How Much of a Paycheck a Creditor Can Take
735 ILCS 5/12-803 — the lesser of 15% of gross pay or what is left above 45 times the minimum hourly wage
Under a wage deduction order, the most that can be collected from a work week is the lesser of these two amounts.
Who handles this in Illinois: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
- 15% of the gross amount paid for that week.
- The amount by which disposable earnings for the week exceed 45 times the federal or the Illinois minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater.
Amounts the law requires to be withheld are not taken from the amount left to the employee. The rule applies wherever the pay was earned and wherever the employee lives.
Sources for this section (1)
- 735 ILCS 5/12-803 — Wages subject to collection
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.