Updated for 2026 guidelines
Illinois Child Support Wage Garnishment Calculator 2026
Many Illinois workers know the 15 percent rule for wage deductions. Child support does not play by it. Support withholding follows the federal tiers instead, 50 to 65 percent of disposable earnings, and this page shows which tier fits your situation.
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Estimate the Illinois withholding ceiling
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 750 ILCS 28 (Income Withholding for Support Act). Rules last reviewed 2026-08-06.
How income withholding works in Illinois
Illinois collects most support orders straight from the paycheck under the Income Withholding for Support Act, 750 ILCS 28. The employer receives an income withholding notice, deducts the ordered amount each pay period, and sends it to the State Disbursement Unit, which forwards it to the receiving parent.
The ceiling on that deduction is federal. Section 35 of the Act caps support withholding at the maximum the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act allows: 50 percent of disposable earnings when the paying parent supports another spouse or child, 60 percent when not, and 5 more points on either figure, 55 or 65 percent, when arrears are at least 12 weeks old.
This surprises people, because Illinois is known for a much friendlier limit: ordinary wage deduction orders for consumer debts are capped at 15 percent of gross wages under 735 ILCS 5/12-803. That protection simply does not apply to support. A credit card creditor can touch at most 15 percent of gross; a support order can reach up to 65 percent of disposable earnings. The two limits live in different statutes and cover different debts.
Disposable earnings means pay left after deductions required by law, like taxes and Social Security. Voluntary deductions, such as a 401(k) election, do not lower the base. If withholding shows up above the correct tier, the mistake is fixable through the case, not through payroll.
- Support withholding ceiling
- 50% / 55% / 60% / 65% of disposable earnings, by situationsource
- State statute
- 750 ILCS 28/35, adopting the federal CCPA maximums for supportsource
- The 15 percent rule
- Applies to ordinary wage deductions (735 ILCS 5/12-803), not supportsource
- Where payments go
- Employers remit to the State Disbursement Unit, tracked by HFSsource
How to use this estimate
Enter your weekly disposable earnings, then answer the two questions: whether you support another spouse or child, and whether your arrears are more than 12 weeks old. The tool reports the matching federal tier, which is the Illinois ceiling for support withholding.
Keep the ceiling separate from the order. Your withholding notice states the actual deduction, the current support plus any amount toward arrears, and the tier only matters when that total is large compared to the paycheck.
If your pay stub deduction exceeds the tier for your situation, contact the agency or clerk handling the case. The employer follows the notice it was served, so corrections run through the case, and employers face penalties for withholding incorrectly in either direction.
What this estimate includes
- The four federal CCPA tiers that 750 ILCS 28/35 adopts for Illinois support withholding
- Disposable earnings figured from legally required deductions
- The 12-week arrears escalation from 50 to 55 or 60 to 65 percent
What it leaves out
- The actual amount in your withholding notice, including any arrears payback
- The 15 percent of gross limit, which covers non-support wage deductions only
- Employer processing and allocation when several support notices compete
- Bank levies, tax refund offsets, and other enforcement outside the paycheck
To see what an Illinois paycheck looks like after taxes, before any support withholding, the PayDecode take-home pay calculator covers that side.Open the PayDecode paycheck calculator
Illinois garnishment FAQs
How much can Illinois take from a paycheck for child support?
Up to the federal CCPA tiers, which 750 ILCS 28/35 adopts as the Illinois cap: 50 percent of disposable earnings if the paying parent supports another spouse or child, 60 percent if not, and 55 or 65 percent respectively once arrears are at least 12 weeks old.
Does the Illinois 15 percent garnishment limit protect me from support withholding?
No. The 15 percent of gross wages cap in 735 ILCS 5/12-803 governs ordinary wage deduction orders, the kind consumer creditors use. Support withholding runs under a different law, the Income Withholding for Support Act, and its ceiling is the federal 50 to 65 percent of disposable earnings.
What are disposable earnings?
Gross pay minus deductions required by law: federal, state, and local taxes, Social Security, and Medicare. Optional deductions like retirement contributions or extra insurance do not reduce the figure, so the percentage applies to more than your take-home pay.
Can support withholding and a consumer garnishment hit the same paycheck?
They can, but support has priority, and federal law caps the combined take. When a support notice already claims the CCPA tier for your situation, there is generally no room left for an ordinary creditor deduction on top of it.
What does my employer actually do with the money?
Illinois employers deduct per the income withholding notice and send the money to the State Disbursement Unit, which records it and pays it out. Employers who fail to withhold or remit as ordered face penalties under the Act, which is why payroll departments treat these notices carefully.
The deduction on my stub looks too big. What now?
Compare it to the tier for your situation using this tool, then raise it with the agency or court handling the support case. The employer cannot change the notice on its own. If the total truly exceeds the federal maximum, that is an error the case process corrects.
Official sources
Official sources last verified: .
- 750 ILCS 28/35 (Income Withholding for Support Act: payor duties; withholding not to exceed federal CCPA maximums)
Illinois General Assembly (ilga.gov) Last checked
- HFS Child Support Employers page (income withholding, new hire reporting, National Medical Support Notice)
Illinois HFS 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
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Changelog: page first published with the 750 ILCS 28/35 CCPA cap and the 15 percent ordinary-deduction distinction. Material changes are dated in the update log.