What A Creditor Cannot Take
Code Civ. Proc. 706.050 — 20 percent of wages at most, and a protected bank balance
In California, the most of an individual's disposable earnings that may be withheld in a week under an earnings withholding order is the lesser of 20 percent of those earnings, or 40 percent of the amount by which they exceed 48 times the state minimum hourly wage, or the local minimum wage where it is higher.
| Property | What the code protects |
|---|---|
| PropertyMoney in a deposit account | What the code protectsAn amount equal to the minimum basic standard of adequate care for a family of four in Region 1, as the state adjusts it each year, exempt without making a claim |
| PropertyEquity in motor vehicles | What the code protects$7,500, and the proceeds of a sale for 90 days |
| PropertyA home | What the code protectsThe greater of the county's median sale price for a single family home in the prior year, up to $600,000, or $300,000, adjusted for inflation |
| PropertyPaid earnings traced into an account or cash | What the code protectsAll of them if they were already under a withholding order before payment; otherwise the part a wage garnishment could not have reached |
The automatic bank account exemption does not apply to a levy for wages owed, child support or spousal support, or to some state tax and unemployment collections. Other exemptions exist and are not set out here.
Sources for this section (5)
- Code Civ. Proc. 706.050 — The most that may be withheld from earnings
- Code Civ. Proc. 704.220 — Money in a deposit account
- Code Civ. Proc. 704.730 — The amount of the homestead exemption
- Code Civ. Proc. 704.010 — The motor vehicle exemption
- Code Civ. Proc. 704.070 — Paid earnings exemption
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed California attorney.