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Wage garnishment and exemptions in Maryland

How much of your pay a creditor can take in Maryland. Below: bank accounts, the property Maryland lets you keep, and the steps to claim it.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026

Short answer

Here is Maryland's rule on wage garnishment. Stricter than federal: you keep the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland minimum hourly wage for each week of the pay period. Medical insurance deducted from your pay is also protected. In a bank account: $500 in a bank or credit union account is protected automatically. You can also choose to protect cash or property up to a total of $6,000 (including that $500) if you elect it within 30 days of the levy.

Wage limit
Up to 25%
Federal benefits in a bank account
Up to 2 months protected
Law
Md. Code, Com. Law § 15-601.1; Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504(b)(5)-(6)

How much can they take from your paycheck in Maryland?

Credit cards, medical bills and other ordinary debts, once a creditor has a 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 Maryland

What Maryland's rules say about claiming an exemption:

  • You can also choose to protect cash or property up to a total of $6,000 (including that $500) if you elect it within 30 days of the levy.
  • Maryland protects up to $1,000 of household goods, up to $5,000 of work tools, health aids, child support, and a $6,000 'wildcard' you can apply to cash or any property if you elect it within 30 days of the levy (Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504(b)).

Ask the court for the exact form and deadline: Maryland court self-help (official).

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

in the Debt lawsuits section

Maryland's limit on wage garnishment

Wage limit
Stricter than federal: you keep the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland minimum hourly wage for each week of the pay period. Medical insurance deducted from your pay is also protected.
Law
Md. Code, Com. Law § 15-601.1; Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504(b)(5)-(6)

Where Maryland protects more than the federal 25% cap (15 U.S.C. 1673(a)), the state rule wins.

In nearby states

Maryland exemptions for your home, car and belongings

  • Maryland protects up to $1,000 of household goods, up to $5,000 of work tools, health aids, child support, and a $6,000 'wildcard' you can apply to cash or any property if you elect it within 30 days of the levy (Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504(b)).
  • A collector who wins a medical debt judgment may not use it to put a lien on your primary home (2025 HB 428, per OFR guidance).

Bank accounts and garnishment in Maryland

$500 in a bank or credit union account is protected automatically. You can also choose to protect cash or property up to a total of $6,000 (including that $500) if you elect it within 30 days of the levy.

Two months of federal benefits paid by direct deposit are off-limits to a garnishment, and the bank applies this on its own (31 CFR 212.5, 212.6). How garnishment follows a lawsuit.

Other kinds of debt follow other limits

  • Child support: up to 50% of disposable earnings if you support another spouse or child, or 60% if you don't; 5% more if the support is more than 12 weeks late (15 U.S.C. 1673(b)).
  • Federal student loans: no lawsuit is needed: up to 15% of disposable pay, after at least 30 days' written notice (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 Maryland

If you do not return the Notice of Intention to Defend, the court may enter a judgment against you, often based on the collector's affidavit and documents.

If you are sued, answer on time. In Maryland: District Court: file the Notice of Intention to Defend within 15 days after you get the summons (60 days if you live out of state) (Md. Rule 3-307; Maryland Courts).

Got court papers? Count your answer deadline →

in the Debt lawsuits section

What to do if you are sued in Maryland

Claiming your exemptions in Maryland

  1. Keep every paper

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

  2. Apply Maryland's wage rule

    Maryland's wage rule: Stricter than federal: you keep the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland minimum hourly wage for each week of the pay period.

  3. Look at your bank account

    Maryland also protects money in an account: $500 in a bank or credit union account is protected automatically. You can also choose to protect cash or property up to a total of $6,000 (including that $500) if you elect it within 30 days of the levy. Two months of direct-deposited federal benefits must be left alone (31 CFR 212.6).

  4. Ask the court to protect your money

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

Questions about garnishment in Maryland

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

Stricter than federal: you keep the greater of 75% of your disposable wages or 30 times the Maryland minimum hourly wage for each week of the pay period. Medical insurance deducted from your pay is also protected.

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

$500 in a bank or credit union account is protected automatically. You can also choose to protect cash or property up to a total of $6,000 (including that $500) if you elect it within 30 days of the levy.

Can a creditor take my home or car in Maryland?

Maryland protects up to $1,000 of household goods, up to $5,000 of work tools, health aids, child support, and a $6,000 'wildcard' you can apply to cash or any property if you elect it within 30 days of the levy (Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504(b)). A collector who wins a medical debt judgment may not use it to put a lien on your primary home (2025 HB 428, per OFR guidance).

Can a collector take Social Security from my bank account in Maryland?

Two months of federal benefits paid by direct deposit are off-limits to a garnishment, and the bank applies this on its own (31 CFR 212.5, 212.6). $500 in a bank or credit union account is protected automatically. You can also choose to protect cash or property up to a total of $6,000 (including that $500) if you elect it within 30 days of the levy.

Related Maryland pages

Sources and last check

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources