Garnishment & statute of limitations, by state and D.C.
"SOL" is the statute of limitations on consumer debt (the window a creditor has to sue). It is shown as a range because the limit depends on the debt type — open accounts (how many states treat credit cards) usually run shorter than written contracts. Once it passes, the debt is "time-barred" — still owed, but no longer enforceable in court. "Garnishment" is the most a creditor can take from each paycheck for ordinary consumer debt under that state's rule.
The two garnishment columns are the headline rule: "Most they can garnish" is the largest share of disposable pay a private creditor can reach above the protected floor, and "Weekly pay protected" is the weekly disposable income that is shielded entirely (no consumer creditor can touch it). The federal floor is $217.50/week (30× the $7.25 federal minimum wage); many states protect more by keying the floor to their own, higher minimum wage. A † marks states with a conditional rule (head-of-household exemptions, graduated scales, or local minimum wages) — open that state's page for the exact mechanics.
| State | Statute of limitations | Most they can garnish | Weekly pay protected | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3-6 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Alaska† | 3 yrs | 25% of pay | $473/wk | statute |
| Arizona† | 6 yrs | 10% of pay | $909/wk | statute |
| Arkansas | 3-5 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| California† | 4 yrs | 20% of pay | $811.20/wk | statute |
| Colorado† | 6 yrs | 20% of pay | $606.40/wk | statute |
| Connecticut† | 3-6 yrs | 25% of pay | $677.60/wk | statute |
| Delaware | 3 yrs | 15% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Florida† | 4-5 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Georgia | 4-6 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Hawaii† | 4-6 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Idaho | 4-5 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Illinois† | 5-10 yrs | 15% of pay | $675/wk | statute |
| Indiana | 6 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Iowa | 5-10 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Kansas | 3-5 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Kentucky | 5-10 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Louisiana | 3-10 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Maine† | 6 yrs | 25% of pay | $604/wk | statute |
| Maryland | 3 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Massachusetts† | 6 yrs | 15% of pay | $750/wk | statute |
| Michigan | 6 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Minnesota† | 6 yrs | 25% of pay | $456.40/wk | statute |
| Mississippi | 3 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Missouri† | 5-10 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Montana | 5-8 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Nebraska† | 4-5 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Nevada† | 4-6 yrs | 25% of pay | $362.50/wk | statute |
| New Hampshire | 3 yrs | None (barred) | All wages | statute |
| New Jersey† | 6 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| New Mexico† | 4-6 yrs | 25% of pay | $480/wk | statute |
| New York† | 3-6 yrs | 10% of pay | $480/wk | statute |
| North Carolina | 3 yrs | None (barred) | All wages | statute |
| North Dakota | 6 yrs | 25% of pay | $290/wk | statute |
| Ohio | 6 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Oklahoma | 3-5 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Oregon† | 6 yrs | 25% of pay | $400/wk | statute |
| Pennsylvania | 4 yrs | None (barred) | All wages | statute |
| Rhode Island | 10 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| South Carolina | 3 yrs | None (barred) | All wages | statute |
| South Dakota† | 6 yrs | 20% of pay | $474/wk | statute |
| Tennessee | 6 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Texas | 4 yrs | None (barred) | All wages | statute |
| Utah | 4-6 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Vermont | 6 yrs | 15% of pay | $290/wk | statute |
| Virginia† | 3-5 yrs | 25% of pay | $510.80/wk | statute |
| Washington† | 6 yrs | 20% of pay | $599.55/wk | statute |
| West Virginia | 5-10 yrs | 20% of pay | $362.50/wk | statute |
| Wisconsin | 6 yrs | 20% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| Wyoming | 8-10 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
| District of Columbia | 3 yrs | 25% of pay | $217.50/wk | statute |
States that bar wage garnishment for consumer debt
Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and New Hampshire effectively prohibit wage garnishment for ordinary consumer debt (credit cards, medical bills, personal loans), with narrow exceptions. In these states a private judgment creditor generally cannot touch your wages — though they may still pursue bank accounts or other assets.
How much of your paycheck is actually protected
Even where garnishment is allowed, federal law shields a floor of pay no creditor can reach: the amount by which your weekly disposable earnings stay at or below $217.50 (30 times the $7.25 federal minimum wage). Below that floor, your wages are effectively untouchable for ordinary consumer debt; only the amount above it is exposed, and only up to the state's percentage cap.
19 jurisdictions protect more than that federal floor by tying it to their own, higher minimum wage — so the more a place raises its minimum wage, the more pay it shields. The widest protections are Arizona ($909/week), California ($811.20/week), Massachusetts ($750/week), Connecticut ($677.60/week), and Illinois ($675/week). Two states set a fixed-dollar floor instead of a multiple (Oregon $400/week, Alaska about $473/week), and Arizona caps the reachable share lowest of all — just 10% of disposable pay. Local minimum wages can push the protected floor higher still.
This is why two people with identical debts and identical paychecks can owe wildly different amounts to a garnishment depending only on where they live — and why checking your own state's floor (or running it through our wage garnishment calculator) is the first step once a judgment is entered.
Why the statute of limitations matters
Once the SOL passes, a creditor or debt buyer can no longer win a lawsuit to force payment — but collectors may still call, and making a payment or even acknowledging the debt can restart the clock in many states. If you're being sued, the age of the debt is one of the first things to check.