Eric PemperFounder, CuraDebt · Est. 2001
New Hampshire Wage Garnishment Calculator
Estimate A New Hampshire Wage Garnishment
For an ordinary consumer judgment in New Hampshire, federal law generally limits garnishment to 25% of disposable earnings, while New Hampshire protects 50 times the federal minimum wage. The estimate uses the lesser amount, with a $362.50 weekly floor. Enter your pay. Nothing is stored.
New Hampshire Wage Garnishment Disposable-Earnings Worksheet
Start with gross pay for one paycheck, then enter deductions required by law. The worksheet calculates a disposable-earnings estimate and can place it into the calculator above. Nothing entered here is stored.
Do not subtract a voluntary deduction unless the applicable rule treats it as required. Existing child-support orders or other priority withholdings may change what remains available for another order.
A New Hampshire Disposable-Earnings Example
Assume gross pay of 950.00 for one paycheck, with 76.00 in federal withholding, 72.68 in Social Security and Medicare, 23.75 in state or local withholding, and 0.00 in another legally required deduction. The worksheet produces disposable earnings of 777.57. Entering that number into the New Hampshire calculator lets the page apply the rule described above. Voluntary deductions are not automatically subtracted.
How To Read A New Hampshire Wage-Garnishment Estimate
The New Hampshire rule used on this page: New HampshireFor an ordinary consumer debt, New Hampshire generally limits garnishment to the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount weekly disposable pay exceeds $362.50, which is 50 times the federal minimum wage. At or below that weekly floor, the estimated ordinary garnishment is zero.
This rule is for the ordinary consumer-debt situation described on the page. Start with disposable earnings for the correct pay period, then confirm that the order is for the same debt type. A weekly limit cannot be copied directly to biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly pay without converting the protected amount for that pay period.
New Hampshire Weekly-Pay Example
Using the ordinary-debt formula stated on this page, weekly disposable earnings of $700 produce a percentage cap of $175 and an amount-over-the-protected-floor calculation of $338. The lower figure is $175. This example isolates the two numbers in the stated formula. The debt type, court order, exemptions, and existing priority withholding can change the actual result.
| Question | What To Confirm |
|---|---|
| Which Debt? | Whether this is ordinary consumer debt or a separate category such as support, taxes, or a federal student loan. |
| Which Pay Period? | Weekly, biweekly, twice-monthly, and monthly payrolls require the matching New Hampshire calculation. |
| Which Earnings? | Use pay after deductions required by law, not the final take-home amount after every voluntary deduction. |
| Which Order? | Check the creditor, court, case number, balance, priority, and any earlier withholding already on the pay stub. |
| Official State Source | New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Section 512:21 |
Does The New Hampshire Limit Follow Wages Into A Bank Account?
Not automatically. Wage garnishment directs an employer to withhold earnings, while a bank levy or account garnishment reaches money after deposit. The procedure and exemptions can be different, so this wage estimate should not be used to predict a bank-account result.
What If The Employer Or Creditor Is In Another State?
Interstate payroll and judgment enforcement can raise additional questions about which court issued the order and which protection applies. Check the employer notice, issuing court, work location, and residence before relying on a single-state estimate.
Documents That Make The New Hampshire Estimate More Useful
- The garnishment summons, order, or employer notice showing the court and debt type.
- A recent pay stub that separates gross earnings, legally required deductions, and voluntary deductions.
- Information about child support or another priority order already being withheld.
- Any exemption form, objection instructions, hearing notice, and response deadline supplied with the papers.
Verify The Rule: New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Section 512:21 · U.S. Department Of Labor Garnishment Guidance
The New Hampshire Garnishment Limit
For an ordinary consumer debt, a creditor generally must obtain a judgment before garnishing wages. New Hampshire's 50-times-minimum-wage floor is more protective than the federal 30-times floor, while the federal 25% ceiling still applies. Child support, taxes, and defaulted federal student loans follow different rules.
Other Debts And The Bank-Account Catch
The New Hampshire limit above is for ordinary consumer debts. Child support can reach 50 to 60% of disposable earnings, the IRS uses its own tables, and defaulted federal student loans can be garnished up to 15%. And once wages are deposited, a judgment creditor in New Hampshire may be able to levy the bank account, so protected pay can lose that protection at the bank.
If A New Hampshire Garnishment Has Started
A garnishment usually means a debt has reached the court stage, but options remain in New Hampshire: claiming an exemption, negotiating a settlement to release it, arranging a payment plan, or addressing the debt through a broader relief program. You can check available debt relief options at no cost and with no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can be garnished from my paycheck in New Hampshire?
For an ordinary consumer judgment in New Hampshire, federal law generally limits garnishment to 25% of disposable earnings, while New Hampshire protects 50 times the federal minimum wage. The estimate uses the lesser amount, with a $362.50 weekly floor.
What are disposable earnings?
Disposable earnings are your pay after legally required deductions such as taxes, Social Security, and Medicare. Garnishment limits apply to this figure, not to your pay after rent or other bills.
Can a wage garnishment be stopped or reduced in New Hampshire?
Sometimes. Depending on your situation you may claim an exemption, negotiate a settlement to release the garnishment, or set up a payment arrangement. Because a garnishment usually means the debt reached the court stage, review your options quickly.
Can New Hampshire garnish wages without a judgment?
For ordinary consumer debts, a creditor generally must sue and win a judgment first.
Official Sources
Related Resources
- National wage garnishment calculator
- Debt statute of limitations calculator
- Debt settlement savings estimator
- All debt and tax calculators
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