Wage Garnishment Limits in Kansas

At a glance

Requirements one by one

Governing law

K.S.A. § 60-2310 sets the wage cap and defines “disposable earnings” as pay left after deductions required by law. Section 60-2311 protects employment, and § 60-737 tells an employer how to answer an earnings garnishment when other liens exist.

Maximum garnishment amount

For a $400 disposable weekly paycheck, 25% is $100; the excess over the current $217.50 floor is $182.50. K.S.A. § 60-2310(b) allows at most $100, and never more than the creditor’s claim. The federal formula in 15 U.S.C. § 1673 uses the same 25% and 30-times-federal-wage tests.

Minimum wage protection floor

The Kansas definition points to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act wage in 29 U.S.C. § 206(a)(1). At $7.25 an hour, 30 times that wage is $217.50 per week; current federal guidance gives the same calculation.

Priority debt exceptions

K.S.A. § 60-2310(e) expressly removes support, specified bankruptcy orders, and tax debt from the ordinary cap. Subsection (g) then caps support withholding at 50% or 60% of disposable earnings, increasing either figure by five percentage points for arrears older than 12 weeks. A separate federal student-loan collection law, 20 U.S.C. § 1095a(a)(1), generally limits its administrative deduction to 15% of disposable pay unless the borrower consents in writing to more.

Head-of-household exemption

K.S.A. § 60-2310(c) provides a different household-related protection: if illness of the debtor or a family member keeps the debtor from the regular work for more than two weeks, the debtor can submit an affidavit. The section then cannot be invoked against that debtor until two months after recovery.

Multiple garnishments priority

Under § 60-737(c), an employer must report other wage liens that have legal priority. The garnishment remains in effect, but withholding under it waits until those liens are satisfied or released, or their withholding leaves room above the exempt amount. Section 60-2310(b) also bars the same creditor from issuing a second earnings garnishment within 30 days.

Employee termination protection

K.S.A. § 60-2311 states: “No employer may discharge any employee by reason of the fact that the employee's earnings have been subjected to wage garnishment.” The federal rule in 15 U.S.C. § 1674 protects against discharge for garnishment of one indebtedness; the Kansas sentence contains no such single-debt limit.

What trips people up

A purchased account can change access to wage garnishment. K.S.A. § 60-2310(d) generally denies the wage-garnishment benefit to a seller or assignee of an account, while listing exceptions for specified support, tax, restitution, and court-debt collections. The ordinary percentage cap does not answer whether that creditor may use the process at all.

Common questions

Do commissions and bonuses count as earnings? Yes. K.S.A. § 60-2310(a)(1) includes compensation for personal services “whether denominated as wages, salary, commission, bonus or otherwise.”

Which payroll deductions reduce disposable earnings? The definition in § 60-2310(a)(2) counts amounts required by law to be withheld. It does not say that every voluntary deduction lowers the garnishment base.

Did the bill to change the earnings definition take effect? No. Kansas SB 323 died in committee in the 2025–2026 session; the current text of § 60-2310 retains the definition quoted here.

Statutes and sources

• Fair Labor Standards Act § 6(a)(1), codified at 29 U.S.C. § 206(a)(1) — “(C) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day;” Source: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title29/html/USCODE-2024-title29-chap8-sec206.htm (accessed 2026-10-06).

• U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet #30 — “Therefore, if the pay period is weekly and disposable earnings are $217.50 ($7.25 × 30) or less, there can be no garnishment.” Source: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/30-cppa (accessed 2026-10-06).

• K.S.A. § 60-2310 — “(a) Definitions. As used in this act and the acts of which this act is amendatory, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them: (1) "Earnings" means compensation payable for personal services, whether denominated as wages, salary, commission, bonus or otherwise; (2) "disposable earnings" means that part of the earnings of any individual remaining after the deduction from such earnings of any amounts required by law to be withheld; (3) "wage garnishment" means any legal or equitable procedure through which the earnings of any individual are required to be withheld for payment of any debt; and (4) "federal minimum hourly wage" means that wage prescribed by subsection (a)(1) of section 6 of the federal fair labor standards act of 1938, and any amendments thereto. (b) Restriction on wage garnishment. Subject to the provisions of subsection (e), only the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual may be subjected to wage garnishment. The maximum part of such earnings of any wage earning individual which may be subjected to wage garnishment for any workweek or multiple thereof may not exceed the lesser of: (1) Twenty-five percent of the individual's aggregate disposable earnings for that workweek or multiple thereof; (2) the amount by which the individual's aggregate disposable earnings for that workweek or multiple thereof exceed an amount equal to 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, or equivalent multiple thereof for such longer period; or (3) the amount of the plaintiff's claim as found in the order for garnishment. No one creditor may issue more than one garnishment against the earnings of the same judgment debtor during any one 30-day period, but the court shall allow the creditor to file amendments or corrections of names or addresses of any party to the order of garnishment at any time. In answering such order the garnishee-employer shall withhold from all earnings of the judgment-debtor for any pay period or periods ending during such 30-day period an amount or amounts as are allowed and required by law. Nothing in this act shall be construed as charging the plaintiff in any garnishment action with the knowledge of the amount of any defendant's earnings prior to the commencement of such garnishment action. (c) Sickness preventing work. If any debtor is prevented from working at the debtor's regular trade, profession or calling for any period greater than two weeks because of illness of the debtor or any member of the family of the debtor, and this fact is shown by the affidavit of the debtor, the provisions of this section shall not be invoked against any such debtor until after the expiration of two months after recovery from such illness. (d) Assignment of account. If any person, firm or corporation sells or assigns an account to any person or collecting agency, that person, firm or corporation or their assignees shall not have or be entitled to the benefits of wage garnishment. The provision of this subsection shall not apply to the following: (1) Assignments of support rights to the secretary for children and families pursuant to K.S.A. 39-709 and 39-756 , and amendments thereto, and support enforcement actions conducted by court trustees pursuant to K.S.A. 23-492 et seq., and amendments thereto; (2) support rights which have been assigned to any other state pursuant to title IV-D of the federal social security act, 42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.; (3) assignments of accounts receivable or taxes receivable to the director of accounts and reports made under K.S.A. 75-3728b , and amendments thereto; or (4) collections pursuant to contracts entered into in accordance with K.S.A. 20-169 , and amendments thereto, involving the collection of restitution or debts to district courts. (e) Exceptions to restrictions on wage garnishment. The restrictions on the amount of disposable earnings subject to wage garnishment as provided in subsection (b) shall not apply in the following instances: (1) Any order of any court for the support of any person, including any order for support in the form of alimony, but the foregoing shall be subject to the restriction provided for in subsection (g); (2) any order of any court of bankruptcy under chapter XIII of the federal bankruptcy act; and (3) any debt due for any state or federal tax. (f) Prohibition on courts. No court of this state may make, execute or enforce any order or process in violation of this section. (g) The maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek which is subject to garnishment to enforce any order for the support of any person shall not exceed: (1) If the individual is supporting a spouse or dependent child other than a spouse or child with respect to whose support such order is used, 50% of the individual's disposable earnings for that week; (2) if the individual is not supporting a spouse or dependent child described in paragraph (1), 60% of such individual's disposable earnings for that week; and (3) with respect to the disposable earnings of any individual for any workweek, the 50% specified in paragraph (1) shall be 55% and the 60% specified in paragraph (2) shall be 65%, if such earnings are subject to garnishment to enforce a support order for a period which is prior to the twelve-week period which ends with the beginning of such workweek.” Source: https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch60/060_023_0010.html (accessed 2026-10-06).

