Wage-garnishment · PA

Pennsylvania wage-garnishment cap & exemptions

Pennsylvania's wage-garnishment rule, head-of-family exemption, exempt-property table, and bank-account-levy defense — statute-cited (42 Pa.C.S. §8127).

Consumer-debt prohibition (with carve-outs)

PA · wage-garnishment + debtor-exemption

Pennsylvania

Consumer-debt prohibition (with carve-outs)

Cap statute: 42 Pa.C.S. §8127 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11
Head-of-family exemption: Not recognized as a distinct wage exemption.
Claim-of-exemption form: Claim for Exemption from Levy or Attachment — Pa.R.Civ.P. 3123.1 / 3123.2
deadlinePromptly after service of writ — varies by court of common pleas.

verified May 11Research-side reviewAnnual attorney review in progress

PA consumer-debt prohibition has statutory carve-outs (rent, support, board, PHEAA student loans, restitution, taxes). Federal regimes (federal tax, federal student loans, child support) bypass state law via separate federal collection mechanisms.

What this means for Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania prohibits wage attachment for most consumer debts under 42 Pa.C.S. §8127, with a defined list of carve-outs: rent in arrears, court-ordered support, certain board, PHEAA-administered Pennsylvania state student-loan obligations, restitution, and state/federal taxes. For a credit-card or medical-bill judgment against a Pennsylvania resident, the writ has no force against current wages. Bank-account levies remain available, so post-judgment defense focuses on bank-side claim-of-exemption procedures (Pa.R.Civ.P. 3123.1). Pennsylvania's property exemptions are notably thin compared to most states (no state homestead exemption; $300 cash wildcard) — debtors with significant non-wage assets often opt into federal §522(d) exemptions in bankruptcy as a stronger protective path.

Calculate your protected amount

Pre-filled to Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania — at three reference paychecks

Comparative shape of Pennsylvania'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

Pennsylvania

$0.00

$1,000/wk disposablefully protected

Federal §1673

$250.00

Pennsylvania

$0.00

$2,000/wk disposablefully protected

Federal §1673

$500.00

Pennsylvania

$0.00

Exempt-property table — Pennsylvania

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.

Pennsylvania exempt-property categories — what creditors generally cannot reach. Each row carries the controlling state statute.
Category	Amount / scope	Statute
Homestead	No state homestead exemption (federal §522(d) opt-in available in bankruptcy)	42 Pa.C.S. §8123 et seq.
Wildcard	$300 cash	42 Pa.C.S. §8123
Tools of trade	Trade tools, sewing machines, uniforms, schoolbooks	42 Pa.C.S. §8124
Retirement	Generally unlimited (qualified plans + IRAs)	42 Pa.C.S. §8124(b)
Public benefits	Federal 31 CFR §212 + state-protection	42 Pa.C.S. §8124
Wages already deposited	State-statute research pending	—

Head-of-family exemption

Pennsylvania 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 — Pennsylvania

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: Claim for Exemption from Levy or Attachment — Pa.R.Civ.P. 3123.1 / 3123.2deadlinePromptly after service of writ — varies by court of common pleas.
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 — Pennsylvania

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

Free lawyer-referral option — Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania 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

42 Pa.C.S. §8127 (opens in a new tab)verified May 11— Pennsylvania prohibits wage attachment for consumer debts (with statutory carve-outs: rent in arrears, support, certain board, PHEAA student-loan obligations, restitution, taxes). Most consumer judgments cannot reach Pennsylvania wages at all.
42 Pa.C.S. §8123 et seq.verified May 11
42 Pa.C.S. §8123verified May 11
42 Pa.C.S. §8124verified May 11
42 Pa.C.S. §8124(b)verified May 11
42 Pa.C.S. §8124verified May 11