Wage Garnishment Limits in Utah

At a glance

Requirements one by one

Maximum that can be garnished

For an ordinary judgment, Rule 64D(a) uses the lesser of 25% of disposable pay or the amount above 30 times the federal hourly minimum wage per week. Section 70C-7-103(2)(c) adds a 15% percentage ceiling when a judgment on a consumer credit agreement relates to an education loan.

Support, tax & student loan debts

Support withholding under § 26B-9-306(2) follows the federal limits in 15 U.S.C. § 1673(b): ordinarily 50% or 60%, rising to 55% or 65% for qualifying older arrears. A support judgment pursued by an ordinary writ instead has Rule 64D(a)(1)'s 50% percentage ceiling, subject to its wage-floor prong. Federal tax debt is excluded from the ordinary federal cap under § 1673(b)(1)(C). Qualifying federal education loans may be collected through the separate 15% administrative wage-garnishment route in 20 U.S.C. § 1095a(a)(1).

Head-of-household/family exemption

Section 78B-5-505(1)(p) protects a household-size amount of unpaid earnings due when a bankruptcy petition is filed. Rule 64D(a) supplies the ordinary paycheck-garnishment formula.

Multiple garnishments at once

Rule 64D(f) says, "Priority among writs of garnishment is in order of service." That sets their rank; it does not itself say that only one writ may receive payment during a pay period. Support withholding takes priority over state-law collection processes under § 26B-9-311. Rule 64D(l)(5) separately gives a continuing writ for Office of Recovery Services or Department of Workforce Services overpayments priority over other continuing writs and pauses an earlier continuing writ's term while the state's writ runs.

Protection from being fired

Section 70C-7-104 protects an employee whose earnings were garnished for one judgment. Federal § 1674 protects one indebtedness. Section 26B-9-310 also bars discharge, refusal to hire, or discipline because of a child-support withholding notice or order.

What trips people up

The 15% Utah education-loan ceiling applies to a judgment arising from a consumer credit agreement; the separate federal administrative student-loan route has its own scope and cap. An overpayment writ's special priority under Rule 64D(l)(5) applies to continuing garnishments issued for the two named Utah agencies.

Common questions

Does the family-size bankruptcy earnings exemption reduce an ordinary paycheck garnishment? No. Section 78B-5-505(1)(p) is tied to earnings due when a bankruptcy petition is filed; the ordinary writ formula is in Rule 64D(a).

Does an ordinary second writ automatically displace the first? No. Rule 64D(f) ranks ordinary writs by the order in which they were served.

Can an employer fire someone because of one wage garnishment? Section 70C-7-104 bars discharge over garnishment for one judgment, and federal § 1674 protects one indebtedness.

