Wage-garnishment · NC

North Carolina wage-garnishment cap & exemptions

North Carolina's wage-garnishment rule, head-of-family exemption, exempt-property table, and bank-account-levy defense — statute-cited (N.C. Gen. Stat. §1-362 (consumer-debt wage garnishment effectively unavailable)).

Consumer-debt prohibition (with carve-outs)

NC · wage-garnishment + debtor-exemption

North Carolina

Consumer-debt prohibition (with carve-outs)

Cap statute: N.C. Gen. Stat. §1-362 (consumer-debt wage garnishment effectively unavailable) (opens in a new tab)verified May 11
Head-of-family exemption: Not recognized as a distinct wage exemption.
Claim-of-exemption form: Motion to Claim Exempt Property (Statutory Exemptions) — AOC-CV-415 (or similar)
deadlineWithin 20 days of service of Notice of Right to Have Exemptions Designated (NCGS §1C-1603).

verified May 11Research-side reviewAnnual attorney review in progress

What this means for North Carolina

North Carolina does not allow wage garnishment for most consumer debts. The carve-outs that DO permit garnishment in North Carolina are narrow and specific: state taxes (NCDOR), federal income taxes (IRS), ambulance services, court-ordered child support, alimony, federal student loans, and federal-agency administrative offset. For a typical credit-card or medical-bill judgment, the writ has no force against current wages. Bank-account levies are still possible, and North Carolina's wages-already-deposited rule under N.C. Gen. Stat. §1-362 protects earnings rendered within 60 days preceding levy — file the AOC-CV-415 motion to claim exempt property within 20 days of service of the Notice of Right to Have Exemptions Designated to lock in the protection.

Calculate your protected amount

Pre-filled to North Carolina. 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 North Carolina — at three reference paychecks

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

$500/wk disposablefully protected

Federal §1673

$125.00

North Carolina

$0.00

$1,000/wk disposablefully protected

Federal §1673

$250.00

North Carolina

$0.00

$2,000/wk disposablefully protected

Federal §1673

$500.00

North Carolina

$0.00

Exempt-property table — North Carolina

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.

North Carolina exempt-property categories — what creditors generally cannot reach. Each row carries the controlling state statute.
Category	Amount / scope	Statute
Homestead	$35,000 (or $60,000 if 65+ and qualifying)	N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(1) (opens in a new tab)
Motor vehicle	$3,500	N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(3)
Wildcard	$5,000 (less amount claimed for homestead)	N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(2)
Tools of trade	$2,000	N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(5)
Retirement	Generally unlimited	N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(9)
Public benefits	Federal 31 CFR §212 + state-protection	N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(8)
Wages already deposited	Earnings of the debtor for personal services rendered within 60 days preceding levy retain wage character	N.C. Gen. Stat. §1-362

Head-of-family exemption

North Carolina 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 — North Carolina

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: Motion to Claim Exempt Property (Statutory Exemptions) — AOC-CV-415 (or similar)deadlineWithin 20 days of service of Notice of Right to Have Exemptions Designated (NCGS §1C-1603).
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 — North Carolina

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

Free lawyer-referral option — North Carolina

The North Carolina 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

N.C. Gen. Stat. §1-362 (consumer-debt wage garnishment effectively unavailable) (opens in a new tab)verified May 11— North Carolina does not allow wage garnishment for most consumer debts. Carve-outs: state taxes, federal income taxes, ambulance services, court-ordered child support, alimony, federal student loans, federal-agency administrative offset.
N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(1) (opens in a new tab)verified May 11
N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(3)verified May 11
N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(2)verified May 11
N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(5)verified May 11
N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(9)verified May 11
N.C. Gen. Stat. §1C-1601(a)(8)verified May 11
N.C. Gen. Stat. §1-362verified May 11