Wage-garnishment · MI

Michigan wage-garnishment cap & exemptions

Michigan's wage-garnishment rule, head-of-family exemption, exempt-property table, and bank-account-levy defense — statute-cited (Mich. Comp. Laws §600.4012).

Federal-floor mirror

MI · wage-garnishment + debtor-exemption

Michigan

Federal-floor mirror

Cap statute: Mich. Comp. Laws §600.4012 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11
Head-of-family exemption: Not recognized as a distinct wage exemption.
Claim-of-exemption form: Objections to Garnishment and Notice of Hearing — MC 49
deadline14 days from service of writ (MCR 3.101).

verified May 11Research-side reviewAnnual attorney review in progress

What this means for Michigan

Michigan adopts the federal CCPA cap (25% of disposable / 30× FMW floor) for consumer-judgment wage garnishment under Mich. Comp. Laws §600.4012, with state procedural overlays for periodic writs under MCR 3.101. There is no separate state head-of-family wage exemption. Michigan's distinctive procedural feature is the 14-day window from service of writ to file Objections to Garnishment + Notice of Hearing (Form MC 49) — this is shorter than many states and easy to miss; calendar it the moment you receive the writ. Michigan exempt-property amounts are inflation-adjusted every 3 years under §600.5451(7); current cycle (2023-2025) values include $45,425 homestead and $3,775 motor vehicle.

Calculate your protected amount

Pre-filled to Michigan. 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 — Michigan

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.

Michigan exempt-property categories — what creditors generally cannot reach. Each row carries the controlling state statute.
Category	Amount / scope	Statute
Homestead	$45,425 (2023-2025 cycle; adjusted every 3 years)	Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451
Motor vehicle	$3,775	Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451(1)(g)
Wildcard	None (Michigan does not offer a general wildcard)	Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451
Tools of trade	$2,825	Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451(1)(h)
Retirement	Generally unlimited	Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451(1)(l)
Public benefits	Federal 31 CFR §212 + state-protection	Mich. Comp. Laws §400.63 (welfare); §421.30 (UI)
Wages already deposited	State-statute research pending	—

Head-of-family exemption

Michigan 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 — Michigan

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: Objections to Garnishment and Notice of Hearing — MC 49deadline14 days from service of writ (MCR 3.101).
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 — Michigan

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

Free lawyer-referral option — Michigan

The Michigan 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

Mich. Comp. Laws §600.4012 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11— Michigan adopts the federal CCPA cap for consumer-judgment wage garnishment (25% disposable / 30× fed-min-wage floor), with state procedural overlays for periodic writs (MCR 3.101).
Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451verified May 11
Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451(1)(g)verified May 11
Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451verified May 11
Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451(1)(h)verified May 11
Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5451(1)(l)verified May 11
Mich. Comp. Laws §400.63 (welfare); §421.30 (UI)verified May 11