Wage garnishment and exemptions in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, wages generally can't be garnished for ordinary consumer debts. Below: bank accounts, the property Pennsylvania lets you keep, and the steps to claim it.

Short answer

Pennsylvania protects your pay more than federal law does. Stricter than federal: your wages generally cannot be garnished for ordinary consumer debts like credit cards or medical bills. State-law exceptions include support, some residential lease judgments, board for four weeks or less, PHEAA student loans and court-ordered restitution. In a bank account: $300 of any property, including money in a bank account, is exempt from execution (general monetary exemption).

Wage limit
Not for most consumer debts
Federal benefits in a bank account
Up to 2 months protected
Law
42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8127; § 8123

Pennsylvania's limit on wage garnishment

Wage limit
Stricter than federal: your wages generally cannot be garnished for ordinary consumer debts like credit cards or medical bills. State-law exceptions include support, some residential lease judgments, board for four weeks or less, PHEAA student loans and court-ordered restitution. Federal debts, such as federal student loans and federal taxes, can be taken from wages under federal law.
Law
42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8127; § 8123

Pennsylvania is one of 4 states in our 48 state guides where wages generally can't be garnished for ordinary consumer debts, or are protected when your family needs them.

In nearby states

What creditors can't take in Pennsylvania

  • Besides the $300 general exemption (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8123), Pennsylvania protects wages in the hands of the employer from most creditors (§ 8127).
  • Pennsylvania has no general homestead exemption amount in these sections.

What Pennsylvania protects in a bank account

$300 of any property, including money in a bank account, is exempt from execution (general monetary exemption). Wages stay protected only while held by your employer.

Your bank must automatically protect two months of directly deposited Social Security, SSI or VA benefits (31 CFR 212.5, 212.6). More in our guide to debt lawsuits.

Also in Pennsylvania

  • Pennsylvania is one of the few states that bars wage garnishment for most consumer debts (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8127).

The lawsuit comes first in Pennsylvania

If you do not respond or do not appear, the court can enter a default judgment. With a judgment, a creditor can try to levy bank accounts, though most wages stay protected.

The time to answer in Pennsylvania: Court of Common Pleas: 20 days after you are served with a complaint that has a Notice to Defend (Pa. R.C.P. 1026(a)).

What to do if you are sued in Pennsylvania

Protecting your pay and property in Pennsylvania

  1. Keep every paper

    Note any deadline to claim exemptions on papers from the court, your employer or your bank; it can be short.

  2. Apply Pennsylvania's wage rule

    Pennsylvania's wage rule: Stricter than federal: your wages generally cannot be garnished for ordinary consumer debts like credit cards or medical bills.

  3. Check your bank deposits

    Pennsylvania also protects money in an account: $300 of any property, including money in a bank account, is exempt from execution (general monetary exemption). Two months of direct-deposited federal benefits must be left alone (31 CFR 212.6).

  4. File the exemption claim

    Get the exemption claim form from the clerk and file it in time. Start with Pennsylvania court self-help (official).

Questions about garnishment in Pennsylvania

Can a creditor take my wages in Pennsylvania, and how much?

Stricter than federal: your wages generally cannot be garnished for ordinary consumer debts like credit cards or medical bills. State-law exceptions include support, some residential lease judgments, board for four weeks or less, PHEAA student loans and court-ordered restitution. Federal debts, such as federal student loans and federal taxes, can be taken from wages under federal law.

How much money in a bank account is protected in Pennsylvania?

$300 of any property, including money in a bank account, is exempt from execution (general monetary exemption). Wages stay protected only while held by your employer.

What property is protected from creditors in Pennsylvania?

Besides the $300 general exemption (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8123), Pennsylvania protects wages in the hands of the employer from most creditors (§ 8127). Pennsylvania has no general homestead exemption amount in these sections.

Can a collector take Social Security from my bank account in Pennsylvania?

Your bank must automatically protect two months of directly deposited Social Security, SSI or VA benefits (31 CFR 212.5, 212.6). $300 of any property, including money in a bank account, is exempt from execution (general monetary exemption).

Related Pennsylvania pages

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources