Wage garnishment in Washington, DC
On these earnings, Washington, DC caps ordinary garnishment at $16 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 |
| Washington, DCD.C. Code §16-572(1)(A) | $16 |
The District has no straight percentage prong at all. Its single formula is 25% of the AMOUNT BY WHICH disposable wages exceed 40x the DC minimum wage — at $18.40 an hour, 25% of everything above $736 a week.
Where an attachment is levied upon wages due a judgment debtor from an employer-garnishee, the attachment shall become a lien and a continuing levy upon the gross wages due or to become due to the judgment debtor for the amount specified in the attachment to the extent of 25% of the amount by which the judgment debtor's disposable wages exceed 40 times the minimum hourly wage.
What this does not cover
- The shape is California's second prong, not the ordinary 25%-of-disposable rule: the 25% applies to the EXCESS over the floor, not to the whole paycheck. Reading it the ordinary way overstates what a creditor can take several times over.
- D.C. Code §16-572.01 and §16-572.02 were not read in this pass; the Law Library returns 404 on those slugs.
$18.40 from 2026-07-01, up from $17.95. The District indexes annually on 1 July, so a figure read earlier in the year will be stale.
Source: Council of the District of Columbia — D.C. Code §16-572, read 2026-08-22. Minimum wage: DC Dept. of Employment Services — 2026 Minimum Wage Increase Notice.
Work out your own Washington, DC garnishment
Already set to Washington, DC. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — Washington, DC’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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Washington, DC garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Washington, DC?
The District has no straight percentage prong at all. Its single formula is 25% of the AMOUNT BY WHICH disposable wages exceed 40x the DC minimum wage — at $18.40 an hour, 25% of everything above $736 a week. On $1,000 gross and $800 disposable earnings a week, that works out to $16. Federal law alone would allow $200.
Do these limits cover child support or back taxes in Washington, DC?
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 Washington, DC carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in Washington, DC?
Washington, DC'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 Washington, DC'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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