What A Creditor Cannot Take
Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504 and Com. Law § 15-601.1 — $500 in the bank, $6,000 by election, 75% of wages
- Up to $500 in an account at a bank or credit union, without having to claim it.
- Cash or property of the debtor's choosing worth up to $6,000, if the debtor elects it within 30 days of the levy or attachment, counting the $500 above.
- Up to $1,000 in household furnishings, goods, clothing, appliances, books and pets.
- Up to $5,000 in clothing, books, tools and instruments needed for a trade or profession.
- Prescribed health aids, child support, and money payable for sickness, accident, injury or death.
- Qualified retirement plans.
Those are exempt from execution on a Maryland judgment, and a debtor cannot waive them in advance.
At least 75% of take home pay. Exempt from wage attachment is the greater of 75 percent of disposable wages, or 30 times the State minimum hourly wage times the number of weeks the wages were earned in, plus any medical insurance deducted from pay. It is figured per pay period.
Sources for this section (2)
- Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504 — Exemptions from execution on a judgment
- Md. Code, Com. Law § 15-601.1 — Wages exempt from attachment
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maryland attorney.