# 29 C.F.R. § 20.203 (2026): Definitions > Federal · Regulations · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_203 ## Section - **Citation:** 29 C.F.R. § 20.203 (2026) - **Heading:** Definitions - **Jurisdiction:** Federal - **Kind:** Regulations - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** Title 29 CFR: Labor / Part 20: FEDERAL CLAIMS COLLECTION / Subpart F: Administrative Wage Garnishment / § 20.203: § 20.203 Definitions. ## Text As used in this section the following definitions shall apply: (a) The term business day means Monday through Friday, not including Federal legal holidays. For purposes of computation, the last day of the period will be included unless it is a Federal legal holiday. (b) The term day means calendar day. For purposes of computation, the last day of the period will be included unless it is a Saturday, a Sunday, or a Federal legal holiday. (c) The term debt or claim means any amount of money, funds or property that has been determined by an appropriate official of the Federal Government to be owed to the Department by an individual, including debt administered by a third party as an agent for the Federal Government. (d) The term debtor means an individual who owes a delinquent nontax debt to the Department. (e) The term delinquent nontax debt means any nontax debt that has not been paid by the date specified in the initial written demand for payment, or applicable agreement, unless other satisfactory payment arrangements have been made. For purposes of this section, the terms “debt” and “claim” are synonymous and refer to delinquent nontax debt. (f) The term Department means the United States Department of Labor. (g) The term disposable pay means that part of the debtor's compensation (including, but not limited to, salary, bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay) from an employer remaining after the deduction of health insurance premiums and any amounts required by law to be withheld. For purposes of this subpart, “amounts required by law to be withheld” include amounts for deductions such as social security taxes and withholding taxes but do not include any amount withheld pursuant to a court order. (h) The term employer means a person or entity that employs the services of others and that pays their wages or salaries. The term employer includes, but is not limited to, State and local Governments but does not include an agency of the Federal Government. amounts for deductions such as social security taxes and withholding taxes but do not include any amount withheld pursuant to a court order. (h) The term employer means a person or entity that employs the services of others and that pays their wages or salaries. The term employer includes, but is not limited to, State and local Governments but does not include an agency of the Federal Government. (i) The term evidence of service means information retained by the Department indicating the nature of the document to which it pertains, the date of mailing of the document, and to whom the document is being sent. Evidence of service may be retained electronically so long as the manner of retention is sufficient for evidentiary purposes. (j) The term garnishment means the process of withholding amounts from an employee's disposable pay and the paying of those amounts to a creditor in satisfaction of a withholding order. (k) The term hearing official means any qualified individual, as determined by the Department. (l) The term withholding order means any order for withholding or garnishment of pay issued by the Department. For purposes of this section, the terms “wage garnishment order” and “garnishment order” have the same meaning as “withholding order.” ## Nearby sections - [29 C.F.R. § 20.201 (2026) § 20.201 Purpose.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_201.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.202 (2026) § 20.202 Scope.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_202.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.203 (2026) § 20.203 Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_203.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.204 (2026) § 20.204 General rule.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_204.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.205 (2026) § 20.205 Notice requirements.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_205.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.206 (2026) § 20.206 Hearing.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_206.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.207 (2026) § 20.207 Wage garnishment order.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_207.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.208 (2026) § 20.208 Certification by employer.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_208.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.209 (2026) § 20.209 Amounts withheld.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_209.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.210 (2026) § 20.210 Exclusions from garnishment.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_210.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.211 (2026) § 20.211 Financial hardship.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_211.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.212 (2026) § 20.212 Ending garnishment.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_212.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.213 (2026) § 20.213 Actions prohibited by employer.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_213.md) - [29 C.F.R. § 20.214 (2026) § 20.214 Refunds.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_214.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T29_P20_S20_203. 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