§ 1192.Garnishment of Money Due From State, County Or Municipality - Exceptions

Chapter 21: Garnishment and Attachment · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026

In one sentenceSection 1192 allows a creditor to garnish money the state, a county, city, town, or school board owes to someone who is itself a debtor, on the same terms as private garnishment, while preserving the ordinary wage and salary exemptions for public officers and employees.

Full Text of § 1192

Text size

That it shall be lawful for any creditor of any person, firm or corporation in this state, to whom the state or any county, city, town, school board, board of education or any municipal subdivision of the state is indebted, to cause a garnishment to issue to, and to garnishee sums, wages or other sums due such creditor of the state or such municipality to the same extent and in like manner as if such creditor of the state or such municipality was a creditor of a private individual, firm or corporation; provided, however, that such officer or employee of said state, county or municipality shall be entitled to the exemptions as to amount of such wages, salary, fund or compensation due thereto, as is exempt from attachment, execution or garnishment in favor of officers or employees of private individuals or corporations.

End

Amendment History

Laws 1925, SB 128, c. 33, p. 51, § 1.

Plain-English Summary

A creditor may garnish sums the state, or any county, city, town, school board, board of education, or other municipal subdivision owes to its own creditor, to the same extent and in the same manner as if a private individual or corporation owed the debt. The public employer's status doesn't shield the money.

The one carve-out protects the underlying officer or employee: their wages, salary, or compensation get the same exemption from attachment, execution, or garnishment that applies to officers or employees of private individuals or corporations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you garnish wages a government employer owes someone?

Yes -- Section 1192 allows garnishment of sums the state, a county, city, town, school board, or other municipal subdivision owes a debtor, the same as if a private party owed it.

Do public employees get the same exemptions as private employees?

Yes. The statute preserves the same wage, salary, or compensation exemptions from attachment, execution, or garnishment.

Does this cover school boards?

Yes, school boards and boards of education are among the entities that may be garnished under this section.

Is a public employer treated exactly like a private one for garnishment purposes?

The statute says garnishment issues "to the same extent and in like manner" as against a private creditor, subject only to the officer or employee exemption.

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: garnishing government employee wages oklahomagarnishment against the statepublic employee wage exemption garnishment12 O.S. § 1192