50-State Surveys / Wage Garnishment Limits / New Hampshire

Wage Garnishment Limits in New Hampshire

Short answer New Hampshire exempts wages earned after a trustee-process writ is served on the employer, preventing an ordinary creditor from reaching a continuing stream of future wages (RSA 512:21(I)). Wages already earned before service are reachable only in an action on a New Hampshire court judgment, with 50 times the federal minimum hourly wage protected each week, subject to the statute’s licensed-loan exceptions. Support income assignment follows separate federal limits and takes priority over other state-law process.
State
New Hampshire
Statute checked
October 7, 2026
Sources
6 statutes
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At a glance

Governing lawRSA 512:21 governs ordinary trustee-process wage exemptions; RSA 458-B:4 and :6 govern support income-assignment limits and priority.
Maximum that can be garnishedFuture wages earned after service are exempt (RSA 512:21(I)). Already earned, unpaid wages may be reached in an action on a New Hampshire judgment, above a 50× federal-hourly-wage weekly exemption (paragraph II); paragraphs IX–X address certain RSA 399-A loans.
State rule vs. federal floorThe post-service future-wages exemption is more protective than the federal 25%/30× formula; the already-earned wage exemption uses 50× the federal minimum hourly wage (RSA 512:21(I)–(II); 15 U.S.C. § 1673(a)).
Minimum-wage protected floor50× the Fair Labor Standards Act minimum hourly wage per week for already-earned wages in the judgment-action route (RSA 512:21(II)); post-service wages are exempt altogether.
Support, tax & student loan debtsSupport income assignment is capped by federal 15 U.S.C. § 1673(b) (RSA 458-B:4(IV)) and takes priority over other state-law process against the same income (RSA 458-B:6(VI)).
Head-of-household/family exemptionRSA 512:21(I)–(II) makes no dependent-status distinction in its ordinary wage exemption; paragraph III separately protects wages of a debtor’s wife and minor children.
Multiple garnishments at onceRSA 458-B:6(VI) prioritizes support assignment over other state-law process. Among support obligations, RSA 458-B:4(VI) orders current support, health insurance or current medical support, arrears, then other child support unless an order directs otherwise.
Protection from being firedFederal 15 U.S.C. § 1674 bars discharge over garnishment for one debt; RSA 458-B:6(VIII) separately penalizes discharge, refusal to hire, or discipline because of support withholding.

Requirements one by one

Maximum that can be garnished

RSA 512:21(I) exempts “wages for labor performed by the defendant after the service of the writ upon the trustee.” Paragraph II generally exempts wages already earned before service too, except in an action founded on a judgment issued by a New Hampshire court. In that route, 50 times the federal minimum hourly wage per week remains protected. Paragraphs IX and X state separate rules for specified RSA 399-A loan contracts.

Support income assignment

Support withholding runs under RSA chapter 458-B rather than the ordinary trustee-process wage exemption. Section 458-B:4(IV) caps the total at the federal 15 U.S.C. § 1673(b) support amount. Section 458-B:6(VI) gives the withholding priority over other state-law process against the same income.

Multiple garnishments at once

For competing support obligations, RSA 458-B:4(VI) orders current child and spousal support first, then health insurance or current cash medical support, then arrears, then other child support, unless a court or administrative order directs otherwise.

Protection from being fired

Federal § 1674 protects against discharge because wages were garnished for one debt. RSA 458-B:6(VIII) separately makes discharge, refusal to hire, or discipline because of support withholding a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $1,000.

What trips people up

Service time matters: wages earned after the writ is served are exempt even if the employer later owes them. The narrow judgment route in RSA 512:21(II) concerns wages earned before service. Paragraph III separately exempts earnings of a debtor's wife and minor children.

Common questions

Can a creditor keep taking future paychecks under one ordinary writ? RSA 512:21(I) exempts wages for work performed after the writ reaches the employer.

Does a support assignment follow that exemption? No. RSA 458-B:4 and :6 supply separate withholding limits and priority.

Statutes and sources

  • N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 512:21 — https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/LII/512/512-21.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
  • N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 458-B:4 — https://gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XLIII/458-B/458-B-4.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
  • N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 458-B:6 — https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/xliii/458-b/458-b-6.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
  • 15 U.S.C. § 1673 — https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title15/html/USCODE-2024-title15-chap41-subchapII-sec1673.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
  • 15 U.S.C. § 1674 — https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title15/html/USCODE-2024-title15-chap41-subchapII-sec1674.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
  • N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 512:21(III), (IX)–(X) — https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/LII/512/512-21.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)

Source links

Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 512:21 · accessed 2026-10-07
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 458-B:4 · accessed 2026-10-07
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 458-B:6 · accessed 2026-10-07
15 U.S.C. § 1673 · accessed 2026-10-07
15 U.S.C. § 1674 · accessed 2026-10-07
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 512:21(III), (IX)–(X) · accessed 2026-10-07
This page is general legal information about how a state limits ordinary wage garnishment, not legal advice about your paycheck or your debt. Which cap applies, whether you qualify for a head-of-household or other exemption, and how multiple garnishments interact often depend on case-specific facts (your dependents, your pay structure, what other orders already exist) that this page cannot resolve for you. Verified against the official statute text on the date shown; confirm current law or consult a licensed attorney in the state before relying on it.

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