Wage garnishment in Indiana
On these earnings, Indiana 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 |
| IndianaIC 37-2-6-4 | $200 |
Indiana applies the federal test, but a court may reduce the 25% on a showing of good cause — to no less than 10%.
The maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek that is subjected to garnishment to enforce payment of a judgment arising from a consumer credit sale... may not exceed the lesser of: (1) twenty-five percent (25%) of the individual's disposable earnings for that week; or (2) the amount by which the individual's disposable earnings for that week exceed thirty (30) times the federal minimum hourly wage.
What this does not cover
- A court may reduce the maximum on a showing of good cause, to a floor of 10%. That is a judicial finding this calculator cannot anticipate, so the figure shown is the maximum rather than the certainty.
- The citation moved: IC 24-4.5-5-105 no longer exists. The Uniform Consumer Credit Code was recodified into a new Title 37 by P.L.115-2026, and the Code itself tags the new section "[Pre-2026 Revision Citation: 24-4.5-5-105.]". Every secondary source still cites the dead number.
Source: Indiana General Assembly — 2026 Indiana Code, IC 37-2-6-4 (recodified from IC 24-4.5-5-105 by P.L.115-2026), read 2026-08-22.
Work out your own Indiana garnishment
Already set to Indiana. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — Indiana’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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Indiana garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Indiana?
Indiana applies the federal test, but a court may reduce the 25% on a showing of good cause — to no less than 10%. 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 Indiana?
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 Indiana carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in Indiana?
Indiana'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 Indiana'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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