Money & Debt · Wage Garnishment
Wage Garnishment Laws in Tennessee
How much of your paycheck a creditor can take in Tennessee, 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 Tennessee wage garnishment calculator →
The limit and what is protected in Tennessee
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, and that reachable amount is reduced by $2.50 for each qualifying dependent child. |
| 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 | Tenn. Code §26-2-106; §26-2-107 |
Tennessee follows the federal 25% / 30-times ceiling but layers a small per-child reduction on top. Under Tenn. Code §26-2-107 the disposable earnings a creditor can reach are cut by $2.50 a week for each dependent child under 16 who lives in Tennessee, but only if you notify your employer of the children. The reduction is not automatic. If you never tell your employer, the garnishment runs on the plain federal formula as if you had no dependents.
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if your wages are being garnished in Tennessee. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Confirm the protected floor first
Under Tenn. Code §26-2-106 the first $217.50 of your weekly disposable pay cannot be touched for consumer debt, 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.
- Claim the $2.50 per-child reduction with your employer
Tenn. Code §26-2-107 cuts the garnishable amount by $2.50 a week for each dependent child under 16 who lives in Tennessee, but only if you inform your employer of the children. Tell your employer in writing so the reduction actually gets applied to your paycheck.
- Watch for a bank levy on wages you already received
A creditor can also try to reach pay sitting in your bank account. Some deposited funds, such as Social Security, stay exempt, so if your account is frozen, identify the protected money and raise the exemption in writing before the deadline on your papers.
- Get free Tennessee legal help
Help4TN.org and your regional legal aid office, such as the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, can explain the forms and deadlines and screen you for free representation. 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.
→ Help4TN (statewide legal aid information line)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 Tennessee workers get wrong
Tennessee tracks 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 Tennessee has no higher state minimum wage to raise it. What sets Tennessee apart is a small extra protection for parents. Tenn. Code §26-2-107 reduces the amount a creditor can reach by $2.50 a week for each dependent child under 16 who lives in Tennessee. It is modest, but it adds up over a long garnishment, and it comes with a catch: the reduction is not automatic. You have to tell your employer about each qualifying child. If you never do, the garnishment runs on the plain federal formula and you lose a reduction the statute would have given you.
Common questions
How much of my paycheck can a creditor garnish in Tennessee?
For an ordinary consumer judgment, Tenn. Code §26-2-106 lets a creditor take the lesser of 25% of your disposable pay or the amount by which your weekly disposable pay exceeds $217.50. That reachable amount is then reduced by $2.50 a week for each dependent child under 16 who lives in Tennessee, if you have told your employer about the children.
What is the $2.50 per-child reduction in Tennessee?
Tenn. Code §26-2-107 lowers the amount subject to garnishment by $2.50 a week for each dependent child under 16 years of age who is a resident of Tennessee. It is a Tennessee-specific protection on top of the federal formula, but it only applies if you notify your employer of each qualifying child.
Is the dependent-child reduction automatic in Tennessee?
No. The statute requires you to inform your employer about each dependent child you are claiming. If you do not tell your employer, the reduction is not applied and the garnishment proceeds on the plain federal 25% / $217.50 formula. Put the notice in writing so there is a record.
What is the $217.50 protected amount in Tennessee?
It is a floor of weekly pay that cannot be garnished at all. Tennessee 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%, before the per-child reduction is applied.
What debts can still reach my paycheck in Tennessee despite these limits?
The 25% cap and the per-child reduction cover ordinary consumer judgments. They do not stop garnishment for child support or alimony, unpaid federal or state taxes, or defaulted federal student loans. Those follow their own federal rules and can take a share of your pay regardless of the consumer-debt limits.
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.