Wage-garnishment · CA

California wage-garnishment cap & exemptions

California's wage-garnishment rule, head-of-family exemption, exempt-property table, and bank-account-levy defense — statute-cited (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code §706.050).

Federal-floor mirror

CA · wage-garnishment + debtor-exemption

California

Federal-floor mirror

Cap statute: Cal. Civ. Proc. Code §706.050 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11
Head-of-family exemption: Not recognized as a distinct wage exemption.
Claim-of-exemption form: Judicial Council Form WG-006 (Claim of Exemption)
deadline10 days from notice of levy (varies — confirm with court).

verified May 11Research-side reviewAnnual attorney review in progress

California's 2023 wage-garnishment formula amendment (SB 1477) further protects low-wage earners — exact per-paycheck output may differ from federal §1673 mechanics. Decoder treats CA as a federal-floor mirror at 25% until primary-source verification of post-amendment formula.

What this means for California

California's wage-garnishment math sits at the federal §1673 floor for most workers, but the 2024 amendment to CCP §706.050 (SB 1477) materially altered the formula for low-disposable workers — the cap is now the lesser of 20% of disposable or 50% of weekly disposable above 48× the state minimum wage, which protects more than the federal 25% in many California paychecks. The decoder currently routes California through the federal §1673 cap until SB 1477 is encoded against verified state-min-wage data; the state-statute pin on this page reflects that honestly. California has no separate head-of-family wage exemption; the property-side homestead protection ($300k–$600k by county-median) is among the most generous in the US, but it doesn't reduce the wage-side cap.

Calculate your protected amount

Pre-filled to California. Add your paycheck details to see the federal §1673 cap and any stricter state overlay.

State
2Paycheck
3Debt type
4Head-of-family
5Result

1Your state

2This paycheck

Pay frequencyGross earnings this pay periodTipped employees: include reported tips in gross.Legally-required deductionsFederal + state income tax, FICA, court-ordered withholdings.Voluntary deductions (informational only)401k, health insurance, union dues — these do NOT reduce disposable earnings for §1673 purposes.

3Debt type

Consumer judgmentCredit card, medical bill, personal loan, deficiency, etc.Child supportSeparate 50%–65% federal cap.Federal tax debtIRS Publication 1494 separate regime.Federal student loanAdministrative wage garnishment — 15% disposable.State tax debtState-specific tax-collection regime.OtherAlimony, restitution, federal-agency offset, etc.

4Head-of-household status

Yes — primary support of dependentsNoNot sure

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

Exempt-property table — California

The categories below cover what creditors generally cannot reach. Each row carries the controlling state statute. Verify against the current statute text before relying on a specific dollar amount — state legislatures amend exempt-property caps regularly.

California exempt-property categories — what creditors generally cannot reach. Each row carries the controlling state statute.
Category	Amount / scope	Statute
Homestead	$300,000 – $600,000 (county-median-based)	CCP §704.730 (opens in a new tab)
Motor vehicle	$3,625	CCP §704.010 (opens in a new tab)
Tools of trade	$8,725 (per-trade)	CCP §704.060
Public benefits	Federal 31 CFR §212 + state-protection for public assistance	CCP §704.080
Retirement	Public retirement: unlimited; private: amount necessary for support	CCP §704.110, §704.115
Wages already deposited	75% of earnings paid in last 30 days retain wage character	CCP §704.070
Wildcard	None (CA does not offer a general wildcard for non-debtors of the federal system)	—

Head-of-family exemption

California does not recognize a separate head-of-family wage exemption beyond the federal CCPA cap (or the state's stricter mirror). If state exemptions leave too little protected in a hard case, the federal §522(d) exemption election available in Chapter 7 bankruptcy may offer broader protection — but that is a separate analysis. See paycheck-protection strategies.

Bank-account levy defense — California

If your account is frozen, federal protection of SSA-class direct deposits is automatic (no claim required). Other categories require a timely claim-of-exemption filing.

1 · Your state

2 · What's in the frozen account?

Select all that apply.

Recently-deposited wages (last 60 days)Earnings paid into the account from your employer.Social Security / SSI / SSDI / VA / federal benefitsFederal anti-attachment + 31 CFR §212 two-month look-back applies.Unemployment direct depositState-protected; federal anti-attachment overlap.State tax refundState-specific protection varies.Other (unprotected funds)Funds that are not statutorily protected.

What's protected, and what you do next

State claim-of-exemption form: Judicial Council Form WG-006 (Claim of Exemption)deadline10 days from notice of levy (varies — confirm with court).
Select what's in the frozen account to see the procedural pathway. Federal SSA-class benefits have automatic protection; state-protected categories require a timely claim-of-exemption filing.

Free lawyer-referral option — California

The California Bar runs a lawyer-referral service offering low-cost (typically $0–$30) 30-minute consultations. Find your local referral service.

Free lawyer-referral option — California

The California Bar runs a lawyer-referral service offering low-cost (typically $0–$30) 30-minute consultations. Find your local referral service.

Other Wave-1 states

Citations

Cal. Civ. Proc. Code §706.050 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11— California adopted a 2023 amendment lowering the wage-garnishment cap below the federal 25% in some cases; consult the statute for the current weekly-disposable threshold formula.
CCP §704.730 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11
CCP §704.010 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11
CCP §704.060verified May 11
CCP §704.080verified May 11
CCP §704.110, §704.115verified May 11
CCP §704.070verified May 11