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Wage garnishment and exemptions in Kansas

Kansas uses the federal 25% limit on wage garnishment. Here is what is protected in your bank account, the property you can keep and how to claim an exemption.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026

Short answer

Kansas follows the federal limit on wage garnishment. A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings, the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, or the amount of the claim. One creditor can't start more than one wage garnishment against you in any 30-day period. We could not confirm a general dollar amount protected in a bank account in Kansas; directly deposited federal benefits are still protected (31 CFR 212.6).

Wage limit
25% (federal limit)
Federal benefits in a bank account
Up to 2 months protected
Law
K.S.A. 60-2310(b), (d)

How much can they take from your paycheck in Kansas?

For an ordinary debt such as a credit card or medical bill, after a court judgment.

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 Kansas

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: Kansas 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 Kansas

Wage limit
Federal limit applies to the amount. A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings, the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, or the amount of the claim. One creditor can't start more than one wage garnishment against you in any 30-day period. Kansas adds one big protection: if the original creditor sold or assigned your account to someone else or to a collection agency, that buyer or agency can't garnish your wages at all (except for child support, state debt-setoff and court-debt collections) (K.S.A. 60-2310(d)).
Law
K.S.A. 60-2310(b), (d)

Kansas is one of 17 states in our 48 state guides that use the federal limit (15 U.S.C. 1673(a)).

In nearby states

What creditors can't take in Kansas

  • Homestead: your home is protected with no dollar cap, up to 160 acres of farmland or 1 acre in a city (or a mobile or manufactured home you live in).
  • It is not protected from a mortgage or a tax debt on it (K.S.A. 60-2301).
  • Vehicle: up to $20,000 of value in one vehicle you use for transportation or to get to work (K.S.A. 60-2304(c)).

Also in Kansas

  • If your account was sold or assigned to a debt buyer or collection agency, Kansas law says that company can't use wage garnishment against you (K.S.A. 60-2310(d)).

What Kansas protects in a bank account

Your bank must automatically protect two months of directly deposited Social Security, SSI or VA benefits (31 CFR 212.5, 212.6). Read the debt lawsuit guide.

When the debt is support, a student loan or taxes

  • Child support: a support order can take 50% or 60% of disposable earnings, depending on whether you support another family, and 55% or 65% for support over 12 weeks overdue (15 U.S.C. 1673(b)).
  • Federal student loans: the government can take up to 15% of disposable pay without suing you, but must mail you notice at least 30 days first (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: an IRS wage levy is not capped at 25%: you keep an amount based on your filing status and dependents, so return your employer's Statement of Dependents and Filing Status within 3 days (26 U.S.C. 6334(a)(9), (d); IRS wage levy rules).

The lawsuit comes first in Kansas

If you don't appear or answer by the deadline, the court will enter a default judgment against you for what the creditor asked for (K.S.A. 61-3002(a)).

The time to answer in Kansas: Limited actions (most debt cases in district court): you must appear or file an answer by the date on the summons.

Got court papers? Count your answer deadline →

in the Debt lawsuits section

What to do if you are sued in Kansas

Protecting your pay and property in Kansas

  1. Read every notice

    Note any deadline to claim exemptions on papers from the court, your employer or your bank; it can be short.

  2. Apply Kansas's wage rule

    Kansas's wage rule: A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings, the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, or the amount of the claim.

  3. Check your bank deposits

    Check that the bank protected your direct-deposited benefits (31 CFR 212.6).

  4. Claim your exemptions in court

    File the court's exemption claim form before the deadline; the clerk has it. Start with Kansas court self-help (official).

Questions about garnishment in Kansas

What is the wage garnishment limit in Kansas?

Federal limit applies to the amount. A creditor can take the lesser of 25% of your weekly disposable earnings, the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, or the amount of the claim. One creditor can't start more than one wage garnishment against you in any 30-day period. Kansas adds one big protection: if the original creditor sold or assigned your account to someone else or to a collection agency, that buyer or agency can't garnish your wages at all (except for child support, state debt-setoff and court-debt collections) (K.S.A. 60-2310(d)).

Can a creditor take my home or car in Kansas?

Homestead: your home is protected with no dollar cap, up to 160 acres of farmland or 1 acre in a city (or a mobile or manufactured home you live in). It is not protected from a mortgage or a tax debt on it (K.S.A. 60-2301). Vehicle: up to $20,000 of value in one vehicle you use for transportation or to get to work (K.S.A. 60-2304(c)).

Related Kansas pages

Sources and last check

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources