In Washington, your home equity is protected by one of the most generous homestead exemptions in the country: under RCW 6.13.030, the homestead exemption is the greater of $125,000 or the county median sale price of a single-family home in the preceding calendar year. Because home prices in many Washington counties run well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, this floating figure often shields far more equity than the fixed dollar caps used in most states. That single rule is why a judgment creditor in Washington usually cannot force the sale of a primary residence to collect an ordinary consumer debt, and it is a good example of why exemptions must be analyzed state by state rather than from a national rule of thumb.
How Washington exemptions work
An exemption is property the law places beyond the reach of a judgment creditor. Even after a creditor sues you and wins a money judgment, it can only collect by seizing non-exempt assets through garnishment of wages or bank accounts, a writ of execution, or a lien. Washington's exemptions are found mainly in Title 6 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), and they apply automatically to the categories below, though for some collection actions you must affirmatively claim the exemption in writing or risk losing it.
Washington exemptions sit on top of federal protections. Federal law sets a nationwide floor for wage garnishment and shields certain benefits and retirement accounts, but states are free to protect more. Washington protects more in several important areas, including wages and the homestead.
The homestead exemption
The homestead (RCW Chapter 6.13) covers a house and the land it sits on, a mobile home, or in some cases a condominium or manufactured home you occupy as your principal residence. As noted above, the protected amount is the greater of $125,000 or the prior-year county median sale price for a single-family home, so the exact dollar figure depends on the county and the year. Important limits apply: the homestead does not defeat a properly recorded mortgage or deed of trust, a mechanic's or materialman's lien, child support liens, or certain tax obligations. It protects equity, not the entire property value, so a creditor could still reach equity above the exemption amount in rare cases.
Wages
Federal law (the Consumer Credit Protection Act) caps wage garnishment at 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount by which weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less. Washington protects substantially more. Under RCW 6.27.150, for most ordinary consumer debt, the exempt portion of your paycheck is the greater of 85% of disposable earnings or 45 times the state minimum hourly wage; for most other (non-consumer) judgments, the exemption is the greater of 80% of disposable earnings or 35 times the federal minimum wage. Because part of this calculation is tied to Washington's minimum wage, the dollar threshold rises whenever the wage rate does.
Washington's minimum wage is adjusted every year for inflation by the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). As of 2026 the state minimum wage is in the range of roughly $16.50 to $17 per hour, but you should confirm the exact current figure with L&I before relying on it, because the number changes each January 1. Higher garnishment limits apply for child support and certain other obligations, which can reach up to 50%-65% of disposable earnings under federal law.
Retirement accounts
Under RCW 6.15.020, money in qualified retirement plans is broadly exempt in Washington, including employer pensions, 401(k) and 403(b) plans, IRAs, Roth IRAs, and similar tax-qualified accounts. Employer-sponsored plans governed by the federal ERISA statute are also protected under federal law. The key caveat is to keep retirement funds inside the account; once you withdraw the money and deposit it into an ordinary checking account, the retirement exemption may no longer apply and the funds can be exposed to a bank levy.
Public benefits: Social Security, unemployment, and more
Many income streams designed as a safety net are exempt:
- Social Security and SSI: protected by federal law (42 U.S.C. 407) against most creditors. Federal rules at 31 C.F.R. Part 212 require a bank that receives a garnishment order to automatically protect up to two months of Social Security and certain federal benefits that were directly deposited, without you having to file anything.
- Unemployment compensation: exempt under RCW 50.40.020.
- Workers' compensation: exempt under RCW 51.32.040.
- Public assistance (TANF and similar): protected from creditor process.
- Veterans' and disability benefits generally receive federal protection.
Exceptions exist: even Social Security can be reached for child support, alimony, certain federal debts, and federal taxes.