Are you worried about a creditor taking part of your paycheck? California law (SB 501) provides stronger protections than federal law. Use this free California Wage Garnishment Calculator to verify the math and see exactly how much of your income is safe.
Updated for 2026 Minimum Wage Rates. Read the full legal guide here.
How is wage garnishment calculated in California?
California follows the “Lesser of” rule under SB 501. This means debt collectors can only take the lesser of 20% of your disposable earnings OR the amount by which your weekly pay exceeds 40 times the local minimum wage.
Read the Guide: For a full breakdown of the math, read my deep dive on Can Debt Collectors Garnish Wages in California? (2026 Rules).
Is my Bank Account safe?
Even if your wages are safe, creditors may try to freeze your bank account instead. This is called a “Bank Levy,” and it has a completely different exemption limit ($2,000+) which is not accounted for here. If you want to see how to calculate that number, check out my guide California CCP 704.220 Exemption Amount (2026 Guide).
What if I live in Florida?
Florida has very different laws, including the powerful “Head of Family” exemption which can protect 100% of your wages.
Florida Residents: Switch the “free California wage garnishment calculator” above to “Florida” mode, you can read the full rules here: Can Debt Collectors Garnish Wages in Florida? (2026 Rules).
Can debt collectors garnish wages in Texas?
The short answer is, no. Debt collectors cannot garnish wages in Texas for commercial debts. There are some things they still can collect on so check out my full breakdown on the Texas law