Enter your paycheck
Gross, pay frequency, debt type, and head-of-family status. Nothing is logged — the decoder runs entirely in your browser.
See the math
We show the federal §1673 cap, any stricter state overlay, and the controlling statute behind each number — no black box.
Claim your exemption
We point you to the exact claim-of-exemption form you'd file, the filing deadline, and your state bar's free lawyer-referral service.
Jurisdictions mapped (50 states + DC)
Wave-1 states with primary-source statutes
Pillars with worked examples
Inputs logged from the decoder
Calm, not alarm.
Garnishment is frightening, but the rules are knowable. We show the federal cap, your state's stricter overlay, and the exact form you'd file — every number traced to the statute behind it. No email, no countdown timers.
Common questions
Wage-garnishment FAQ
Plain-English answers, each grounded in the controlling statute.
Free · statute-cited · no email
Find out what's protected before the next pay period.
Run the decoder for your state, or read the federal cap explained with three worked examples. Either way, you'll see the math and the statute behind it.
GarnishMap is an information hub, not a law firm. Nothing here is legal advice — confirm with a licensed attorney in your state.