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Wage-garnishment · NJ

New Jersey wage-garnishment cap & exemptions

New Jersey's wage-garnishment rule, head-of-family exemption, exempt-property table, and bank-account-levy defense — statute-cited (N.J. Stat. §2A:17-50).

Stricter mirror

NJ · wage-garnishment + debtor-exemption

New Jersey

Stricter mirror
Head-of-family exemption
Not recognized as a distinct wage exemption.
verified May 11Research-side reviewAnnual attorney review in progress

Wave-2 state — framework classified from secondary-source consensus; full per-asset exempt-property table + primary-source verification pending Wave-2 ship.

01

Calculate your protected amount

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

  1. State
  2. 2Paycheck
  3. 3Debt type
  4. 4Head-of-family
  5. 5Result
1Your state
2This paycheck
3Debt type
4Head-of-household status

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 New Jersey — at three reference paychecks

Comparative shape of New Jersey'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
New Jersey
$50.00
$1,000/wk disposablestricter than federal
Federal §1673
$250.00
New Jersey
$100.00
$2,000/wk disposablestricter than federal
Federal §1673
$500.00
New Jersey
$200.00
02

Exempt-property table — New Jersey

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.

New Jersey exempt-property categories — what creditors generally cannot reach. Each row carries the controlling state statute.
CategoryAmount / scopeStatute
HomesteadState-statute research pending—
Motor vehicleState-statute research pending—
WildcardState-statute research pending—
Tools of tradeState-statute research pending—
RetirementState-statute research pending—
Public benefitsFederal 31 CFR §212 + state-protection · state-statute research pending—
Wages already depositedState-statute research pending—
03

Head-of-family exemption

New Jersey 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.

04

Bank-account levy defense — New Jersey

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.

What's protected, and what you do next

  • 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 — New Jersey

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

Free lawyer-referral option — New Jersey

The New Jersey 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