Money & Debt · Wage Garnishment
Wage Garnishment Laws in Nevada
How much of your paycheck a creditor can take in Nevada, 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 Nevada wage garnishment calculator →
The limit and what is protected in Nevada
How much a creditor can take, the pay that is exempt, and where it comes from in the code.
| Most a creditor can take | Up to 25% (18% if you earn $770 or less a week) of disposable earnings |
| How the limit works | A larger protected amount than the federal floor |
| Fully protected pay | Weekly disposable pay up to $362.50 (50 times the $7.25 federal minimum wage) is fully protected, which is a higher floor than the federal 30x standard. A creditor can reach only the lesser of the applicable percentage cap or the amount above $362.50 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 | Nev. Rev. Stat. §31.295 |
Nevada is more protective than the federal rule in two ways: a lower 18% cap for workers earning $770 gross or less per week, and a larger 50x minimum wage floor instead of the federal 30x floor. The creditor takes the least of the applicable percentage, the amount above the 50x floor, and the standard limits. The 18% versus 25% split turns on your gross weekly wage on the date the most recent writ of garnishment issued, not your disposable pay. These consumer-debt limits do not apply to garnishments for the support of a person, which follow their own higher percentages.
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if your wages are being garnished in Nevada. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Check your gross weekly wage against the $770 line
Under NRS 31.295, if your gross weekly salary or wage on the date the most recent writ issued was $770 or less, the garnishment cap is 18% of disposable pay, not 25%. Confirm which number applies to you, because it changes how much can be taken.
- Confirm the higher protected floor
Nevada protects the first $362.50 of weekly disposable pay, which is 50 times the federal minimum wage and higher than the usual federal floor. A creditor can reach only the amount above that line, subject to the 18% or 25% cap. If your disposable pay is at or below $362.50 a week, none of it should be garnished.
- File a claim of exemption fast
If the amount is wrong or your income is exempt, file a claim of exemption with the court by the deadline printed on your papers. Nevada also protects funds such as Social Security and public benefits, which can be claimed if they are swept into a garnishment or a bank levy.
- Get free Nevada legal help
Nevada Legal Services and the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada help residents respond to garnishments and file claims of exemption at no charge. 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.
→ Nevada Legal Services (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 Nevada workers get wrong
Nevada gives paychecks two extra layers of protection beyond the federal rule. First, the amount fully shielded is larger: NRS 31.295 protects the first 50 times the federal minimum wage each week, which is $362.50, instead of the federal 30x floor of $217.50. Second, lower earners get a smaller cap. If your gross weekly salary or wage was $770 or less on the date the most recent writ of garnishment issued, a creditor may take only 18% of your disposable pay. If your gross weekly wage was above $770, the cap is the usual 25%. In every case the creditor takes the least of the applicable percentage, the amount above the $362.50 floor, and the standard limits, so whichever calculation leaves you the most money controls. These consumer-debt limits do not cover garnishments for the support of a person, which follow their own higher percentages. Disposable pay means what is left after taxes and other legally required deductions.
Common questions
How much of my paycheck can a creditor garnish in Nevada?
It depends on your gross weekly wage. Under NRS 31.295, if your gross weekly salary or wage was $770 or less on the date the most recent writ issued, a creditor can take up to 18% of your disposable pay. If it was above $770, the cap is 25%. In both cases the first $362.50 of weekly disposable pay is protected.
What is the $770 threshold in Nevada garnishment?
It is the line that sets your percentage cap. NRS 31.295 uses your gross weekly salary or wage on the date the most recent writ of garnishment issued. At $770 or less, the cap is 18% of disposable earnings. Above $770, the cap rises to 25%. It is based on gross pay, not disposable pay.
Why is the protected amount higher in Nevada than in most states?
Nevada uses a 50 times minimum wage floor instead of the federal 30x floor. Fifty times the $7.25 federal minimum wage is $362.50 a week, compared with the $217.50 that federal law protects. That larger floor means more of your base pay is shielded before any garnishment percentage applies.
Is Nevada more protective than the federal 25% garnishment limit?
Yes, in two ways. Nevada adds an 18% cap for workers earning $770 gross or less per week, below the federal 25%, and it protects a higher weekly floor of $362.50 instead of $217.50. A state can only be more protective than the federal rule, and Nevada is on both counts.
How do I stop or object to a wage garnishment in Nevada?
File a claim of exemption with the court that issued the garnishment before the deadline printed on your papers. You can object if the percentage or the floor was miscalculated, or claim exemptions for protected income such as Social Security or public benefits. Nevada Legal Services can help you file 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.