Wage garnishment in Canada: how much of your pay is protected, by province
Quick summary
A creditor with a court judgment can ask the court to take part of your pay straight from your employer. The part that is protected depends on where you live. Ontario protects 80% of net pay. Manitoba protects 70%, with a minimum. British Columbia lets a creditor take up to 30%. Quebec protects a set amount that depends on your dependants. If you cannot pay, read aboutcredit counselling by province before it gets that far.
Checked November 3, 2026. Main source: Ontario: Employment Standards Act manual, Part V, on the Wages Act s. 7 (updated Apr. 25, 2023). See all 14 sources.
What is protected, province by province
Net pay means what is left after tax, EI and CPP. Each row says what the government source we read says, with its date. The rules below are for ordinary debts. Child and spousal support is treated differently almost everywhere, and the notes say how.
| Where | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 80% of net pay is protected, so up to 20% can be taken. For support orders, only 50% is protected. A judge can change the percentage. EI, social assistance and pension payments cannot be garnished | Ontario |
| British Columbia | In most cases up to 30% of net pay can be taken. A judge can raise the protected part up to 90% of net pay. EI and social assistance cannot be garnished | BC |
| Alberta | We could not read an Alberta government page today, so we give no figure. The link goes to the province's consumer guide on what creditors can do | Alberta |
| Saskatchewan | For each pay period, the protected amount is the greater of 70% of net pay, or $1,500 plus $300 for each dependant, for a monthly pay period | Saskatchewan |
| Manitoba | 70% of wages is protected, with a minimum of $250 a month with no dependants or $350 a month with one or more. For support orders the protected amount is $250 a month. You or the creditor can apply to the court clerk to change the amount, and the protected part cannot go above 90% | Manitoba |
| Quebec | Your protected amount comes first, from a table that depends on dependants and how often you are paid. For 2026-27 it is $1,647.50 a month with no dependants and $2,306.50 with one. Then up to 30% of the rest can be taken. For unpaid support the table does not apply | Quebec table |
| New Brunswick | No fixed percentage or dollar amount in the Act. The sheriff protects what is needed for the reasonable needs of you and your dependants. You have 21 days to ask a court to change the sheriff's decision | New Brunswick |
| Nova Scotia | A Court Services guide says the sheriff can take up to 15% of wages. The guide is dated June 2010, so check with the sheriff's office before you rely on it | Nova Scotia |
| Prince Edward Island | The regulations set a protected monthly amount by need, not a percentage. $511 for each adult, $388 for each dependant aged 12 to 17, $293 for each dependant under 12, plus $76 if someone is pregnant and $150 for each person with a disability. Rent, fuel and medical costs can also be protected | PEI |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | The sheriff protects a monthly amount: $1,019 if you support a spouse or partner, $963 if you support dependants only, $649 for anyone else. It rises with more dependants. The version we read was last amended by NLR 90/01, so confirm the current amounts with the sheriff | NL |
| Yukon | Protected each month: $2,000 with no dependants, $3,000 with one, and $500 more for each extra dependant (2025-26 amounts). The amounts are tied to inflation and change each November, so they may be higher now | Yukon |
| Northwest Territories | 70% of net wages is protected each month, or a minimum set by regulation if that is more. We could not read the minimum. The rule does not apply to support orders | NWT |
| Nunavut | The protected amount is the greater of $1,500 a month or 70% of net pay (capped at $3,500), plus $300 for each dependant. The court's guide says up to 30% of net pay can be taken. We read the original 2006 regulation, so confirm with the court | Nunavut |
Quebec's source is the Government of Quebec. The others are provincial or territorial legislation or court and ministry guides. Where a page shows no date, we say so.
A worked example with made-up pay
Say your net pay is $2,000 a month and you have no dependants.
- Ontario: 80% is protected, which is $1,600. Up to $400 could be taken.
- Manitoba: 70% is protected, which is $1,400. That is more than the $250 minimum, so up to $600 could be taken.
- British Columbia: up to 30% can be taken, which is $600.
- Quebec: the table protects $1,647.50. Quebec works from gross pay, so if $2,000 were your gross pay, up to 30% of the $352.50 left, about $105.75, could be taken.
These are examples for learning, not advice for your case. Your own amount depends on your exact pay, your dependants and the court order.
Child and spousal support is treated differently
Courts treat unpaid support as a priority. In Ontario only 50% of net pay is protected, instead of 80%. In Manitoba the protected amount drops to $250 a month. In Quebec the table does not apply and up to 30% of gross pay can be taken. In the NWT the 70% rule does not apply to support orders. This page is about ordinary debts.
If your wages are being garnished
- Read the court papers. They name the creditor, the amount owed and the court.
- Check your province's row above. Ask your employer's payroll to show how they worked out the amount.
- If the protected amount is too low for your family, ask the court to change it. Manitoba lets you apply to the clerk, and BC lets a judge raise it up to 90%. Deadlines are short, so act at once.
- Talk to a non-profit credit counsellor about a plan. See the page on credit counselling by province.
- Look at a consumer proposal or other debt options before the debt grows.
- Call your province's legal aid or consumer protection office if you are unsure.
What we could not confirm
- Alberta: no figure, because we could not read an Alberta government page today.
- Northwest Territories: the minimum monthly amount is set by a regulation we could not read.
- Nova Scotia: the only guide we found is dated 2010.
- Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut: the versions we read may not include later changes.
- Federal employees are handled under separate federal rules that this page does not cover.
Questions people ask
How much of my pay can be garnished in Ontario?
The Ontario ministry manual says 80% of net pay is protected, so up to 20% can be taken. For support orders only 50% is protected.
How much of my wages can be garnished in BC?
In most cases up to 30% of net pay, according to the BC small claims guide. A judge can raise the protected part up to 90%.
Can my employer fire me because of a garnishment?
New Brunswick's Act says an employer may not dismiss or penalize an employee because of a payment order. Newfoundland and Labrador's Act also makes it an offence. Check your own province's rules.
Can EI or social assistance be garnished?
Ontario and BC both say no. In Ontario the protection holds even after the money is deposited in your bank account.
Are the rules the same for child support?
No. Support is treated as a priority and less of your pay is protected in Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec.
How often are these numbers checked?
On the 1st of every month. Yukon's amounts change each November, and Quebec's table changes each April 1.