Updated for 2026 guidelines
Florida Child Support Wage Garnishment Calculator 2026
Florida collects support through income deduction orders that can reach the federal ceilings of 50 to 65 percent of disposable earnings. Estimate the maximum for your paycheck here.
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Estimate the Florida withholding limit
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)).
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| 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 Fla. Stat. 61.1301(1)(b)4. Rules last reviewed 2026-08-06.
What a Florida income deduction order can take
Florida support orders normally come with an income deduction order under section 61.1301, Florida Statutes. It directs the employer to take the support amount out of each paycheck and send it in, so payment happens before the money ever reaches the parent.
The ceiling comes from federal law. The order may not deduct more than the Consumer Credit Protection Act allows: 50 percent of disposable earnings when the parent supports another spouse or child, 60 percent when not, and 5 points more in each case once arrears run past 12 weeks.
Some states protect a bigger slice of the paycheck with their own lower cap. Florida does not: for support withholding, the federal tier is the limit (61.1301(1)(b)4).
When past-due support exists, the order also deducts an extra 20 percent of the current support obligation toward the delinquency until it is paid in full, always inside the federal ceiling (61.1301(1)(b)3).
Florida’s head of family wage exemption in section 222.11 shields pay from most creditors. It does not defeat an income deduction for child support.
- Withholding ceiling
- Federal CCPA tiers: 50% / 55% / 60% / 65% of disposable earningssource
- Florida statute
- Fla. Stat. § 61.1301 (income deduction orders)source
- Stricter state cap
- None; Florida adopts the federal limits for support withholdingsource
- Delinquency add-on
- Extra 20% of the current support obligation, within the CCPA ceilingsource
How to use this estimate
Enter your disposable earnings for one pay period, then answer the two questions about supporting a second family and about arrears older than 12 weeks. The tool picks the matching federal tier and shows the most an income deduction order could take from that check.
The ceiling is not your payment. Your order sets the payment amount, and most orders take far less than the maximum. The ceiling only bites when current support plus the 20 percent delinquency add-on push against it.
Disposable earnings mean pay left after deductions required by law, such as income tax withholding and FICA. A retirement contribution you chose, or optional insurance, does not shrink the figure the limit applies to.
What this estimate includes
- The four federal CCPA tiers and which one your answers select
- The maximum dollar withholding for the pay period you entered
- Florida’s no-stricter-cap rule for support withholding
What it leaves out
- Your actual ordered support amount and any delinquency payment schedule
- Garnishments for debts other than support, which follow different rules
- Employer processing fees
Wondering what lands in your account after taxes and the deduction? The PayDecode take-home pay calculator continues from where this tool stops.Open the PayDecode paycheck calculator
Florida garnishment FAQs
How much of a Florida paycheck can be taken for child support?
Up to the federal CCPA tier that fits your situation: 50 percent of disposable earnings if you support another spouse or child, 60 percent if you do not, and 55 or 65 percent once arrears are more than 12 weeks old. Florida sets no lower cap of its own for support withholding.
What is an income deduction order?
It is the Florida mechanism for collecting support from pay, set out in section 61.1301. The court issues it with the support order, the employer receives it, and the support comes out of each paycheck the way taxes do.
What is the extra 20 percent in my income deduction order?
That is the delinquency add-on. When past-due support exists, the order directs the employer to withhold an additional 20 percent of the current support obligation until the past-due amount is paid in full. The total withholding still cannot pass the federal CCPA ceiling.
I qualify for the head of family exemption. Does it stop the deduction?
No. The section 222.11 head of family exemption protects wages from most creditor garnishments, but it does not defeat an income deduction for child support. Support withholding runs under its own statute.
What are disposable earnings?
Pay minus the deductions the law requires, like federal income tax withholding, social security, and Medicare. Deductions you picked yourself, such as a 401(k) contribution or optional coverage, still count as disposable earnings when the limit is measured.
When do the higher 55 and 65 percent tiers apply?
When the withholding enforces arrears for a period more than 12 weeks before the current pay period. In that case each base tier rises by 5 points: 50 becomes 55, and 60 becomes 65.
Official sources
Official sources last verified: .
- Fla. Stat. 61.1301 (income deduction orders; CCPA limits + 20% delinquency add)
Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine, leg.state.fl.us) Last checked
- 15 U.S.C. 1673 (CCPA garnishment limits: 50/55/60/65% for support)
U.S. Congress (text via Cornell LII mirror) Last checked
- DOL WHD Fact Sheet #30 (CCPA garnishment; rev. Dec. 2024)
U.S. Dept. of Labor WHD Last checked
- Fla. Stat. 61.12 (attachment or garnishment of amounts due for alimony or child support)
Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine) Last checked
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Changelog: page first published with the federal CCPA tiers and the 20 percent delinquency add-on. Material changes are dated in the update log.