Federal Wage Garnishments (2024)

The wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) protect employees from discharge by their employers because their wages have been garnished for any one debt, and it limits the amount of an employee's earnings that may be garnished in any one week. CCPA also applies to all employers and individuals who receive earnings for personal services (including wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses and income from a pension or retirement program, but ordinarily not including tips).

General Guidance

• Employment Law Guide: Wage Garnishment
  • Who Is Covered
  • Basic Provisions/Requirements
  • Employee Rights
  • Compliance Assistance Available
  • Penalties/Sanctions
  • Relation to State, Local, and Other Federal Laws

Fact Sheets

• Fact Sheet #30: The Federal Wage Garnishment Law, Consumer Credit Protection Act's Title 3 (CCPA)
• Fact Sheet #44: Visits to Employers

Interpretive Guidance

• Opinion Letters
  • Non-Administrator Opinion Letters
  • Administrator Opinion Letters
• Field Assistance Bulletin 2016-3: Disability Payments as “Earnings” Under the Consumer Credit Protection Act (PDF, TEXT)
• Field Operations Handbook
  • Chapter 16 Title III (PDF) — Consumer Credit Protection Act (Wage Garnishment)

Applicable Laws and Regulations, Opinion Letters, and Field Operations Handbook Chapter

• The Law (PDF) — 15 U.S.C. 1671, et seq.
• The Regulations — 29 CFR Part 870