Money & Debt · Wage Garnishment
Wage Garnishment Laws in Idaho
How much of your paycheck a creditor can take in Idaho, 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 Idaho wage garnishment calculator →
The limit and what is protected in Idaho
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 |
|
| Federal backstop | The federal 25% / 30× minimum-wage floor also applies; a creditor can never take more than federal law allows. |
| Statute | Idaho Code §11-207 |
Idaho follows the federal ceiling for ordinary consumer debt: the lesser of 25% of disposable pay or the amount above $217.50 a week. It does not add a head-of-household exemption that lowers the percentage. Support orders are the main exception: where you are supporting a spouse or dependent child other than the one covered by the order, up to 50% of disposable pay can be garnished for support, and that can rise by 5% for arrears more than twelve weeks old. Those support figures do not apply to ordinary credit-card, medical, or contract judgments.
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if your wages are being garnished in Idaho. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Confirm the protected floor first
Under Idaho Code §11-207 the first $217.50 of your weekly disposable pay cannot be touched, 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.
- Make sure the debt is ordinary consumer debt
The 25% cap is for regular judgments like credit cards, medical bills, and contracts. Support orders, tax debts, and bankruptcy plans follow different, often higher limits, so identify what kind of debt is behind the garnishment before you assume the cap applies.
- File a claim of exemption if funds are protected
If your earnings or other funds are exempt, you can claim that exemption with the court, usually within a short deadline printed on the paperwork. Idaho counties provide claim-of-exemption forms through the sheriff or court clerk.
- Get free Idaho legal help
Idaho Legal Aid Services can help you check the math, confirm the floor, and file a claim of exemption. 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.
→ Idaho Legal Aid Services (statewide free civil legal 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 Idaho workers get wrong
Idaho follows the federal garnishment ceiling, so on an ordinary consumer judgment a creditor 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. Idaho Code §11-207 spells this out and also hands the Idaho commissioner of labor the job of setting the equivalent floor for pay periods that are not weekly. Idaho does not stack a head-of-household exemption on top to shrink the percentage, so for regular debts the 25% figure is the whole answer on the number. The real fork in Idaho is between consumer debt and support: for a child or spousal support order, the statute allows a much larger bite, up to 50% of disposable pay and sometimes more for old arrears. Those support percentages never apply to an ordinary credit-card or medical judgment.
Common questions
How much of my paycheck can a creditor garnish in Idaho?
For an ordinary consumer judgment, Idaho Code §11-207 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 is left after deductions required by law. Idaho does not add a head-of-household exemption to lower that percentage.
What is the $217.50 protected amount in Idaho?
It is a floor of pay a creditor cannot touch. Idaho 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.
Does Idaho have a head-of-household exemption for consumer debt?
No. Unlike some states, Idaho does not give heads of household a larger wage exemption for ordinary consumer judgments. Everyone is under the same federal ceiling: the lesser of 25% of disposable pay or the amount above $217.50 a week.
Can more than 25% be taken for child or spousal support in Idaho?
Yes. The 25% cap does not apply to support orders. Idaho Code §11-207 allows up to 50% of disposable pay to be garnished for a support order where you are also supporting another spouse or child, and that can rise by 5% for arrears more than twelve weeks old. Those figures are for support only, not ordinary debts.
How do I object to a wage garnishment in Idaho?
You can file a claim of exemption with the court, generally within a short deadline printed on the garnishment paperwork. Idaho county sheriffs and court clerks provide the claim forms. If your take-home is at or below the protected floor, or the amount taken exceeds the cap, that is worth raising right away.
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.