Wage-garnishment · OH

Ohio wage-garnishment cap & exemptions

Ohio's wage-garnishment rule, head-of-family exemption, exempt-property table, and bank-account-levy defense — statute-cited (Ohio Rev. Code §2716.01 et seq.).

Federal-floor mirror

OH · wage-garnishment + debtor-exemption

Ohio

Federal-floor mirror

Cap statute: Ohio Rev. Code §2716.01 et seq. (opens in a new tab)verified May 11
Head-of-family exemption: Not recognized as a distinct wage exemption.
Claim-of-exemption form: Notice to Judgment Debtor of Garnishment + Request for Hearing
deadline5 business days from notice to request hearing (Ohio Rev. Code §2716.06).

verified May 11Research-side reviewAnnual attorney review in progress

Ohio adjusts its exempt-property dollar amounts every 3 years for inflation per §2329.66(B) — verify against current-cycle figures.

What this means for Ohio

Ohio follows the federal CCPA cap (25% of disposable / 30× FMW floor) for consumer-judgment wage garnishment, with state procedural overlays for the writ and exemption-claim process under Ohio Rev. Code §2716. There is no separate state head-of-family wage exemption. The protective leverage in Ohio is on the property side: Ohio's homestead exemption ($161,375 per the 2024-2025 cycle, adjusted every 3 years for inflation under §2329.66(B)) is among the most generous in the US. For wage-stream defense, Ohio's primary protective tool is the 5-business-day window from notice to request a hearing (§2716.06) — file the request even if you're not sure you qualify, because it surfaces exemption claims the creditor's affidavit does not.

Calculate your protected amount

Pre-filled to Ohio. 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 — Ohio

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.

Ohio exempt-property categories — what creditors generally cannot reach. Each row carries the controlling state statute.
Category	Amount / scope	Statute
Homestead	$161,375 (2024-2025 cycle; adjusted for inflation per §2329.66(B))	Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(1)(b)
Motor vehicle	$4,450	Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(2)
Wildcard	$1,475	Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(18)
Tools of trade	$2,825	Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(5)
Retirement	Generally unlimited	Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(10)
Public benefits	Federal 31 CFR §212 + state-protection	Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(9)
Wages already deposited	State-statute research pending	—

Head-of-family exemption

Ohio 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 — Ohio

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: Notice to Judgment Debtor of Garnishment + Request for Hearingdeadline5 business days from notice to request hearing (Ohio Rev. Code §2716.06).
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 — Ohio

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

Free lawyer-referral option — Ohio

The Ohio 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

Ohio Rev. Code §2716.01 et seq. (opens in a new tab)verified May 11— Ohio follows the federal CCPA cap (25% disposable / 30× fed-min-wage floor) for consumer-judgment wage garnishment, with state procedural overlays for the writ and exemption-claim process.
Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(1)(b)verified May 11
Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(2)verified May 11
Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(18)verified May 11
Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(5)verified May 11
Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(10)verified May 11
Ohio Rev. Code §2329.66(A)(9)verified May 11