• K.S.A. § 60-2311 — “No employer may discharge any employee by reason of the fact that the employee's earnings have been subjected to wage garnishment.” Source: https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch60/060_023_0011.html (accessed 2026-10-06).

• K.S.A. § 60-737 — “This section must apply if the garnishment is to attach earnings of the judgment debtor. (a) The answer of the garnishee must be substantially in compliance with the forms set forth by the judicial council. (b) Within 14 days following the date of service upon a garnishee of an initial order of garnishment, the garnishee must complete the answer in accordance with the instructions accompanying the answer form and send the completed answer to each judgment creditor and judgment debtor at the addresses listed on the answer form. The garnishee must designate on the answer in the space provided on the answer form the name and case number for each judgment creditor who has a garnishment order in effect for the same debtor and the amount that is due each judgment creditor under the garnishment in accordance with the instructions accompanying the answer form. Only one answer needs to be completed for each judgment debtor by the garnishee and the garnishee may duplicate the completed answer in any manner the garnishee desires for distribution to each judgment creditor and judgment debtor. The answer must be supported by unsworn declaration in the manner set forth on the answer form. Once the garnishee has distributed the answer to the initial order of garnishment, no further answer is required. A party or the court may request a written explanation of the garnishee's computations of earnings withheld during any pay period, and the explanation must be submitted by affidavit within 14 days after such request. Service of the request must be in the same manner as process is to be served pursuant to K.S.A. 61-3001 through 61-3006 , and amendments thereto. (c) If there are other liens against the judgment debtor's earnings which by law have priority over garnishments, the garnishee must so indicate on the answer. In such event, the garnishment must remain in effect but no earnings of the debtor must be withheld under the garnishment order unless and until all liens having priority are released or satisfied or the earnings being withheld under all of such liens are less than the amount which is exempt under K.S.A. 60-2310 , and amendments thereto.” Source: https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch60/060_007_0037.html (accessed 2026-10-06).

• 15 U.S.C. § 1673 — “Except as provided in subsection (b) and in section 1675 of this title, the maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek which is subjected to garnishment may not exceed (1) 25 per centum of his disposable earnings for that week, or (2) the amount by which his disposable earnings for that week exceed thirty times the Federal minimum hourly wage prescribed by section 206(a)(1) of title 29 in effect at the time the earnings are payable, whichever is less.” Source: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title15/html/USCODE-2024-title15-chap41-subchapII-sec1673.htm (accessed 2026-10-06).

• 15 U.S.C. § 1674 — “No employer may discharge any employee by reason of the fact that his earnings have been subjected to garnishment for any one indebtedness.” Source: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title15/html/USCODE-2024-title15-chap41-subchapII-sec1674.htm (accessed 2026-10-06).

• 20 U.S.C. § 1095a(a)(1) — “Notwithstanding any provision of State law, a guaranty agency, or the Secretary in the case of loans made, insured or guaranteed under this subchapter that are held by the Secretary, may garnish the disposable pay of an individual to collect the amount owed by the individual, if he or she is not currently making required repayment under a repayment agreement with the Secretary, or, in the case of a loan guaranteed under part B on which the guaranty agency received reimbursement from the Secretary under section 1078(c) of this title, with the guaranty agency holding the loan, as appropriate, provided that— (1) the amount deducted for any pay period may not exceed 15 percent of disposable pay, except that a greater percentage may be deducted with the written consent of the individual involved;” Source: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title20/html/USCODE-2024-title20-chap28-subchapIV-partG-sec1095a.htm (accessed 2026-10-06).

• Kansas SB 323 (2025–2026) — The Legislature lists the bill as “Died” and identifies its proposed change to § 60-2310. Source: https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/sb323/ (checked 2026-10-06).