Wage garnishment in Maryland
On these earnings, Maryland 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 |
| MarylandMd. Code, Com. Law §15-601.1(b) | $200 |
The lesser of 25% of disposable wages or the excess over 30x the STATE minimum wage. At $15.00 that floor is $450 a week, well above the federal $217.50.
The following are exempt from attachment: (1) The greater of: (i) 75 percent of the disposable wages due; or (ii) 30 times the State minimum hourly wage in effect at the time the wages are due, multiplied by the number of weeks during which the wages due were earned.
What this does not cover
- The widely republished "$145 a week" and the old four-county exception were BOTH repealed by HB 365, Chapter 183 of 2020, effective 2020-10-01. That figure is six years stale.
- The House Third Reader of HB 365 says 50x; it was amended to 30x before passage, and both the codified text and the official synopsis say 30x.
Source: Maryland General Assembly — Md. Code, Com. Law §15-601.1, read 2026-08-22. Minimum wage: Maryland General Assembly — Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. §3-413.
Work out your own Maryland garnishment
Already set to Maryland. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — Maryland’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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Maryland garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Maryland?
The lesser of 25% of disposable wages or the excess over 30x the STATE minimum wage. At $15.00 that floor is $450 a week, well above the federal $217.50. 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 Maryland?
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 Maryland carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in Maryland?
Maryland'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 Maryland'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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