Wage garnishment in New Hampshire
On these earnings, New Hampshire 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 |
| New HampshireN.H. RSA 512:21(I)-(II) | $200 |
50x the federal minimum wage ($362.50 a week) is exempt, and wages earned after the writ is served are exempt outright. New Hampshire states no percentage of its own, so the 25% prong is the federal one showing through.
The money, rights, and credits of the defendant shall be exempt from trustee process in the following instances... I. Wages for labor performed by the defendant after the service of the writ upon the trustee... [and] wages... except in an action founded on a debt on a judgment to the amount of 50 times the minimum hourly wage.
What this does not cover
- Garnishment is possible at all only in an action founded on a debt on a judgment issued by a New Hampshire court.
- Wages for labour performed AFTER service of the writ are exempt outright, so a writ reaches only wages already earned when it lands. There is no continuing levy.
RSA 512:21 says "wages", not "disposable earnings", and does not define the term in the section, so whether the $362.50 floor is measured against gross or net is unresolved on the statute's face. This estimate applies it to disposable earnings — the reading that protects less — so treat the figure as a lower bound on New Hampshire's protection. The two readings diverge only in the narrow band where the floor rather than the 25% is what binds.
Source: New Hampshire General Court — RSA 512:21, read 2026-08-22.
Work out your own New Hampshire garnishment
Already set to New Hampshire. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — New Hampshire’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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New Hampshire garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in New Hampshire?
50x the federal minimum wage ($362.50 a week) is exempt, and wages earned after the writ is served are exempt outright. New Hampshire states no percentage of its own, so the 25% prong is the federal one showing through. 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 New Hampshire?
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 New Hampshire carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire'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 New Hampshire's limit.
What counts as disposable earnings?
RSA 512:21 says "wages", not "disposable earnings", and does not define the term in the section, so whether the $362.50 floor is measured against gross or net is unresolved on the statute's face. This estimate applies it to disposable earnings — the reading that protects less — so treat the figure as a lower bound on New Hampshire's protection. The two readings diverge only in the narrow band where the floor rather than the 25% is what binds. 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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