The employer may deduct from the earnings of the employee the sum of one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) for each payment made in accordance with an earnings withholding order issued pursuant to this chapter.
§ 706.034.Deduction By Employer From Employee's Earning For Each Payment
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 5. Wage Garnishment · Article 2. General Provisions · Last amended 2005 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 706.034 lets an employer deduct one dollar and fifty cents from an employee's earnings for each payment made under an earnings withholding order, to help offset the administrative cost of complying with the order.
Full Text of § 706.034
Plain-English Summary
Complying with an earnings withholding order takes employer time and paperwork, and this section gives employers a small, fixed way to recoup part of that cost. For each payment the employer makes under an order issued under this chapter, the employer may deduct $1.50 from the employee's earnings.
It's a modest, capped amount — not a percentage of the withheld sum — and it applies per payment, not per order, so it recurs alongside the regular remittances required under § 706.025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my employer charge me a fee for processing a wage garnishment?
Yes. Section 706.034 allows the employer to deduct $1.50 from earnings for each payment made under an earnings withholding order.
Is that fee a percentage of what's withheld?
No, it's a flat $1.50 per payment, separate from the amount withheld to satisfy the underlying order.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2004 ch 520 (AB 2530),s 1, eff. 1/1/2005
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: employer garnishment processing fee california