Statutes and sources

• Utah R. Civ. P. 64D(a) — (a) Availability. A writ of garnishment is available to seize property of the defendant in the possession or under the control of a person other than the defendant. A writ of garnishment is available after final judgment or after the claim has been filed and prior to judgment. The maximum portion of disposable earnings of an individual subject to seizure is the lesser of: (a)(1) 50% of the defendant's disposable earnings for a writ to enforce payment of a judgment for failure to support dependent children or 25% of the defendant's disposable earnings for any other judgment; or (a)(2) the amount by which the defendant's disposable earnings for a pay period exceeds the number of weeks in that pay period multiplied by thirty times the federal minimum hourly wage prescribed by the Fair Labor Standards Act in effect at the time the earnings are payable. — https://legacy.utcourts.gov/rules/view.php?type=urcp&rule=64D (accessed 2026-10-07)
• Utah R. Civ. P. 64D(f) — (f) Content of writ; priority. The writ shall instruct the garnishee to complete the steps in subsection (g) and instruct the garnishee how to deliver the property. Several writs may be issued at the same time so long as only one garnishee is named in a writ. Priority among writs of garnishment is in order of service. A writ of garnishment of earnings applies to the earnings accruing during the pay period in which the writ is effective. — https://legacy.utcourts.gov/rules/view.php?type=urcp&rule=64D (accessed 2026-10-07)
• Utah R. Civ. P. 64D(l)(5) — (l)(5) A writ of continuing garnishment issued in favor of the Office of Recovery Services or the Department of Workforce Services of the state of Utah to recover overpayments: (l)(5)(A) is not limited to 120 days; (l)(5)(B) has priority over other writs of continuing garnishment; and (l)(5)(C) if served during the term of another writ of continuing garnishment, tolls that term and preserves all priorities until the expiration of the state's writ. — https://legacy.utcourts.gov/rules/view.php?type=urcp&rule=64D (accessed 2026-10-07)
• Utah Code § 70C-7-103(2) — (2) The maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any pay period that is subjected to garnishment to enforce payment of a judgment arising from a consumer credit agreement may not exceed the lesser of: (a) 25% of the individual's disposable earnings for that pay period; (b) the amount by which the individual's disposable earnings for that pay period exceed 30 hours per week multiplied by the federal minimum hourly wage prescribed by Section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. Sec. 206(a)(1), in effect at the time the earnings are payable; or (c) 15% of the individual's disposable earnings for that pay period if the judgment relates to an education loan. — https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title70C/Chapter7/C70C-7_1800010118000101.pdf (accessed 2026-10-07)
• Utah Code § 70C-7-104 — 70C-7-104 No discharge from employment for garnishment. No employer may discharge any employee because the employee's earnings have been subject to garnishment in connection with any one judgment. — https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title70C/Chapter7/C70C-7_1800010118000101.pdf (accessed 2026-10-07)
• Utah Code § 26B-9-306(2) — (2) that the child support must be withheld from the obligor's income each time the obligor is paid, but that the amount withheld may not exceed the maximum amount permitted under Section 303 (b) of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1673(b); — https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title26B/Chapter9/C26B-9-P3_2023050320230503.pdf (accessed 2026-10-07)
• Utah Code § 26B-9-310 — 26B-9-310 Violations by payor. (1) A payor may not discharge, refuse to hire, or discipline any obligor because of a notice to withhold served by the office under this part, or because of a notice or order served by an obligee in a civil action for income withholding. — https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title26B/Chapter9/C26B-9-P3_2023050320230503.pdf (accessed 2026-10-07)
• Utah Code § 26B-9-311 — 26B-9-311 Priority of notice or order to withhold income. The notice to withhold provided by Section 26B-9-306, and a notice or order to withhold issued by the court in a civil action for income withholding, are prior to all other legal collection processes provided by state law, including garnishment, attachment, execution, and wage assignment. — https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title26B/Chapter9/C26B-9-P3_2023050320230503.pdf (accessed 2026-10-07)
• 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. — 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 — (a) No employer may discharge any employee by reason of the fact that his earnings have been subjected to garnishment for any one indebtedness. (b) Whoever willfully violates subsection (a) of this section shall be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. — https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title15/html/USCODE-2024-title15-chap41-subchapII-sec1674.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
• 15 U.S.C. § 1673(b) — (C) any debt due for any State or Federal tax. (2) 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— (A) where such individual is supporting his spouse or dependent child (other than a spouse or child with respect to whose support such order is used), 50 per centum of such individual's disposable earnings for that week; and (B) where such individual is not supporting such a spouse or dependent child described in clause (A), 60 per centum of such individual's disposable earnings for that week; except that, with respect to the disposable earnings of any individual for any workweek, the 50 per centum specified in clause (A) shall be deemed to be 55 per centum and the 60 per centum specified in clause (B) shall be deemed to be 65 per centum, if and to the extent that such earnings are subject to garnishment to enforce a support order with respect to a period which is prior to the twelve-week period which ends with the beginning of such workweek. — https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title15/html/USCODE-2024-title15-chap41-subchapII-sec1673.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
• 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; — https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title20/html/USCODE-2024-title20-chap28-subchapIV-partG-sec1095a.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
• Utah Code § 78B-5-505 — An individual is entitled to exemption of the following property:

(b) health aids reasonably necessary to enable the individual or a dependent to work or sustain health;

(c) benefits that the individual or the individual's dependent have received or are entitled to receive from any source because of:

(i) disability;

(ii) illness; or

(iii) unemployment;

(f) money or property received, and rights to receive money or property for child support;

(n) except as provided in Subsection (2), and except for a judgment described in Subsection 75B-2-503(2)(c), any money or other assets held for or payable to the individual as an owner, participant, or beneficiary from or an interest of the individual as an owner, participant, or beneficiary in a fund or account, including an inherited fund or account, in a retirement plan or arrangement that is described in Section 401(a), 401(h), 401(k), 403(a), 403(b), 408, 408A, 409, 414(d), 414(e), or 457, Internal Revenue Code, including an owner's, a participant's, or a beneficiary's interest that arises by inheritance, designation, appointment, or otherwise;

(p) unpaid earnings of the household of the filing individual due as of the date of the filing of a bankruptcy petition in the amount of 1/24 of the Utah state annual median family income for the household size of the filing individual as determined by the Utah state annual median family income reported by the United States Census Bureau and as adjusted based upon the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for an individual whose unpaid earnings are paid more often than once a month or, if unpaid earnings are not paid more often than once a month, then in the amount of 1/12 of the Utah state annual median family income for the household size of the individual as determined by the Utah state annual median family income reported by the United States Census Bureau and as adjusted based upon the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers; — https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title78B/Chapter5/C78B-5-S505_2026050620260506.pdf (accessed 2026-10-07)