Read the order before reaching for a percentage
“Garnishment” is not one rule. The notice may concern an ordinary consumer judgment, child support or alimony, a tax levy, a bankruptcy order, or a federal student loan. The federal Consumer Credit Protection Act uses different limits for different categories. The ordinary-debt worksheet on this site is not a substitute for identifying the order.
Disposable earnings are the starting number
Department of Labor Fact Sheet #30 describes disposable earnings as the amount left after deductions required by law. Examples include applicable taxes and required Social Security and Medicare withholding. Voluntary retirement, insurance, loan, or other deductions may not reduce the federal garnishment base in the same way. A pay stub’s final take-home figure is therefore not automatically the right input.
The ordinary-debt ceiling
For an ordinary garnishment, federal law generally limits the amount in a workweek or pay period to the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage. The DOL table applies multiples for biweekly, semimonthly, and monthly pay. At the current federal $7.25 rate, the weekly floor is $217.50.
That is a maximum under the federal baseline, not a statement that the amount may lawfully be taken from every worker. State law may use a higher protected floor, lower cap, head-of-household protection, or an exemption and hardship process.
Keep these records together
- The complete garnishment notice or order, including the reverse side and attachments.
- Recent pay stubs showing pay frequency and required deductions.
- Any earlier support order, tax levy, student-loan notice, or bankruptcy paper.
- State exemption, claim, or hardship forms named in the notice.
- Employer or payroll contact instructions and the date withholding is scheduled to begin.
Do not miss an exemption deadline
Some states provide a procedure to claim protected income or ask for hardship relief. The notice or local court instructions may give a short response period. If a garnishment threatens housing, food, medication, or essential transportation, seek local legal-aid or professional help promptly instead of waiting for a calculator result.
Official source
Use DOL Fact Sheet #30 for the federal formula and special-category warning. Use state labor-office contacts and the issuing court or agency for local instructions.
A federal ceiling is not a complete answer to a garnishment notice. Identify the debt category, preserve the notice, and check state protections and response dates.