Wage garnishment in Alabama
On these earnings, Alabama caps ordinary garnishment at $200 a week. Figures assume $1,000 gross and $800 disposable earnings in a week, for ordinary consumer debt.
| Limit | Weekly maximum |
|---|---|
| Federal (Title III)15 U.S.C. §1673 | $200 |
| AlabamaAla. Code §6-10-7(a) | $200 |
Alabama exempts 75% of gross wages, with no minimum-wage floor of its own — which is LESS protective than federal law for a low earner, so the federal limit governs in practice.
The wages, salaries, or other compensation of laborers or employees, residents of this state, for personal services, shall be exempt from levy under writs of garnishment or other process for the collection of debts contracted or judgments entered in tort in an amount equal to 75 percent of such wages, salaries, or other compensation.
What this does not cover
- Recorded so Alabama is not confused with a state nobody has read. Its exemption is computed on GROSS and carries no floor, so the federal 30x-minimum-wage floor is what protects a low earner.
- Ala. Code §6-10-6.1 (Act 2015-484) expressly excludes wages from the general personal-property exemption, closing the stacking argument that pre-2015 write-ups still describe.
Source: Alabama Legislature — Code of Alabama §6-10-7, read 2026-08-22.
Work out your own Alabama garnishment
Already set to Alabama. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — Alabama’s and the federal one — and shows whichever binds. Disposable earnings are computed for you, so a voluntary deduction cannot quietly shrink the garnishment base.
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Alabama garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Alabama?
Alabama exempts 75% of gross wages, with no minimum-wage floor of its own — which is LESS protective than federal law for a low earner, so the federal limit governs in practice. On $1,000 gross and $800 disposable earnings a week, that works out to $200. Federal law alone would allow $200.
Do these limits cover child support or back taxes in Alabama?
No. Every figure here is for ORDINARY consumer debt. Child support and alimony carry their own, much higher federal limits — 50% to 65% of disposable earnings depending on whether you support another family and how far in arrears you are. Tax levies and bankruptcy orders are separate again, and Alabama carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in Alabama?
Alabama's limit above does not apply. A defaulted federal student loan can be collected by administrative wage garnishment without a court judgment, "notwithstanding any provision of State law" (31 U.S.C. §3720D). The most it can take is 15% of disposable pay, and never so much that you keep less than 30 times the federal minimum wage — $217.50 a week (34 C.F.R. §34.19). On $800 of disposable earnings a week that is $120. Private student loans are different: they are ordinary consumer debt, need a court judgment first, and follow Alabama's limit.
What counts as disposable earnings?
Under federal law it is gross pay minus deductions REQUIRED by law: income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and legally mandated retirement. A voluntary deduction does not reduce disposable earnings even though it reduces take-home pay — a 401(k), health premium, HSA or union dues do not shrink what can be garnished.
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