Money & Debt · Wage Garnishment
Wage Garnishment Laws in Arizona
How much of your paycheck a creditor can take in Arizona, the pay that is fully protected, and what to do right now if a garnishment has started, cited to the statute.
The limit and what is protected in Arizona
How much a creditor can take, the pay that is exempt, and where it comes from in the code.
| Most a creditor can take | 10% of disposable earnings |
| How the limit works | A lower percentage cap than the federal 25% |
| Fully protected pay | Weekly disposable pay up to 60 times the highest applicable minimum hourly wage is fully protected. At the 2026 Arizona minimum wage of $15.15 an hour that is $909 a week. Where a higher city minimum wage applies, such as Flagstaff or Tucson, that higher rate is used, so the protected amount is larger. |
| Other exemptions |
|
| Federal backstop | The federal 25% / 30× minimum-wage floor also applies; a creditor can never take more than federal law allows. |
| Statute | A.R.S. §33-1131 (as amended by Proposition 209); A.R.S. §12-1598.10 |
Arizona uses one cap for ordinary consumer judgments and a separate rule for support. For child support or spousal maintenance the standard exemptions do not apply, and up to half of disposable earnings can be taken. Unpaid taxes and defaulted federal student loans also follow their own rules outside the 10% cap.
Proposition 209, the Predatory Debt Collection Protection Act, took effect December 5, 2022 and rewrote A.R.S. §33-1131. It cut the general garnishment cap from 25% of disposable earnings to 10%, and raised the protected floor from 30 times the federal minimum wage to 60 times the highest applicable minimum wage. Courts have applied the lower 10% figure even to garnishments on judgments entered before Prop 209. The protected amount also moves with the minimum wage, which Arizona adjusts each January 1, so 60 times that figure rises automatically as the wage goes up.
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if your wages are being garnished in Arizona. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Check the current post-Proposition 209 cap and floor
Confirm the numbers that apply now, not the old 25% figure. A creditor can take at most 10% of weekly disposable earnings, and never any pay at or below 60 times the highest applicable minimum wage ($909 a week at the 2026 state rate, more under a higher city wage). If your disposable pay is at or below that line, nothing can be taken on ordinary consumer debt.
- File an exemption or hardship request if the amount is too much
Even when some pay is available, you can ask the court to reduce or stop the garnishment. Under A.R.S. §12-1598.10 a judge can lower the withholding to as little as 5% of disposable earnings if garnishment would cause extreme financial hardship to you or your family. Watch the deadline printed on the papers you receive and act quickly.
- Watch your bank account for a levy
A creditor can also try to levy wages already deposited in your bank. If your account is frozen, you can claim exemptions for those funds too. Keep records that trace the money back to your earnings so you can identify what should be protected.
- Get free Arizona legal help
A court self-help center or a legal aid office can help you fill out the exemption or hardship paperwork and confirm which minimum wage applies where you work. This is legal information, not legal advice, so check your own situation with a lawyer or self-help center.
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.
→ AZLawHelp.org (free Arizona legal aid and self-help)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 Arizona workers get wrong
Most people assume a creditor can grab 25% of every paycheck. In Arizona that is now out of date. Voters passed Proposition 209, the Predatory Debt Collection Protection Act, and it took effect December 5, 2022. It rewrote A.R.S. §33-1131 so that on an ordinary consumer judgment a creditor can take only the lesser of two numbers: 10% of your weekly disposable earnings, or the amount your weekly disposable earnings rise above 60 times the highest applicable minimum wage. Both changes help you. The 25% cap dropped to 10%, and the protected floor jumped from 30 times the federal minimum wage to 60 times the highest of the federal, state, or local minimum wage. At the 2026 Arizona minimum wage of $15.15 an hour, that floor is $909 a week, far above the federal $217.50. If your disposable pay is at or below $909 a week, an ordinary creditor can take nothing at all.
Common questions
How much of my paycheck can a creditor garnish in Arizona?
Since Proposition 209 took effect on December 5, 2022, a creditor on an ordinary consumer judgment can take the lesser of 10% of your weekly disposable earnings or the amount by which those earnings exceed 60 times the highest applicable minimum wage. At the 2026 Arizona minimum wage of $15.15 an hour, the first $909 a week is fully protected, and often the smaller of the two numbers leaves little or nothing to take.
Is Arizona wage garnishment still 25% or is it 10% now?
It is 10%. Proposition 209 amended A.R.S. §33-1131 and cut the general cap for most consumer debts from 25% of disposable earnings to 10%, effective December 5, 2022. Courts have applied the lower 10% figure even to garnishments on judgments that were entered before the change. The old 25% number no longer applies to ordinary consumer debt.
How does the 60-times-minimum-wage floor work in Arizona?
A.R.S. §33-1131 protects weekly disposable pay up to 60 times the highest applicable minimum hourly wage. At the 2026 Arizona minimum wage of $15.15 an hour that is $909 a week. A creditor can reach only the amount above that line, and never more than 10% of your total disposable pay. If your weekly disposable pay is at or below $909, nothing can be garnished for ordinary consumer debt.
Can I lower the garnishment if I cannot afford it in Arizona?
Yes. Under A.R.S. §12-1598.10, if garnishment would cause extreme financial hardship to you or your family, the court can reduce the amount withheld below the standard 10%, down to as little as 5% of your disposable earnings. You ask for this at the garnishment hearing, so read the papers you receive and note the deadline. A court self-help center can help you file the request.
Does my city minimum wage change how much can be garnished in Arizona?
Yes. A.R.S. §33-1131 uses the highest of the federal, state, or local minimum wage. If you work in a city with a higher local rate, such as Flagstaff or Tucson, the statute uses that higher wage. Because the protected floor is 60 times the applicable minimum wage, a higher local wage raises the fully protected amount above $909 a week and reduces what a creditor can take.
What debts can still reach my Arizona paycheck?
The A.R.S. §33-1131 limits cover ordinary consumer judgments. They do not stop garnishment for child support or spousal maintenance, where up to half of your disposable earnings can be taken. Unpaid federal or state taxes and defaulted federal student loans also follow their own rules and can reach your pay regardless of the 60-times floor.
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.