---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 C.F.R. § 19.13"
title: "15"
number: "19.13"
heading: "How will Commerce entities use administrative wage garnishment to collect a Commerce debt from a debtor's wages?"
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/15/19.13"
---

# §19.13. How will Commerce entities use administrative wage garnishment to collect a Commerce debt from a debtor's wages?

- (a) Commerce entities are authorized to collect Commerce debts from an individual debtor's wages by means of administrative wage garnishment in accordance with the requirements of 31 U.S.C. [3720D](/usc/31/3720D.md) and [31](/usc/31/31.md) CFR 285.11. This part adopts and incorporates all of the provisions of [31 CFR 285.11](/cfr/31/285.11.md) concerning administrative wage garnishment, including the hearing procedures described in [31 CFR 285.11(f)](/cfr/31/285.11.md?p=f). Commerce entities may use administrative wage garnishment to collect a delinquent Commerce debt unless the debtor is making timely payments under an agreement to pay the Commerce debt in installments (see [§ 19.6](/cfr/15/19.6.md) of this part). At least thirty (30) days prior to initiating an administrative wage garnishment, Commerce entities will send notice to the debtor in accordance with the requirements of [§ 19.4](/cfr/15/19.4.md) of this part, including the requirements of [§ 19.4(a)(10)](/cfr/15/19.4.md?p=a-10) of this part. For Commerce debts referred to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service under [§ 19.9](/cfr/15/19.9.md) of this part, Commerce entities may authorize the Bureau of the Fiscal Service to send a notice informing the debtor that administrative wage garnishment will be initiated and how the debtor may request a hearing as described in [§ 19.4(a)(10)](/cfr/15/19.4.md?p=a-10) of this part. If a debtor makes a timely request for a hearing, administrative wage garnishment will not begin until a hearing is held and a decision is sent to the debtor. See [31 CFR 285.11(f)(4)](/cfr/31/285.11.md?p=f-4). Even if a debtor's hearing request is not timely, Commerce entities may suspend collection by administrative wage garnishment in accordance with the provisions of [31 CFR 285.11(f)(5)](/cfr/31/285.11.md?p=f-5). All travel expenses incurred by the debtor in connection with an in-person hearing will be borne by the debtor.
- (b) This section does not apply to Federal salary offset, the process by which Commerce entities collect Commerce debts from the salaries of Federal employees (see [§ 19.12](/cfr/15/19.12.md) of this part).

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 31 U.S.C. 3701, et seq.

### Source

Source: 81 FR 12811, Mar. 11, 2016, unless otherwise noted.