Money & Debt · Wage Garnishment
Wage Garnishment Laws in Alabama
How much of your paycheck a creditor can take in Alabama, the pay that is fully protected, and what to do right now if a garnishment has started, cited to the statute.
Want your own number? Run your paycheck through the Alabama wage garnishment calculator →
The limit and what is protected in Alabama
How much a creditor can take, the pay that is exempt, and where it comes from in the code.
| Most a creditor can take | 25% of disposable earnings |
| How the limit works | The federal ceiling: 25% of disposable pay, or 30× the minimum wage protected |
| Fully protected pay | Weekly disposable pay up to $217.50 (30 times the $7.25 federal minimum wage) is fully protected. A creditor can reach only the lesser of 25% of your disposable pay or the amount above $217.50 a week. |
| Other exemptions |
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| Federal backstop | The federal 25% / 30× minimum-wage floor also applies; a creditor can never take more than federal law allows. |
| Statute | Code of Ala. §5-19-15; see also §6-10-7 |
The 25% cap in §5-19-15 tracks the federal ceiling for consumer credit transactions. "Disposable earnings" under the statute is what is left after legally required deductions, and it does not include pension, retirement, or disability payments. To protect exempt funds you file a claim of exemption with the court. A separate homestead and personal-property exemption can shield assets beyond wages.
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if your wages are being garnished in Alabama. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Confirm the protected floor first
Under Code of Alabama §5-19-15 the first $217.50 of your weekly disposable pay cannot be touched on a consumer judgment, and a creditor can take only the lesser of 25% of disposable pay or the amount above that floor. If your take-home is at or below $217.50 a week, none of it should be garnished.
- File a claim of exemption
Alabama lets you file a claim of exemption to protect assets the law shields, including the state personal-property exemption. That personal-property exemption does not cover wages, so for your paycheck the key protection is the 25% cap and $217.50 floor in §5-19-15. There is a short deadline on your paperwork, so file with the court that issued the garnishment promptly.
- Watch your bank account for a levy
A creditor can also try to freeze money already in your bank account. Exempt funds, such as Social Security, can still be protected there, but you usually have to claim the exemption in writing, so check your account and act if it is frozen.
- Get free Alabama legal help
Legal Services Alabama and your county circuit clerk can point you to the claim-of-exemption forms and the filing deadline. This is legal information, not legal advice, so confirm your own situation with a lawyer.
You do not have to face a garnishment alone. This resource can help you check whether an exemption applies and how to file the paperwork.
→ Legal Services Alabama (statewide legal aid)This is general legal information, not legal advice. Deadlines to claim an exemption are short and vary by court, so act quickly and confirm the specifics for your case.
What Alabama workers get wrong
Alabama follows the federal garnishment ceiling for ordinary consumer debt. Under Code of Alabama §5-19-15, part of the state's Consumer Credit Act, a creditor holding a consumer judgment can take the lesser of 25% of your disposable pay or the amount by which your weekly disposable pay exceeds $217.50. That $217.50 is 30 times the $7.25 federal minimum wage, and it is always protected. The statute also bars any garnishment of wages on a consumer credit transaction before the creditor has a judgment, so there is no prejudgment wage grab. "Disposable earnings" means pay left after legally required deductions, and it does not include pension, retirement, or disability payments. Beyond the wage cap, Alabama gives you a personal-property exemption you can claim to shield other assets, though Code §6-10-6.1 excludes wages from that exemption, so your paycheck is protected by the §5-19-15 cap rather than the personal-property figure. To hold onto anything the law protects, you generally have to file a claim of exemption with the court, and there is a short deadline to do it.
Common questions
How much of my paycheck can a creditor garnish in Alabama?
For an ordinary consumer judgment, Code of Alabama §5-19-15 lets a creditor take the lesser of 25% of your disposable pay or the amount by which your weekly disposable pay exceeds $217.50. Disposable pay is what remains after legally required deductions, and it does not include pension, retirement, or disability payments.
What is the $217.50 protected amount in Alabama?
It is the weekly floor of pay that cannot be garnished at all. Alabama uses the federal formula: 30 times the $7.25 federal minimum wage equals $217.50 a week. A creditor can reach only the portion of your weekly disposable pay above that figure, and never more than 25%, whichever leaves you more.
Can a creditor garnish my Alabama wages before winning a lawsuit?
No. Code of Alabama §5-19-15 bars a creditor from attaching your unpaid earnings by garnishment on a consumer credit transaction before it has a judgment. The creditor must win the case and obtain a judgment first, and even then it is capped at 25% of disposable pay.
How do I object to a wage garnishment in Alabama?
You file a claim of exemption with the court that issued the garnishment. Alabama also gives you a personal-property exemption you can use to protect wages already paid and other assets. There is a short deadline on your papers, so file quickly and keep copies of everything.
What debts can still reach my Alabama wages beyond the 25% cap?
The 25% cap applies to ordinary consumer judgments. Child support, spousal support, unpaid federal or state taxes, and defaulted federal student loans follow their own federal rules and can take a larger share of your pay regardless of the state consumer-credit limit.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.