What A Creditor Cannot Take
Fla. Stat. 222.11 — a head of family's wages to $750 a week, and a $5,000 car
In Florida, all the disposable earnings of a head of family whose disposable earnings are $750 a week or less are exempt from attachment or garnishment. Above $750 a week, a head of family's earnings may not be garnished unless the person agreed otherwise in writing.
Exempt wages stay exempt in the bank for 6 months, if they can be traced. Exempt earnings deposited in a financial institution remain exempt from attachment or garnishment for 6 months after the institution receives them, if they can be traced and identified as earnings, and commingling does not by itself defeat tracing.
| Property | What the statute exempts |
|---|---|
| PropertyA motor vehicle | What the statute exemptsThe debtor's interest, up to $5,000, in a single vehicle |
| PropertyHealth aids | What the statute exemptsProfessionally prescribed health aids for the debtor or a dependent |
| PropertyThe earned income credit | What the statute exemptsA refund or credit under the federal earned income credit, except against child or spousal support |
| PropertyPersonal property | What the statute exemptsUp to $4,000, where the debtor does not claim the homestead exemption, except against child or spousal support |
| PropertyRetirement funds | What the statute exemptsMoney in qualifying pension and retirement funds or accounts |
The homestead exemption comes from the State Constitution, not these sections, and is not set out here.
Sources for this section (3)
- Fla. Stat. 222.11 — Exemption of wages from garnishment
- Fla. Stat. 222.25 — Other individual property of natural persons exempt from legal process
- Fla. Stat. 222.21 — Exemption of pension money and retirement or profit-sharing benefits from legal processes
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.