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Wage-garnishment · NY

New York wage-garnishment cap & exemptions

New York's wage-garnishment rule, head-of-family exemption, exempt-property table, and bank-account-levy defense — statute-cited (N.Y. C.P.L.R. §5231).

Stricter mirror

NY · wage-garnishment + debtor-exemption

New York

Stricter mirror
Head-of-family exemption
Not recognized as a distinct wage exemption.
Claim-of-exemption form
Exemption Claim Form (NYC court / state Supreme Court) — see EIPA

deadlineWithin 20 days of service of restraining notice (NY CPLR §5222-a EIPA two-account exemption auto-protection).

verified May 11Research-side reviewAnnual attorney review in progress

NY's Exempt Income Protection Act (EIPA) automatically protects up to $3,600 in any bank account; accounts receiving direct deposits from SSA/SSI/VA/unemployment/public assistance receive higher automatic protection.

What this means for New York

New York's CPLR §5231 imposes one of the strictest consumer-judgment garnishment caps in the United States: 10% of GROSS income, regardless of disposable earnings. The federal §1673 floor (30× FMW = $217.50/week) also applies, so the effective cap is the lesser of 10%-gross or amount-above-floor. Critically, the 10% prong references gross — not disposable — so deductions don't reduce protection. New York's Exempt Income Protection Act (CPLR §5222-a) layers automatic bank-account protection: $3,600 minimum in any account, with higher automatic protection where direct deposits from SSA / SSI / VA / unemployment / public-assistance are present. For a typical Manhattan worker grossing $1,200/week with $300 in deductions, the maximum consumer-judgment garnishment is $120/week (10% of gross), not $225/week (25% of disposable).

01

Calculate your protected amount

Pre-filled to New York. 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 York — at three reference paychecks

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

Exempt-property table — New York

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 York exempt-property categories — what creditors generally cannot reach. Each row carries the controlling state statute.
CategoryAmount / scopeStatute
Homestead$89,975 / $149,975 / $179,950 (varies by county — Nassau/Suffolk/Westchester/Putnam/Rockland/Albany/Saratoga/Columbia/Dutchess/Orange/Ulster highest)N.Y. C.P.L.R. §5206 (opens in a new tab)
Motor vehicle$5,150 (or $12,375 if specially equipped for disability)N.Y. C.P.L.R. §5205(a)(8)
Tools of trade$3,825N.Y. C.P.L.R. §5205(a)(7)
Household goods$11,975 aggregateN.Y. C.P.L.R. §5205(a)
Wildcard$1,275 cash (if no homestead claimed)N.Y. Debtor & Creditor Law §283(2)
RetirementGenerally unlimited (qualified plans + IRAs)N.Y. C.P.L.R. §5205(c)
Public benefitsFederal 31 CFR §212 + NY EIPA two-account auto-protection ($3,600 for accounts receiving SSA/SSI/VA/unemployment/public assistance)N.Y. C.P.L.R. §5222-a (EIPA) (opens in a new tab)
Wages already depositedEIPA protects $3,600 (general) / further protection where direct-deposit of SSA-class benefits — see federal 31 CFR §212—
03

Head-of-family exemption

New York 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 York

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

  • State claim-of-exemption form: Exemption Claim Form (NYC court / state Supreme Court) — see EIPAdeadlineWithin 20 days of service of restraining notice (NY CPLR §5222-a EIPA two-account exemption auto-protection).
  • 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 York

The New York 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 York

The New York 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