Collecting Commercial Debt from a Military Member
It is Department of Defense (DoD) policy that military members pay their just financial
obligations in a proper and timely manner. Creditors who have been awarded a civil
judgment against a military member may seek enforcement of the judgment by applying for
an involuntary allotment from the member’s military pay. Applications for involuntary
allotments cannot be based on garnishments.
If approved, the allotment can pay up to a maximum of 25 percent of the member’s
disposable pay per monthly pay period. (Note: not all pay that a military member receives is
subject to involuntary allotment. A complete listing of pay subject to involuntary allotment
and pay excluded from involuntary allotment is contained in the regulation.)
How to Apply for an Involuntary Allotment
If you are new to this procedure, please review the regulation “Indebtedness of Military
Personnel,” 32 C.F.R. Part 112; 113 (1995), before applying for an involuntary allotment.
A creditor may initiate this process against a military member by submitting an Involuntary
Allotment Application (DD Form 2653) along with a certified copy of a final judgment issued
by a civil court. A judge, not the clerk of the court, must sign the final judgment. We must be
served with an original and two copies of both the form and the judgment. Also, the
application must contain the member’s full name and social security number for positive
identification. Send the completed package to the following address:
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Cleveland Center, Code HGA
P.O. Box 998002
Cleveland OH 44199-8002
Toll Free Customer Service: 1-888-DFAS411 (1-888-332-7411)
You can request a hard copy of the DD Form 2653 by writing the address above or by
calling 888-332-7411.
Because the regulation mandates that military members be allowed 90 days notice before
payments can begin, payments start 90 to 120 days after we received the complete
application. We are the only authorized agent for service of these applications for all
branches of the military services (except the U.S. Coast Guard). We will return applications
sent to any other address without action.
Interest
Post-judgment interest is payable under the regulation but it must be awarded in the
judgment. Creditors who submit judgments from jurisdictions where post-judgment interest
is statutory should submit copies of the statute that authorizes the interest along with their
application.
Maximum Involuntary Allotment Amount
The maximum amount that may be withheld from individual’s pay for garnishments or other
legal process to satisfy commercial debts is 25 percent of the individual’s disposable pay.
Disposable pay is the gross pay minus certain authorized deductions, such as income tax
withholding or debts owed to the government.
If the member already has other involuntary allotments in place, applicants will have to
reapply when that debt is satisfied. Also, if deductions are being made to satisfy child or
spousal support obligations, it is possible there will be no funds available to satisfy
commercial debts for many years to come. In this case, we will notify creditors of the status.
For questions concerning the Involuntary Allotments process, please call 888-332-7411