Arizona Wage Garnishment Laws: How Much Can They Take?

In Arizona, a creditor with a court judgment for an ordinary debt can garnish the lesser of 25% of your disposable earnings or the amount by which your weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage, under Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) § 33-1131. That tracks the federal ceiling, but Arizona adds an important protection that most states do not: under A.R.S. § 33-1131(C), a judgment debtor can ask the court to reduce the garnishment to as little as 15% of disposable earnings by showing extraordinary circumstances or financial hardship. So while Arizona is not one of the handful of states (such as Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and South Carolina) that ban most wage garnishment for ordinary debts, it does give Arizona workers a built-in way to push the standard 25% cap down to 15%.

Arizona's wage garnishment cap explained

"Disposable earnings" means what is left in your paycheck after legally required deductions such as federal and state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. It is not your gross pay, and it is not your take-home pay after voluntary deductions like a 401(k) contribution or health insurance you elect. The garnishment is calculated only against that disposable figure.

For a routine consumer debt — a credit card balance, a medical bill, a personal loan, or a deficiency after a repossession — the maximum a creditor can take each pay period is the smaller of these two numbers:

• 25% of your disposable earnings for that period, or
• the amount by which your disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage (calculated for the pay period).

The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour for years, so 30 times that figure is $217.50 per week. As of 2026 that floor still protects roughly the first $217.50 of weekly disposable earnings from ordinary garnishment. Note that Arizona's statute keys this protected floor to the federal minimum wage, not Arizona's higher state minimum wage, so do not assume the protected amount rises just because Arizona's minimum wage does. Because these figures can be updated, confirm the current federal minimum wage and the exact statutory language before relying on a specific dollar amount.

How Arizona compares to the federal baseline

The federal Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA), Title III, sets the national floor: creditors generally cannot take more than 25% of disposable earnings, and they cannot touch earnings at or below 30 times the federal minimum wage. Many states protect more than this; a few protect far more. Arizona's headline 25% number is the same as the federal cap, which is why Arizona is sometimes described as a "federal-baseline" state. The difference that matters in practice is the 15% hardship reduction in A.R.S. § 33-1131(C) — a tool you have to actively use, because the writ will start at 25% unless you ask the court to lower it.

The 15% hardship reduction

This is the provision Arizona workers most often overlook. After a writ of garnishment against your earnings is in place, you can petition the court to reduce the withholding to no less than 15% of disposable earnings on a showing of extraordinary circumstances. Courts look at your household budget — rent or mortgage, utilities, food, dependents, medical costs — to decide whether the standard 25% would leave you unable to meet basic living expenses. If you are living paycheck to paycheck, gather proof of your income and necessary expenses and raise this with the court. Reducing the bite from 25% to 15% can be the difference between keeping your housing and falling behind.

Higher caps for child support and certain debts

The 25%-or-15% rules apply to ordinary judgment creditors. Different, higher limits apply to special categories:

• Child support and spousal maintenance: Under federal CCPA rules that Arizona follows, support orders can reach up to 50% of disposable earnings if you are supporting another spouse or child, or up to 60% if you are not — plus an extra 5% (so 55% or 65%) when you are more than 12 weeks in arrears.
• Federal student loans: The U.S. Department of Education and its servicers can administratively garnish up to 15% of disposable pay without first suing you.
• Unpaid federal taxes: The IRS levies wages under its own rules, which are not based on the 25% cap and instead leave you only a smaller exempt amount tied to your filing status and dependents.

What income is exempt from garnishment in Arizona

Some money is protected entirely or nearly entirely, even after a creditor wins a judgment. Common Arizona exemptions include:

• Social Security and SSI benefits (protected under federal law).
• Veterans' benefits and most military-related benefits.
• Unemployment compensation and workers' compensation benefits.
• Public assistance / welfare benefits.
• Many pension and retirement payments, including certain ERISA-qualified plans.
• Child support you receive for your children.
• The protected portion of wages — at least 75% of disposable earnings (or more if the court grants the 15% reduction).

A critical practical point: exempt funds like Social Security can lose their protected status if they are mixed with non-exempt money in a bank account. If exempt benefits are direct-deposited and a creditor tries to levy your account, federal rules require banks to protect a baseline of recently deposited federal benefits, but you may still need to claim the exemption to recover everything that is protected.

How to claim an exemption or object in Arizona

When a creditor garnishes your earnings, the process runs through the court that issued the judgment, and you have a right to be notified and to object. The general steps:

• Read every document you receive. The writ of garnishment, the notice to the judgment debtor, and the garnishee's (employer's) answer all carry deadlines.
• File a written objection or request for hearing quickly. Under Arizona's earnings-garnishment procedures, a judgment debtor generally has a short window — commonly stated as 10 business days after the employer's answer — to file a written objection or request a hearing. Because missing this window can waive your challenge, confirm the exact deadline on your specific notice and in the current statute (A.R.S. Title 12, Chapter 9).
• Assert exemptions in writing. If the money being taken is exempt (Social Security, benefits, the protected wage portion), say so in your objection and bring documentation showing the source of the funds.
• Ask for the 15% reduction if the standard garnishment creates hardship, and bring a written budget and proof of expenses.
• Attend the hearing. If you request one, show up. Judges cannot grant relief you do not appear to argue for.

If the underlying debt is not even valid — it is not yours, it is time-barred, or you were never properly served — you may have grounds to challenge the judgment itself, which is a separate and stronger remedy than just reducing the garnishment.

Where to verify and get help

Wage garnishment is YMYL legal territory, and the dollar figures and procedural deadlines can change. Confirm the current rules before acting:

• Arizona Revised Statutes — A.R.S. § 33-1131 (garnishment caps and the 15% reduction) and A.R.S. Title 12, Chapter 9 (garnishment procedure), available on the Arizona State Legislature's website.
• Arizona Attorney General — Consumer Protection and Advocacy Section, which handles consumer complaints and publishes consumer information for Arizona residents.
• The federal CCPA / U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division for the national garnishment limits.
• A licensed Arizona attorney or a nonprofit legal aid organization if you need help objecting, claiming exemptions, or challenging the judgment.

The bottom line: Arizona lets ordinary creditors take up to 25% of your disposable earnings, the same as the federal cap, but it also gives you a real path to cut that to 15% — and a strong set of exemptions for benefit income — if you act within the deadlines and put your objection in writing.

Official Arizona Sources

This page is based on Arizona law. Limits and deadlines change — verify the current details directly with the official Arizona sources below. This is general legal information, not legal advice.

• Arizona Attorney General - Consumer Protection and Advocacy Section — official Arizona agency.
• File a Consumer Complaint - Arizona Attorney General
• Arizona Revised Statutes 44-1522 - Unlawful practices (Consumer Fraud Act)

Federal law also applies. Federal laws like the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act protect you nationwide, on top of Arizona’s own rules.