Certain amount of earnings exempt from lien or order — "Earnings" and "disposable earnings" defined.
RCW 74.20A.090
in effectWhenever a support lien or order to withhold and deliver is served upon any person, firm, corporation, association, political subdivision, or department of the state asserting a support debt against earnings and there is in the possession of such person, firm, corporation, association, political subdivision, or department of the state, any such earnings, RCW 6.27.150 shall not apply, but fifty percent of the disposable earnings shall be exempt and may be disbursed to the debtor whether such earnings are paid, or to be paid weekly, monthly, or at other intervals and whether there be due the debtor earnings for one week or for a longer period. The lien or order to withhold and deliver shall continue to operate and require said person, firm, corporation, association, political subdivision, or department of the state to withhold the nonexempt portion of earnings at each succeeding earnings disbursement interval until the entire amount of the support debt stated in the lien or order to withhold and deliver has been withheld. As used in this chapter, the term "earnings" means compensation paid or payable for personal services, whether denominated as wages, salary, commission, bonus, or otherwise, and, notwithstanding any other provision of law making such payments exempt from garnishment, attachment, or other process to satisfy support obligation, specifically includes periodic payments pursuant to pension or retirement programs, or insurance policies of any type, but does not include payments made under Title 50 RCW, except as provided in RCW 50.40.020 and 50.40.050 or Title 74 RCW. Earnings shall specifically include all gain derived from capital, from labor, or from both combined, not including profit gained through sale or conversion of capital assets. The term "disposable earnings" means that part of the earnings of any individual remaining after the deduction from those earnings of any amount required by law to be withheld.
Whenever a support lien or order to withhold and deliver is served upon any person, firm, corporation, association, political subdivision, or department of the state asserting a support debt against earnings and there is in the possession of such person, firm, corporation, association, political subdivision, or department of the state, any such earnings, RCW 6.27.150 shall not apply, but fifty percent of the disposable earnings shall be exempt and may be disbursed to the debtor whether such earnings are paid, or to be paid weekly, monthly, or at other intervals and whether there be due the debtor earnings for one week or for a longer period. The lien or order to withhold and deliver shall continue to operate and require said person, firm, corporation, association, political subdivision, or department of the state to withhold the nonexempt portion of earnings at each succeeding earnings disbursement interval until the entire amount of the support debt stated in the lien or order to withhold and deliver has been withheld. As used in this chapter, the term "earnings" means compensation paid or payable for personal services, whether denominated as wages, salary, commission, bonus, or otherwise, and, notwithstanding any other provision of law making such payments exempt from garnishment, attachment, or other process to satisfy support obligation, specifically includes periodic payments pursuant to pension or retirement programs, or insurance policies of any type, but does not include payments made under Title 50 RCW, except as provided in RCW 50.40.020 and 50.40.050 or Title 74 RCW. Earnings shall specifically include all gain derived from capital, from labor, or from both combined, not including profit gained through sale or conversion of capital assets. The term "disposable earnings" means that part of the earnings of any individual remaining after the deduction from those earnings of any amount required by law to be withheld.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=74.20A&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026