Wage garnishment in North Carolina
North Carolina's limit cannot be computed here — a figure it depends on could not be verified from a primary source. 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 |
| North CarolinaN.C.G.S. §1-362 | Not computed |
Protection is real but conditional, not an unconditional ban: it covers earnings from the 60 days preceding the order, and only where those earnings are shown to be necessary to support the debtor's family.
the earnings of the debtor for his personal services, at any time within 60 days next preceding the order, cannot be so applied when it appears, by the debtor's affidavit or otherwise, that these earnings are necessary for the use of a family supported wholly or partly by his labor.
What this does not cover
- The widely repeated claim that North Carolina bans wage garnishment outright rests on this conditional protection plus the absence of a general creditor garnishment statute -- not on a flat prohibition.
North Carolina's protection is conditional rather than absolute, and depends on a finding this calculator cannot make. The figure shown is the FEDERAL limit; the amount actually reachable in North Carolina is likely lower, and may be nothing at all.
Source: North Carolina General Statutes §1-362, read 2026-08-22.
Work out your own North Carolina garnishment
Already set to North Carolina. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — North Carolina’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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North Carolina garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in North Carolina?
Protection is real but conditional, not an unconditional ban: it covers earnings from the 60 days preceding the order, and only where those earnings are shown to be necessary to support the debtor's family. On $1,000 gross and $800 disposable earnings a week, that works out to a figure this calculator will not estimate, because an input it depends on is unverified. Federal law alone would allow $200.
Do these limits cover child support or back taxes in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in North Carolina?
North Carolina'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 North Carolina'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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