Money & Debt · Wage Garnishment
Wage Garnishment Laws in Maryland
How much of your paycheck a creditor can take in Maryland, 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 Maryland wage garnishment calculator →
The limit and what is protected in Maryland
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% (with a higher protected floor) of disposable earnings |
| How the limit works | A larger protected amount than the federal floor |
| Federal backstop | The federal 25% / 30× minimum-wage floor also applies; a creditor can never take more than federal law allows. |
| Statute | Md. Code, Com. Law §15-601.1 |
The pay that is fully protected
Statewide, the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland state minimum hourly wage is exempt, so a creditor can reach only the lesser of 25% of disposable pay or the amount above that floor. At Maryland’s $15.00 minimum wage, 30 times the wage is $450 a week.
Other exemptions
- Medical insurance payments deducted from your wages by your employer are also exempt from attachment under Md. Code, Com. Law §15-601.1.
Maryland uses a "greater of" exemption, so whichever calculation protects more of your pay controls, and the ceiling on what a creditor takes remains 25% of disposable wages. Since a 2020 amendment, the exemption is uniform statewide — the earlier $145-per-week floor and the separate rule for Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Worcester counties were repealed, and the floor is now 30 times the Maryland state minimum wage everywhere. Support and tax garnishments follow their own separate rules.
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if your wages are being garnished in Maryland. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Work out your protected floor
Under Md. Code, Com. Law §15-601.1, the exempt amount is the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland state minimum hourly wage (about $450 a week at the $15.00 minimum). Only pay above that floor can be reached.
- Confirm the protected floor and the 25% ceiling
A creditor can never take more than 25% of your disposable pay, and only the amount above your floor. If your weekly disposable pay is at or below that floor, none of it should be garnished. Because Maryland uses a "greater of" test, the more protective number wins.
- File a motion or claim of exemption fast
If the amount is wrong or your income is exempt, file a motion or claim of exemption with the court that issued the garnishment by the deadline on your papers. Protected income such as Social Security and public benefits can also be claimed if it is swept into a garnishment or bank levy.
- Get free Maryland legal help
Maryland Legal Aid and the Maryland Courts self-help center can point you to the 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.
→ Maryland Legal Aid (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 Maryland workers get wrong
Maryland caps ordinary consumer garnishment at 25% of disposable pay, but the more important number is how much is fully protected. Under Md. Code, Com. Law §15-601.1, the exemption is the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland state minimum hourly wage, so a creditor can reach only the lesser of 25% of disposable pay or the amount above that floor. At the state’s $15.00 minimum wage, 30 times the wage is $450 a week, and whichever calculation protects more money controls. This rule is now uniform statewide: a 2020 amendment repealed the old $145-per-week floor and the separate formula that once applied only in Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Worcester counties. Medical insurance payments your employer deducts from your wages are also exempt. Support and tax garnishments follow their own separate rules and can reach more of your pay.
Common questions
How much of my paycheck can a creditor garnish in Maryland?
For an ordinary consumer judgment, a creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your disposable pay or the amount above your exemption floor. That floor is the greater of 75% of disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland state minimum hourly wage — about $450 a week at the current $15.00 minimum.
Does Maryland garnishment differ by county?
No. A 2020 amendment made the exemption uniform statewide. The greater of 75% of disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland state minimum wage applies everywhere; the old separate rule for Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Worcester counties was repealed.
What is Maryland’s protected weekly amount?
It is the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland state minimum hourly wage (about $450 a week at $15.00). A creditor can reach only your disposable pay above that floor, and never more than 25% of disposable pay.
Did Maryland change how it calculates the garnishment floor?
Yes. A 2020 amendment to Md. Code, Com. Law §15-601.1 replaced the old $145-per-week floor and the separate four-county rule with a single statewide exemption: the greater of 75% of disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland state minimum hourly wage.
How do I stop or object to a wage garnishment in Maryland?
File a motion or claim of exemption with the court that issued the garnishment before the deadline on your papers. You can object if the wrong floor or percentage was used, or claim exemptions for protected income such as Social Security or public benefits. Maryland Legal Aid can help you respond at no cost.
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.