Missouri Wage Garnishment Laws: How Much Can They Take?

In Missouri, a creditor with a court judgment generally cannot take more than 25% of your disposable earnings per pay period under state law (RSMo § 525.030) — and if you are the head of a family and a Missouri resident, that ceiling drops to just 10% of your disposable earnings. This head-of-family protection is the single most important thing Missouri workers should know, because it cuts the maximum garnishment by more than half compared with the federal baseline. Missouri layers this on top of the federal rule, so the creditor may take only the smaller of the applicable percentage or the amount by which your weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage.

Missouri's specific garnishment limits

Missouri largely tracks the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA), which caps ordinary wage garnishment at 25% of disposable earnings nationwide. But Missouri adds a meaningful state-level break. Under RSMo § 525.030, the maximum part of your aggregate disposable earnings subject to garnishment in any workweek may not exceed the lesser of:

• 25% of disposable earnings for that week (the standard rate), or 10% of disposable earnings if you are the head of a family and a resident of Missouri; or
• the amount by which your disposable earnings for that week exceed 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage then in effect.

"Disposable earnings" means what is left after legally required deductions — federal and state income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare (FICA), and similar mandatory deductions. It is not your take-home pay after voluntary deductions like a 401(k) contribution, health insurance, or union dues; those do not reduce the garnishable amount.

The 30-times-minimum-wage floor

The statute uses 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, not Missouri's (higher) state minimum wage, to set the dollar floor below which your weekly wages cannot be touched. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour as of 2026, which makes that protected weekly floor roughly $217.50, but you should confirm the current federal figure with the U.S. Department of Labor and the current Missouri minimum wage with the Missouri Department of Labor before relying on a specific number. Missouri's own minimum wage rises on a schedule and is well above the federal rate, but the garnishment formula in RSMo § 525.030 is tied to the federal minimum.

Who counts as "head of a family"

The 10% cap is the centerpiece of Missouri's protection, and it applies if you are the head of a family and a Missouri resident. Generally this means you provide more than half the support for a dependent — a spouse, child, or other relative who relies on you financially. You typically must claim this status; it is not applied automatically. If your employer or the court is withholding 25% and you qualify as head of family, you may be giving up more than twice what the law allows. Raising the head-of-family exemption promptly is one of the fastest ways to reduce an existing garnishment in Missouri.

Debts that can exceed the normal cap

The 25%/10% limits apply to ordinary consumer debts — credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, and similar judgments. Several categories follow different, higher federal rules and are not limited by Missouri's head-of-family break:

• Child support and spousal support (maintenance). Under the federal CCPA, support orders can reach up to 50% of disposable earnings if you support another spouse or child, and up to 60% if you do not — plus an additional 5% if you are more than 12 weeks in arrears.
• Unpaid federal taxes. The IRS levies wages under its own formula based on your filing status and exemptions, not the 25% cap.
• State taxes. The Missouri Department of Revenue has separate collection authority for delinquent state taxes.
• Federal student loans. The U.S. Department of Education (and its guaranty agencies) can administratively garnish up to 15% of disposable pay without first suing you.

Income that is exempt from garnishment

Certain income is protected regardless of the percentage rules because it is exempt under federal or Missouri law. Creditors for ordinary debts generally cannot garnish:

• Social Security and SSI benefits, plus most other federal benefits;
• Veterans' benefits and many federal pensions;
• Unemployment compensation and workers' compensation benefits;
• Public assistance (such as TANF and most need-based aid);
• portions of retirement and pension funds protected under Missouri's exemption statutes.

These protections do not always survive automatically once the money lands in a bank account and gets commingled with other funds, so if exempt benefits are being frozen in a bank levy, you generally must file a claim of exemption to get them released. Federal rules require banks to automatically protect a limited window of recently deposited Social Security and certain federal benefits, but you may still need to act to protect older deposits.

How to claim an exemption and stop or reduce garnishment

A creditor cannot garnish your wages in Missouri without first suing you and obtaining a judgment. After judgment, the creditor asks the court to issue a writ of garnishment that is served on your employer. Once that happens, you still have rights:

• File a claim of exemption with the court. This is how you assert head-of-family status (to drop the rate to 10%) or claim that specific income is exempt. Use the forms and instructions provided by the court that issued the garnishment, and file promptly — there are short deadlines once a garnishment or bank levy begins.
• Request a hearing. If the creditor disputes your exemption, the court will hold a hearing where you can present proof of your dependents and income.
• Check the math. Confirm your employer is using disposable earnings (after mandatory deductions only) and the correct percentage. Multiple garnishments cannot stack past the overall cap.
• Verify the underlying judgment. If you were never properly served, the debt is past Missouri's statute of limitations, or the amount is wrong, you may be able to challenge the judgment itself.
• Watch for federal protections. The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) bars abusive collection tactics, and your employer cannot fire you because of a garnishment for a single debt.

Because the head-of-family exemption and the exact filing deadlines are time-sensitive, many Missourians benefit from contacting a legal aid organization or a consumer attorney as soon as a garnishment notice arrives.

Where to verify Missouri's rules

Always confirm the current law before acting. The garnishment limits are set out in the Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 525 (especially RSMo § 525.030), available through the Missouri General Assembly's official website. For consumer complaints, deceptive collection practices, and general guidance, contact the Missouri Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division, which handles consumer-protection matters statewide. Confirm the federal minimum wage with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Missouri minimum wage with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. For the federal garnishment baseline, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division explains the CCPA limits that apply nationwide.

Official Missouri Sources

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

• Missouri Attorney General - Consumer Protection Division — official Missouri agency.
• Missouri Attorney General Consumer Complaint Form
• Missouri Revised Statutes Section 407.020 - Merchandising Practices Act (Unlawful 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 Missouri’s own rules.