Wage garnishment in Iowa
On these earnings, Iowa 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 |
| IowaIowa Code §642.21 | $200 |
Iowa applies the federal per-paycheck test AND caps the total any one creditor may take in a calendar year by income band — a limit no per-paycheck figure can express.
The disposable earnings of an individual are exempt from garnishment to the extent provided by section 537.5105... and the maximum amount of an employee's earnings which may be garnished during any one calendar year is [a dollar amount set by income band] for each judgment creditor.
What this does not cover
- Iowa's ANNUAL per-creditor dollar cap is not modelled. It bounds the whole year's garnishment by one creditor according to the debtor's expected annual earnings, so the per-paycheck figure shown here can be right for one pay period and still overstate what that creditor may take across the year. Iowa is meaningfully more protective than this figure suggests.
Source: Iowa Legislature — Iowa Code §642.21, Exemption from net earnings, read 2026-08-22.
Work out your own Iowa garnishment
Already set to Iowa. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — Iowa’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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Iowa garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Iowa?
Iowa applies the federal per-paycheck test AND caps the total any one creditor may take in a calendar year by income band — a limit no per-paycheck figure can express. 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 Iowa?
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 Iowa carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in Iowa?
Iowa'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 Iowa'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.
More on Iowa pay and deductions
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Iowa unemployment benefits
How Iowa works out a weekly benefit, for how long, and the caps either side of it.