Wage garnishment in Texas
Texas bars ordinary consumer-debt wage garnishment. 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 |
| TexasTex. Prop. Code §42.001(b)(1) | None |
Current wages for personal services are exempt from garnishment outright. This is a categorical exemption, not a percentage cap.
The following personal property is exempt from seizure and is not included in the aggregate limitations prescribed by Subsection (a): (1) current wages for personal services, except for the enforcement of court-ordered child support payments;
What this does not cover
- Court-ordered child support, carved out on the statute's face.
Texas bars ordinary wage garnishment for consumer debt entirely, so the federal percentage does not come into play. It does NOT bar the exceptions listed below.
Source: Texas Property Code §42.001, read 2026-08-22.
Work out your own Texas garnishment
Already set to Texas. Enter your pay and this applies both limits — Texas’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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Texas garnishment: common questions
How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Texas?
Current wages for personal services are exempt from garnishment outright. This is a categorical exemption, not a percentage cap. Federal law would otherwise allow $200 a week on $800 of disposable earnings, but federal law is a floor of protection rather than a ceiling — where a state protects more, state law governs.
Do these limits cover child support or back taxes in Texas?
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 Texas carves out further exceptions listed above.
How much can be garnished for a federal student loan in Texas?
Texas'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 Texas'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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