Wage-garnishment · IL

Illinois wage-garnishment cap & exemptions

Illinois's wage-garnishment rule, head-of-family exemption, exempt-property table, and bank-account-levy defense — statute-cited (735 ILCS 5/12-803).

Stricter mirror

IL · wage-garnishment + debtor-exemption

Illinois

Stricter mirror

Cap statute: 735 ILCS 5/12-803 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11
Head-of-family exemption: Not recognized as a distinct wage exemption.
Claim-of-exemption form: Income/Asset Form (Notice of Right to Claim Exemption) — IL Supreme Court Rule
deadlineWithin statutory window — confirm with circuit court.

verified May 11Research-side reviewAnnual attorney review in progress

What this means for Illinois

Illinois caps consumer-judgment wage garnishment at the lesser of (a) 15% of GROSS weekly wages or (b) the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 45× the federal minimum wage per workweek (= $326.25/week at FMW $7.25). The 45× floor is materially stricter than the federal 30× floor ($217.50/week), so Illinois protects a wider band of low-wage workers fully than the federal default. Both prongs reference different bases (gross for the 15% prong, disposable for the floor prong) — get the inputs right or the math is wrong. Illinois exempt-property amounts include $15,000 homestead, $2,400 motor vehicle, $4,000 wildcard.

Calculate your protected amount

Pre-filled to Illinois. 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

Federal vs Illinois — at three reference paychecks

Comparative shape of Illinois's cap relative to the federal §1673 default. Your actual output above reflects your specific paycheck and head-of-family status.

$500/wk disposablestricter than federal

Federal §1673

$125.00

Illinois

$75.00

$1,000/wk disposablestricter than federal

Federal §1673

$250.00

Illinois

$150.00

$2,000/wk disposablestricter than federal

Federal §1673

$500.00

Illinois

$300.00

Exempt-property table — Illinois

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.

Illinois exempt-property categories — what creditors generally cannot reach. Each row carries the controlling state statute.
Category	Amount / scope	Statute
Homestead	$15,000	735 ILCS 5/12-901
Motor vehicle	$2,400	735 ILCS 5/12-1001(c)
Wildcard	$4,000	735 ILCS 5/12-1001(b)
Tools of trade	$1,500	735 ILCS 5/12-1001(d)
Retirement	Generally unlimited (qualified plans + IRAs)	735 ILCS 5/12-1006
Public benefits	Federal 31 CFR §212 + state-protection	735 ILCS 5/12-1001(g)
Wages already deposited	State-statute research pending	—

Head-of-family exemption

Illinois 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 — Illinois

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: Income/Asset Form (Notice of Right to Claim Exemption) — IL Supreme Court RuledeadlineWithin statutory window — confirm with circuit 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 — Illinois

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

Free lawyer-referral option — Illinois

The Illinois 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

735 ILCS 5/12-803 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11— Illinois caps wage garnishment at the lesser of (a) 15% of gross weekly wages or (b) the federal CCPA formula. The 15%-of-gross floor is stricter than the federal 25%-of-disposable in most cases.
735 ILCS 5/12-901verified May 11
735 ILCS 5/12-1001(c)verified May 11
735 ILCS 5/12-1001(b)verified May 11
735 ILCS 5/12-1001(d)verified May 11
735 ILCS 5/12-1006verified May 11
735 ILCS 5/12-1001(g)verified May 11