Money & Debt · Wage Garnishment
Wage Garnishment Laws in Oregon
How much of your paycheck a creditor can take in Oregon, 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 Oregon wage garnishment calculator →
The limit and what is protected in Oregon
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 | A larger protected amount than the federal floor |
| Fully protected pay | The exempt amount is the greater of 75% of your disposable earnings or $400 a week (for wages payable on or after July 1, 2026, and before July 1, 2027). Whichever leaves you more is protected, so low earners keep more than the 75% figure alone would give. |
| 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 | ORS 18.385 |
Oregon protects the greater of 75% of disposable earnings or the weekly dollar floor, so the effective ceiling on a consumer garnishment is 25% but often less. The dollar floor is a moving target: it is $400 a week through June 30, 2027, then switches to 30 times the Oregon minimum wage and is adjusted annually by the State Court Administrator, so confirm the current figure for the exact pay date.
The weekly wage-exemption floor changes over time. It is $400 for wages payable July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, then becomes 30 times the Oregon minimum wage from July 1, 2027 and is adjusted each year, so always check the figure for the specific pay period.
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if your wages are being garnished in Oregon. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Work out your protected floor first
Under ORS 18.385 the exempt amount is the greater of 75% of your disposable pay or the weekly dollar floor ($400 a week for wages paid on or after July 1, 2026). Calculate both and use the larger. If your pay is at or below that floor, none of it should be garnished for a consumer debt.
- Match the floor to your pay period
The dollar floor scales with how often you are paid. A two-week check uses the two-week figure, a monthly check uses the monthly figure. Make sure your employer applied the amount for your actual pay period, not a flat weekly number.
- Challenge the garnishment if the math is wrong
If a creditor is taking more than 25% or ignoring the floor, file a challenge to the garnishment with the court, usually within a short deadline on your papers. Oregon provides a wage-exemption calculation form that shows how the protected amount is figured, so use it to check the numbers.
- Get free Oregon legal help
Legal Aid Services of Oregon and the Oregon State Bar lawyer referral service can help you respond to a garnishment and claim exemptions. 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.
→ Oregon Law Help (statewide legal aid directory)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 Oregon workers get wrong
Oregon protects more of your paycheck than the old federal rule does, and the protection grows over time. Under ORS 18.385, a consumer creditor can reach at most 25% of your disposable pay, because the state exempts the greater of 75% of your disposable earnings or a set weekly dollar floor. For wages payable on or after July 1, 2026, and before July 1, 2027, that floor is $400 a week for an ordinary garnishment, which is well above the federal $217.50. The floor is not fixed forever. Oregon raised it through Senate Bill 1595, and beginning July 1, 2027, it converts to 30 times the Oregon minimum wage and is adjusted every year by the State Court Administrator. The floor also scales to your pay period, so a two-week or monthly paycheck uses its own figure. Because the number moves, check the exact amount for the pay date in question before accepting any garnishment.
Common questions
How much of my paycheck can a creditor garnish in Oregon?
For an ordinary consumer judgment, ORS 18.385 protects the greater of 75% of your disposable earnings or the weekly dollar floor, which is $400 a week for wages payable on or after July 1, 2026. That means a creditor can take at most 25% of your disposable pay, and less if the dollar floor is higher.
What is the Oregon weekly wage-exemption floor and does it change?
It is the minimum amount of pay that is fully protected regardless of the percentage. For wages payable on or after July 1, 2026, and before July 1, 2027, it is $400 a week for ordinary garnishments. Beginning July 1, 2027, it becomes 30 times the Oregon minimum wage and is adjusted each year, so the figure moves over time.
Is Oregon more protective than the federal garnishment rule?
Yes. The federal rule protects 30 times the federal minimum wage, or $217.50 a week. Oregon protects the greater of 75% of disposable earnings or a much higher dollar floor ($400 a week for the 2026-2027 period), so more of your pay is shielded here.
Does the wage-exemption floor depend on how often I am paid?
Yes. ORS 18.385 sets the floor by pay period, so a weekly, two-week, half-month, or monthly paycheck each uses its own figure rather than a single weekly cap. Confirm your employer used the amount that matches your actual pay schedule.
What debts can still garnish my Oregon wages beyond the consumer limit?
Child support, spousal support, and state tax debts follow their own exemption rules and can reach a different share of your pay than an ordinary consumer garnishment. Defaulted federal student loans and federal taxes also follow their own federal rules rather than the 75% consumer protection.
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.