Maine Wage Garnishment Laws: How Much Can They Take?

In Maine, an ordinary creditor cannot simply order your employer to start withholding money from your paycheck the way they can in many other states. Before a private creditor (such as a credit card company, medical provider, or debt buyer) can reach your wages at all, it must first sue you, win a money judgment, and then go back to court using Maine's "disclosure" procedure under Title 14 of the Maine Revised Statutes (14 M.R.S. § 3120 and the sections that follow). At a disclosure hearing the court reviews your income and expenses and decides what, if anything, you can afford to pay—and it cannot order you to turn over so much that you cannot support yourself and your dependents. On top of that, Maine never lets a creditor take more than the federal cap allows: the lesser of 25% of your disposable earnings or the amount by which your weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage.

Maine starts from the federal floor—then adds court oversight

Every state is bound by the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA), which sets the maximum a creditor can take from earnings for an ordinary debt. Under the CCPA, garnishment is limited to whichever is smaller: 25% of your disposable earnings for that week, or the amount your disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour, so 30 times that figure is $217.50 per week. If your weekly disposable earnings are at or below $217.50, none of your wages can be taken for a typical consumer debt.

"Disposable earnings" means what is left after legally required deductions—federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare, and similar mandatory withholdings. It is not the same as your gross pay, and it is not your take-home pay after voluntary deductions like retirement contributions or health insurance.

What makes Maine more protective than a bare federal-minimum state is the process. Maine has no routine, pre-judgment wage garnishment for consumer debts. A creditor has to obtain a judgment first, then serve you with a disclosure subpoena and appear before a judge. The court then has discretion to issue an installment payment order based on what you can realistically pay. Because the judge weighs your actual living expenses, many Mainers with modest incomes end up with a very small order—or none at all—rather than an automatic 25% bite.

How the disclosure process actually works

The sequence in Maine typically looks like this:

• Lawsuit and judgment. The creditor must sue and win. If you were never properly served or have a defense, the time to raise it is before judgment.
• Disclosure subpoena. After judgment, the creditor serves a disclosure subpoena ordering you to come to court and answer questions, under oath, about your income, assets, and expenses.
• Disclosure hearing. You appear and complete a financial disclosure. The judge looks at your earnings, your necessary expenses, and your dependents.
• Installment or withholding order. If the court finds you can pay something, it may order installment payments or a wage withholding. The order must respect the federal caps above and cannot leave you without enough to live on.

Ignoring a disclosure subpoena is the single most damaging mistake. Failing to appear can lead to a civil arrest warrant and a default order that does not reflect your real ability to pay. Showing up—even unrepresented—is how you put your exemptions and your budget in front of the judge.

Income that is exempt in Maine

Many sources of income are protected from creditors entirely, both under federal law and Maine's exemption statutes. These generally cannot be taken to satisfy an ordinary consumer judgment:

• Social Security, SSI, and SSDI benefits
• Veterans' benefits
• Unemployment compensation
• Workers' compensation
• Public assistance / TANF and other need-based aid
• Most pension and retirement plan payments (including many ERISA-qualified plans)
• Child support you receive on behalf of a child

These protections do not disappear automatically once the money lands in your bank account, but you may have to identify and claim them. Federal rules require banks to protect a baseline of directly deposited Social Security and certain federal benefits when an account is frozen, and Maine's exemption laws let you claim other protected funds. Keep federal benefits in a separate account when you can, so they are easy to trace and harder for a creditor to sweep up by mistake.

When more can be taken: support, taxes, and student loans

The 25% rule is for ordinary debts. Different, higher limits apply to special categories:

• Child and spousal support. Under federal law, up to 50%–65% of disposable earnings can be withheld for support, depending on whether you are supporting another family and how far behind you are. Support enforcement in Maine generally runs through income withholding orders, not the consumer disclosure process.
• Unpaid taxes. The IRS and Maine Revenue Services can levy wages under their own rules, which are not capped at 25%; the protected amount is based on a standard-deduction formula instead.
• Federal student loans. The U.S. Department of Education can use administrative wage garnishment of up to 15% of disposable pay without first going to court.

If your wages are being taken for one of these reasons, the consumer protections described above may not apply the same way, and you should look at the specific program's hardship and review procedures.

How to claim an exemption and reduce or stop garnishment

To protect your income in Maine, take these steps:

• Respond to every court notice. When you receive a disclosure subpoena, mark the date and appear. Bring pay stubs, a list of monthly expenses, proof of dependents, and documentation of any exempt income.
• Claim your exemptions in writing and on the record. Tell the court which income is exempt (Social Security, veterans' benefits, and the categories above) and ask that it be excluded.
• Show hardship. If an installment order would prevent you from covering rent, food, utilities, or medical needs, present that budget. The judge can set a low payment or decline to order one.
• Move quickly on bank freezes. If a creditor freezes an account holding exempt funds, file to claim the exemption promptly—deadlines are short, and exempt money can be released.
• Get help. Pine Tree Legal Assistance and the court's self-help resources can guide unrepresented Mainers through disclosure hearings and exemption claims.

A note on Maine's minimum wage

Maine's state minimum wage is adjusted for inflation every year and, as of 2026, sits around $15 per hour—well above the $7.25 federal figure. Some states use their higher state minimum wage in the garnishment-exemption math, which shields more pay. Because the exact figure changes annually and the calculation rules can be technical, confirm the current state minimum wage with the Maine Department of Labor before relying on a specific number, and treat the 30-times-federal-minimum-wage figure as the guaranteed federal floor.

Where to verify

For authoritative, up-to-date information, consult the Office of the Maine Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, which publishes consumer guidance and runs a Consumer Mediation Service for disputes with creditors and debt collectors. The disclosure and exemption statutes themselves are in Title 14 of the Maine Revised Statutes, available through the Maine Legislature's website. For free legal help, contact Pine Tree Legal Assistance. Because debt-collection law is detailed and individual cases vary, treat this article as general information, not legal advice, and verify the current figures and procedures with these official sources before you act.

Official Maine Sources

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

• Maine Office of the Attorney General — Consumer Protection Division — official Maine agency.
• File a Consumer Complaint and Request Mediation — Maine Attorney General
• Maine Revised Statutes Title 5, Chapter 10: Unfair Trade Practices

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