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Updated for 2026 guidelines

Colorado Wage Garnishment Calculator 2026

Colorado protects paychecks from ordinary creditors harder than federal law does: 20 percent of disposable earnings, not 25. Child support is the exception. A support order can lawfully take 50 to 65 percent of the same check. This page computes the support ceilings and explains why the two limits are so far apart.

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Estimate Colorado support withholding limits

Earnings

Weekly pay left after deductions required by law, such as taxes (15 U.S.C. 1672). Voluntary deductions still count as disposable.

Situation
Does the paying parent support another spouse or dependent child?
Do the arrears cover a period more than 12 weeks ago?

Maximum weekly withholding for support: $480.00

That is 60% of disposable earnings, the federal CCPA ceiling that applies to this situation (15 U.S.C. 1673(b)(2)).

How this limit was computed
Line itemAmount
Federal CCPA ceiling: 60% of disposable earnings (15 U.S.C. 1673(b)(2))15 U.S.C. 1673 (CCPA garnishment limits: 50/55/60/65% for support) (U.S. Congress (text via Cornell LII mirror))$480.00
Maximum support withholding: 60% of disposable earnings15 U.S.C. 1673 (CCPA garnishment limits: 50/55/60/65% for support) (U.S. Congress (text via Cornell LII mirror))$480.00

Assumptions

  • Disposable earnings are earnings minus deductions required by law (15 U.S.C. 1672); voluntary deductions are not subtracted.
  • Obligor does not support another spouse or dependent child.
  • No arrears older than 12 weeks.

Estimate only. The court or state agency calculation controls.

Federal CCPA ceiling under 15 U.S.C. 1673(b)(2); state rules under C.R.S. § 13-54-104(3)(b) (support); § 13-54-104(2) (ordinary garnishment). Rules last reviewed 2026-08-08.

How wage withholding works in Colorado

Garnishment limits start with disposable earnings: what is left of a paycheck after legally required deductions like taxes and Social Security. Voluntary deductions do not reduce the figure, and for support cases Colorado counts even voluntarily deposited tax-deferred compensation back in.

For child support, section 13-54-104(3)(b) adopts the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act tiers. An employer can withhold up to 50 percent of disposable earnings when the paying parent supports another spouse or dependent child, and up to 60 percent when not. Each ceiling rises 5 points, to 55 or 65 percent, once the arrears are more than 12 weeks old.

For everyone else, Colorado is stricter than the federal floor. An ordinary judgment creditor, like a credit card company that sued and won, is capped at the LESSER of 20 percent of weekly disposable earnings or the amount by which weekly disposable earnings exceed 40 times the higher of the federal or Colorado minimum hourly wage. Federal law would allow 25 percent; Colorado stops at 20, and a hardship reduction can shrink it further.

Support withholding also reaches income that ordinary garnishment cannot: for arrears, the statute pulls in workers' compensation, pension payments, dividends, and more. One carve-out runs the other way: a totally and permanently disabled parent who draws at least 75 percent of income from disability benefits may object to the withholding amount.

The mechanics run through an income withholding order served on the employer under section 14-14-111.5, and the employer must comply or become liable for the amounts it failed to withhold.

Support, second family
50% of disposable earnings (55% once arrears exceed 12 weeks)source
Support, no second family
60% of disposable earnings (65% once arrears exceed 12 weeks)source
Ordinary judgment creditors
Lesser of 20% of weekly disposable earnings or the excess over 40x the higher minimum wagesource
Disposable earnings for support
Includes voluntarily deposited tax-deferred compensationsource
Disability carve-out
A totally and permanently disabled obligor with 75%+ disability income may object to the amountsource

How to use this estimate

Enter weekly disposable earnings: gross pay minus legally required deductions. If most of a paycheck goes to a 401(k), remember Colorado counts voluntarily deposited tax-deferred compensation as disposable for support purposes.

Answer the two questions honestly. Supporting another spouse or dependent child selects the 50 percent tier instead of 60, and arrears older than 12 weeks add 5 points to either ceiling.

Read the output as the legal maximum an employer may withhold for support, not what a court will necessarily order. The actual withholding follows the income withholding order, which combines current support with an arrears payment.

What this estimate includes

  • The four support ceilings of section 13-54-104(3)(b): 50, 55, 60, and 65 percent
  • The second-family and 12-week arrears selectors that pick among them
  • The contrast figure for ordinary creditors: the 20 percent state cap

What it leaves out

  • The actual withholding amount on your order, which the court or delegate child support unit sets
  • The hardship reduction available against ordinary garnishments (13-54.5-108 and -109)
  • Non-wage collection like bank levies, tax refund interception, and license suspension
  • Stacking rules when several orders compete for one paycheck

Colorado garnishment FAQs

How much can be garnished for child support in Colorado?

Up to 50 percent of disposable earnings if the paying parent supports another spouse or dependent child, and up to 60 percent if not. Each limit rises by 5 points, to 55 or 65 percent, when the arrears are more than 12 weeks old. These are the federal CCPA tiers, adopted directly by section 13-54-104(3)(b).

Why can support take 60 percent when a credit card creditor gets 20?

Because Colorado draws the lines in different places for different debts. Ordinary judgment creditors face a state cap of the lesser of 20 percent of weekly disposable earnings or the excess over 40 times the higher minimum wage, stricter than the federal 25 percent rule. Support is treated as a duty rather than a debt, so it runs at the much higher federal support tiers. The same paycheck has two very different ceilings depending on who is collecting.

What counts as disposable earnings in Colorado?

Earnings minus deductions required by law, like income tax withholding and Social Security. Health insurance premiums the employee chooses and other voluntary deductions do not shrink the figure, and for support, money the employee voluntarily routes into tax-deferred compensation counts as disposable anyway. For support arrears, the statute also reaches workers' compensation, pensions, and dividends.

Can a disabled parent object to the withholding amount?

Yes, in one defined situation. A debtor who is totally and permanently disabled and derives at least 75 percent of income from disability benefits may object to the amount of garnishment. The objection goes to the court; the tiers themselves stay on the books, but the court can adjust what actually leaves the check.

Does the employer have a choice about withholding?

No. Once an income withholding order is served under section 14-14-111.5, the employer must withhold and remit, and an employer that fails to do so becomes liable for the amounts it should have withheld. Employers also may not fire or discipline a worker over a support withholding.

Is the 12-week arrears bump automatic?

It is available once the arrears are more than 12 weeks old, mirroring the federal CCPA. Whether the extra 5 points are used depends on the order and the enforcing agency; the tool shows the ceiling with and without it so you can see both.

Official sources

Official sources last verified: .

Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log

Changelog: page first published with the 50 to 65 percent support tiers and the 20 percent ordinary-creditor contrast. Material changes are dated in the update log.