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Wage garnishment and exemptions in Connecticut

How much of your pay a creditor can take in Connecticut. Plus what a creditor can't touch in your bank account and what property you keep.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026

Short answer

Here is Connecticut's rule on wage garnishment. Stricter than federal: a creditor can take no more than 25% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 40 times the higher of the federal or Connecticut minimum wage per week, whichever is less. In a bank account: Up to $1,000: the bank leaves up to $1,000 of wages deposited in the last 2 months, or the lesser of your balance or $1,000.

Wage limit
Up to 25%
Federal benefits in a bank account
Up to 2 months protected
Law
Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-361a(f), 52-367b, 52-352b(18); court forms JD-CV-3 (rev. 10-25) and JD-CV-24

How much can they take from your paycheck in Connecticut?

After a court judgment on a credit card, medical bill or other consumer debt.

Pay after taxes and other deductions the law requires, before voluntary ones such as a 401(k).

Enter your take-home payThe most a creditor can take appears here.

An estimate, not legal advice.

Deadline and form to protect your money in Connecticut

The papers from the court, your employer or your bank list the deadline to claim an exemption. Ask the court how to file the claim: Connecticut court self-help (official).

Pay or bank account being taken? Claim an exemption →Get the exemption claim letter →

in the Debt lawsuits section

Your paycheck and garnishment in Connecticut

Wage limit
Stricter than federal: a creditor can take no more than 25% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 40 times the higher of the federal or Connecticut minimum wage per week, whichever is less.
Law
Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-361a(f), 52-367b, 52-352b(18); court forms JD-CV-3 (rev. 10-25) and JD-CV-24

Federal law caps garnishment at 25% of disposable earnings or less (15 U.S.C. 1673(a)); where Connecticut's rule protects more, it applies.

In nearby states

Also in Connecticut

  • Connecticut's wage protection uses 40 times the minimum wage, and the higher state minimum wage counts (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-361a(f)).
  • When a creditor freezes your bank account, the bank must leave up to $1,000 of wage deposits from the last 2 months, or up to $1,000 of the balance, without you asking (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-367b, 52-352b(18)).
  • The $250,000 home and two-vehicle exemptions date from Public Act 21-161, not from 2024-2026.

What creditors can't take in Connecticut

  • Home: up to $250,000 of equity (market value minus mortgages and liens).
  • Vehicles: up to two, worth up to $7,000 in total after loans (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-352b(21), (10)).
  • Any other property: up to $1,000 (§ 52-352b(18)).

What Connecticut protects in a bank account

Up to $1,000: the bank leaves up to $1,000 of wages deposited in the last 2 months, or the lesser of your balance or $1,000. Direct deposits of Social Security, VA, unemployment and child support stay protected in full.

Your bank must automatically protect two months of directly deposited Social Security, SSI or VA benefits (31 CFR 212.5, 212.6). How garnishment follows a lawsuit.

When the debt is support, a student loan or taxes

  • Child support: the cap is 50% of disposable earnings (60% if you support no other spouse or child), plus 5% when payments are over 12 weeks behind (15 U.S.C. 1673(b)).
  • Federal student loans: up to 15% of disposable pay, without a court case, after a written notice at least 30 days ahead (20 U.S.C. 1095a).
  • Other debts owed to a federal agency: 15% of disposable pay at most, with the same 30-times-minimum-wage floor as other garnishments (31 CFR 285.11).
  • Federal taxes: the IRS uses its own exempt amount, set by your standard deduction and dependents; give your employer the Statement of Dependents and Filing Status within 3 days (26 U.S.C. 6334(a)(9), (d); IRS wage levy rules).

No garnishment without a judgment in Connecticut

If you do not answer by the answer date, the magistrate can decide the case without a trial and enter a judgment against you.

If you are sued, answer on time. In Connecticut: Small claims: file the Answer form by the answer date printed on it. Regular civil cases: the deadline is on your summons (an appearance is due by the return date).

Got court papers? Count your answer deadline →

in the Debt lawsuits section

What to do if you are sued in Connecticut

How to claim an exemption in Connecticut

  1. Read every notice

    Look for the date to claim exemptions on every court, employer or bank notice.

  2. Apply Connecticut's wage rule

    Connecticut's wage rule: Stricter than federal: a creditor can take no more than 25% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 40 times the higher of the federal or Connecticut minimum wage per week, whichever is less.

  3. Look at your bank account

    Connecticut also protects money in an account: Up to $1,000: the bank leaves up to $1,000 of wages deposited in the last 2 months, or the lesser of your balance or $1,000. Federal benefits paid by direct deposit are protected too (31 CFR 212.6).

  4. Claim your exemptions in court

    Get the exemption claim form from the clerk and file it in time. Start with Connecticut court self-help (official).

Questions about garnishment in Connecticut

Can a creditor take my wages in Connecticut, and how much?

Stricter than federal: a creditor can take no more than 25% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 40 times the higher of the federal or Connecticut minimum wage per week, whichever is less.

How much money in a bank account is protected in Connecticut?

Up to $1,000: the bank leaves up to $1,000 of wages deposited in the last 2 months, or the lesser of your balance or $1,000. Direct deposits of Social Security, VA, unemployment and child support stay protected in full.

Can a creditor take my home or car in Connecticut?

Home: up to $250,000 of equity (market value minus mortgages and liens). Vehicles: up to two, worth up to $7,000 in total after loans (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-352b(21), (10)). Any other property: up to $1,000 (§ 52-352b(18)).

Can a creditor garnish federal benefits in my bank account in Connecticut?

Your bank must automatically protect two months of directly deposited Social Security, SSI or VA benefits (31 CFR 212.5, 212.6). Up to $1,000: the bank leaves up to $1,000 of wages deposited in the last 2 months, or the lesser of your balance or $1,000.

Related Connecticut pages

Sources and last check

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources