What states are totally immune from bank account garnishment?

Asked by: Mrs. Eveline Johnston Jr.  |  Last update: July 23, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (14 votes)

Bank garnishment is legal in all 50 states. However, four states prohibit wage garnishment for consumer debts. According to Debt.org, those states are Texas, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

Which states have 100% garnishment protection?

A few have even prohibited wage garnishment for consumer debt entirely.
  • Alabama. ...
  • Alaska. ...
  • Arizona. ...
  • Arkansas. ...
  • California. ...
  • Colorado. ...
  • Connecticut. ...
  • Delaware.

What states are exempt from garnishment?

States that prohibit wage garnishment for consumer debt:
  • North Carolina.
  • Pennsylvania.
  • South Carolina.
  • Texas.

How can I protect my bank account from garnishment?

The best way to prevent a bank account garnishment is to protect your funds in advance. Certain bank accounts, like those holding exempt income or accounts in specific jurisdictions, may be harder for creditors to garnish.

Can a bank account in another state be garnished?

Ultimately, if a creditor wishes to pursue garnishment of a bank account in another state, they must generally initiate separate legal proceedings in the state where the bank operates. One of the best strategies to protect cash accounts is to deposit funds in an out-of-state bank whose laws do not permit garnishments.

What can I do about the garnishment on my bank account?

30 related questions found

What states prevent bank garnishments?

What States Prohibit Bank Garnishment? Bank garnishment is legal in all 50 states. However, four states prohibit wage garnishment for consumer debts. According to Debt.org, those states are Texas, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

Can you get garnished from a different state?

With few exceptions, if the garnishment order originated out-of-state, and that state's court has personal jurisdiction over the employer and has issued proper service, as reported by the National Law Review, the garnishment order is valid and enforceable over the wages owed.

What type of bank account cannot be garnished?

Bank accounts solely for government benefits

Federal law ensures that creditors cannot touch certain federal benefits, such as Social Security funds and veterans' benefits. If you're receiving these benefits, they would be exempt from garnishment.

Can a creditor take all the money in your bank account?

If you've been sued for an unpaid debt, the court may allow your creditors to directly withdraw funds from your bank account via a levy. With an account levy in place, you may be unable to access all your funds.

What bank account can the IRS not touch?

What Accounts Can the IRS Not Touch? Any bank accounts that are under the taxpayer's name can be levied by the IRS. This includes institutional accounts, corporate and business accounts, and individual accounts. Accounts that are not under the taxpayer's name cannot be used by the IRS in a levy.

Can garnishments cross state lines?

For federal debt collection garnishments, federal law applies across all states. For child support collection, federal laws and a nationally adopted uniform child support law exist whereby each state recognizes each other state's orders for child support.

What are the federal exemptions from garnishment?

Specifically, the exempt federal benefit payments include: Social Security payments, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, VA benefits, Federal Railroad retirement benefits, Federal Railroad unemployment and sickness benefits, Civil Service Retirement System benefits and Federal Employees Retirement System ...

How long does it take to garnish a bank account?

When your bank receives a court order of garnishment, it usually takes a week to 14 days to implement. Once in place, you won't be able to withdraw funds, and any checks you write (or have written) should be bounced, leaving you with Not Sufficient Funds fees.

Where can I hide money from garnishment?

Instead, “hiding” assets wisely involves doing things like:
  • Putting the assets in offshore accounts or trusts where your creditors may not know to look.
  • Putting assets in places where they are unreviewable by creditors or lawsuit plaintiffs so they don't know how much money “you” have.

Can an out of state bank account be levied?

In 2004, the department of the treasury issued regulation 12 C.F.R. 7.4007, which authorized national banks to honor levies nationwide. Most courts have determined that a bank does not need to have physical custody of a depositor's money at a particular location.

Is there a way around wage garnishment?

If wage garnishment means that you can't pay for your family's basic needs, you can ask the court to order the debt collector to stop garnishing your wages or reduce the amount. This is called a Claim of Exemption.

How to stop garnishment of bank account?

If your wages or bank account have been garnished, you may be able to stop it by paying the debt in full, filing an objection with the court or filing for bankruptcy.

How can I protect my bank money from creditors?

Privacy Banking Trusts (PBTs) as a Solution: PBTs provide a robust method for safeguarding personal bank accounts by legally separating the individual from their financial assets, thus offering enhanced security against garnishments and legal threats.

How long before a debt becomes uncollectible?

Most states or jurisdictions have statutes of limitations between three and six years for debts, but some may be longer. This may also vary depending, for instance, on the: Type of debt. State where you live.

What bank account where you can't touch the money?

Two types of accounts prevent you from accessing your money: savings accounts and CDs.

What accounts are protected from garnishment?

Some sources of income are considered protected in account garnishment, including:
  • Social Security, and other government benefits or payments.
  • Funds received for child support or alimony (spousal support)
  • Workers' compensation payments.
  • Retirement funds, such as those from pensions or annuities.

Will a collection agency sue for $3000?

While smaller debts are less likely to result in legal action, there are no guarantees. In many cases, though, debt collectors will prioritize larger debts, as they offer a higher return on the time and legal fees associated with a lawsuit.

Can a garnishment take your state tax refund?

If you're expecting a tax refund but have concerns about creditors garnishing it, you may be worrying too much. Federal law allows only state and federal government agencies (not individual or private creditors) to take your refund as payment toward a debt.

What is the most they can garnish from your paycheck?

How much of an employee's wages can be garnished?
  • 25% of disposable earnings -or-
  • The amount by which disposable earnings are 30 times greater than the federal minimum wage.

Can a debt collector sue you in another state?

The FDCPA however is very specific in that a debt collector can only sue in the county and state where the contract was signed or the county and state where the defendant currently resides.