# District of Columbia — Wage garnishment limits and exempt earnings by state

For District of Columbia, maximum share of earnings a creditor may take is 25% of the amount by which the judgment debtor's disposable wages for that week exceed 40 times the minimum hourly wage; earnings wholly exempt is 40 times the minimum hourly wage; statute is § 16–572. Attachment of wages; percentage limitations; priority of attachments, verified against its source on 2026-08-30.

- **State:** District of Columbia _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Maximum share of earnings a creditor may take:** 25% of the amount by which the judgment debtor's disposable wages for that week exceed 40 times the minimum hourly wage _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Earnings wholly exempt:** 40 times the minimum hourly wage _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statute:** § 16–572. Attachment of wages; percentage limitations; priority of attachments. _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> Where an attachment is levied upon wages due a judgment debtor from an employer-garnishee, the attachment shall become a lien and a continuing levy upon the gross wages due or to become due to the judgment debtor for the amount specified in the attachment to the extent of 25% of the amount by which the judgment debtor's disposable wages for that week exceed 40 times the minimum hourly wage, as prescribed in [§ 32-1003] ("minimum hourly wage"), in effect at

## Source

- https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/16-572

Last verified: 2026-08-30. Review by: 2027-02-25.
Part of [Wage garnishment limits and exempt earnings by state](https://referencesource.org/wage-garnishment-exemption-thresholds-by-state/).