A. Money that was earned by a natural person as wages, salary, bonus or commission for personal services shall be exempt from garnishment issued before judgment of the trial court except as provided for support in a divorce proceeding interlocutory order pursuant to this title, and as otherwise specifically provided by statute.
§ 1171.1.Money Earned From Prejudgment Garnishment - Exemption
Chapter 21: Garnishment and Attachment · Last amended October 1, 1978 · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1171.1 exempts a natural person's wages, salary, bonus, or commission from garnishment before judgment, except for support ordered in a divorce interlocutory order, and shields seventy-five percent of earnings from the last ninety days from garnishment except to collect child support.
Full Text of § 1171.1
B. Seventy-five percent (75%) of all earnings for personal or professional services earned during the last ninety (90) days shall be exempt from garnishment except for collection of child support obligations.
Amendment History
Laws 1971, c. 158, § 1, eff. 10/1/1971; Laws 1976, c. 187, § 1, emerg. eff. 6/4/1976; Laws 1978, c. 190, § 1, eff. 10/1/1978.
Plain-English Summary
Oklahoma protects a worker's paycheck from being garnished before a creditor even wins a lawsuit. Section 1171.1 exempts money a natural person earned as wages, salary, bonus, or commission for personal services from garnishment issued before judgment, with two carve-outs: support ordered in a divorce proceeding's interlocutory order, and anything else a statute specifically allows.
Subsection B adds a separate, narrower protection that applies regardless of whether judgment has been entered: seventy-five percent of earnings for personal or professional services during the last ninety days is exempt from garnishment, except when the garnishment is collecting child support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a creditor garnish my wages before winning a lawsuit against me in Oklahoma?
Generally no. Section 1171.1 exempts wages, salary, bonus, or commission earned by a natural person from prejudgment garnishment, apart from support ordered in a divorce interlocutory order or as another statute specifically allows.
What percentage of my recent earnings is protected from garnishment?
Seventy-five percent of earnings for personal or professional services during the last ninety days, except when the garnishment is for child support.
Does the ninety-day earnings exemption apply to child support garnishments?
No. Section 1171.1(B) specifically excludes child support collection from that seventy-five percent exemption.
Does this exemption protect business income, or just wages?
The text covers wages, salary, bonus, or commission for personal services, and separately, earnings for personal or professional services; it doesn't extend to money that isn't earnings for services.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: oklahoma wage garnishment exemption before judgment75 percent earnings exemption oklahomaprejudgment wage garnishment oklahoma12 O.S. § 1171.1