Wage garnishment in Mississippi
On these earnings, Mississippi 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 |
| MississippiMiss. Code Ann. §85-3-4(1)–(2) | $200 |
After the first 30 days, Mississippi matches the federal test. For the first 30 days from service of the writ, wages are exempt ENTIRELY — a protection this estimate cannot apply, because it does not know when the writ was served.
(1) The wages, salaries or other compensation of laborers or employees, residents of this state, shall be exempt from seizure under attachment, execution or garnishment for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of service of any writ of attachment, execution or garnishment. (2) After the passage of the period of thirty (30) days described in subsection (1) of this section, the maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings...
What this does not cover
- The 30-day total exemption from the date of service is NOT modelled. It depends on the date the writ was served, which this calculator does not collect, and it makes Mississippi substantially more protective than the figure shown for that window.
Source: Mississippi Legislature — Miss. Code Ann. §85-3-4, as reprinted in HB 1078 (2017), read 2026-08-22.
Work out your own Mississippi garnishment
Already set to Mississippi. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — Mississippi’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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Mississippi garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Mississippi?
After the first 30 days, Mississippi matches the federal test. For the first 30 days from service of the writ, wages are exempt ENTIRELY — a protection this estimate cannot apply, because it does not know when the writ was served. 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 Mississippi?
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 Mississippi carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in Mississippi?
Mississippi'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 Mississippi'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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