Wage garnishment in Connecticut
By Kai Greenspan, Founding Editor
The most of a week's disposable earnings a Connecticut wage execution can take, and only if a second figure is not lower: the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40 times the higher of the federal or Connecticut minimum hourly wage. The federal limit with the same 25 percent does not apply to support orders or tax debts; see below.
Source: cga.ct.gov · Last checked: November 3, 2026
What has to happen before wages can be taken?
A judgment, then an installment order, then a missed payment. Section 52-356d lets the court, once a judgment is entered against a person, order “installment payments reasonably calculated to facilitate payment of the judgment” after considering the debtor’s financial circumstances. Only then does Section 52-361a open the door to wages: “If a judgment debtor fails to comply with an installment payment order, the judgment creditor may apply to the court for a wage execution.”
One kind of debt gets more protection. For a judgment over hospital services, Section 52-356d says “the court shall provide that compliance with the installment payment order shall stay any property execution or foreclosure pursuant to that judgment, including, but not limited to, execution on wages”. So while you keep up the installments on a hospital judgment, your wages cannot be taken for it.
Source: Connecticut General Statutes Sections 52-356d and 52-361a · quoted 3 November 2026
The cap, and the minimum-wage floor under it
Section 52-361a sets the ceiling, and it is the lesser of two figures: “The maximum part of the aggregate weekly earnings of an individual which may be subject under this section to levy or other withholding for payment of a judgment is the lesser of (1) twenty-five per cent of his disposable earnings for that week, or (2) the amount by which his disposable earnings for that week exceed forty times the higher of” the federal minimum hourly wage or “the full minimum fair wage established by subsection (i) of section 31-58”, Connecticut’s own.
The second figure is the floor. Forty hours at the higher of the two minimum wages are untouchable, and only what sits above them can be reached. Disposable earnings are what is left after the deductions Section 52-350a lists: “federal income and employment taxes, normal retirement contributions, union dues and initiation fees, group life insurance premiums, health insurance premiums, and federal tax levies”. And only one wage execution is paid at a time: “Only one execution under this section shall be satisfied at one time.”
Source: Connecticut General Statutes Sections 52-350a and 52-361a · quoted 3 November 2026
The federal exceptions: support orders and tax debts
Federal law sets the same 25 percent limit in 15 U.S.C. 1673 and says it does not apply in three cases: an order for the support of any person, such as child support or alimony; an order of a bankruptcy court in a Chapter 13 case; and a debt due for any state or federal tax.
For a support order the federal law sets its own ceiling instead: at most 50 percent of disposable earnings where the person is supporting another spouse or dependent child, and at most 60 percent where they are not. Each rises by 5 points, to 55 and 65 percent, for support owed for a period more than 12 weeks back. Those are maximums, and federal law leaves a state free to allow less (15 U.S.C. 1677). How Connecticut withholds support from wages is in sections of the General Statutes this page does not quote, so this page does not say how much a Connecticut support order takes.
Sources: 15 U.S.C. 1673 and 15 U.S.C. 1677, Consumer Credit Protection Act · read 3 November 2026
When your employer is served
Twenty days first. Section 52-361a says that on service on the employer “the wage execution shall automatically be stayed for a period of twenty days”, and that if a claim is filed within those twenty days the stay continues until the claim is decided. The employer must give you a copy, and the execution comes with a notice of your rights and a claim form. Either side may ask the court at any time to change the execution.
Your job is protected. The same section says “no employer may discipline, suspend or discharge an employee because of any wage execution against the employee unless the employer is served with more than seven wage executions against the employee in a calendar year.” An employer that does is liable for the earnings and benefits lost until you are reinstated.
Source: Connecticut General Statutes Section 52-361a · quoted 3 November 2026
What this page does not cover
This page covers the wage execution. It does not cover the rules on property that is exempt from creditors, executions on bank accounts, or how Connecticut collects child support from wages; those are in other sections of the General Statutes, and this page does not quote them, so it does not describe them. Two routes sit outside the Connecticut wage execution: a federal agency collecting its own non-tax debt, such as a defaulted federal student loan, may order an employer to withhold up to 15 percent of your disposable pay without a court order, after written notice; and a tax authority can levy wages for unpaid tax. A lawyer or legal aid service can tell you what applies to you.
Common questions about garnishment in Connecticut
How much of my pay can be garnished in Connecticut?
At most the lesser of two figures for any week. Connecticut General Statutes Section 52-361a says the most that may be taken is "the lesser of (1) twenty-five per cent of his disposable earnings for that week, or (2) the amount by which his disposable earnings for that week exceed forty times the higher of" the federal minimum hourly wage or the Connecticut minimum fair wage. So forty hours at the higher minimum wage are protected each week, and a low earner can keep everything. Child support and tax debts are different under federal law, as the next answer explains.
Does the 25 percent limit apply to child support or a tax debt?
Not under federal law. Federal law sets the same 25 percent limit in 15 U.S.C. 1673, and says it does not apply to an order for the support of any person, to an order of a bankruptcy court in a Chapter 13 case, or to a debt due for any state or federal tax. For a support order federal law sets its own ceiling: 50 percent of disposable earnings where the person is supporting another spouse or dependent child, and 60 percent where they are not, rising to 55 and 65 percent for support owed for a period more than 12 weeks back. Those are maximums: 15 U.S.C. 1677 leaves a state free to allow less. How Connecticut withholds support from wages is in sections of the General Statutes this page does not quote.
Does a creditor need a court judgment before taking my wages in Connecticut?
For a private creditor, yes, and more than a judgment. Section 52-361a lets a creditor apply for a wage execution only "If a judgment debtor fails to comply with an installment payment order". The installment order comes from the court after the judgment: under Section 52-356d the court may order "installment payments reasonably calculated to facilitate payment of the judgment" after considering the debtor's finances. A collector that says it will take your wages should be able to tell you which court, which judgment and which order. A federal agency collecting its own debt, or a tax authority, can reach wages without a court judgment.
What happens when my employer is served?
Nothing is taken for twenty days. Section 52-361a says that on service on the employer "the wage execution shall automatically be stayed for a period of twenty days", and that if you file a claim within those twenty days the stay continues until the claim is decided. Either side may also ask the court at any time to modify the execution.
Can I be fired because of a wage execution in Connecticut?
Not for the first seven in a year. Section 52-361a says "no employer may discipline, suspend or discharge an employee because of any wage execution against the employee unless the employer is served with more than seven wage executions against the employee in a calendar year." An employer that breaks the rule is liable for the earnings and benefits lost.
This page is information about published law, not legal advice, and it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Whether any limit applies to a particular judgment or paycheck depends on facts this page cannot know. Every quotation above was taken from the Connecticut General Statutes on the date shown; if you find an error, our corrections policy explains how to tell us.