Bankruptcy Exemptions by State
Learning how property exemptions work in bankruptcy is crucial when deciding whether filing for Chapter 7 or 13 is right for you. Your state’s exemption laws list the property you can protect, and reviewing them is the only way to determine whether you own assets you might lose or need to pay to keep.
While all filers retain essential items, such as household furnishings, some home and car equity, and a retirement account, exemptions vary widely between states. Also, luxury items like valuable collections, recreational vehicles, and rental properties are rarely protected.
Below are exemption articles for many of the 50 states. They list the most common bankruptcy exemptions and explain when you can use them, where to find them, if the federal bankruptcy exemptions are available, and more.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
State Bankruptcy Exemptions
Below are exemption articles for many of the 50 states. They list the most common bankruptcy exemptions and explain when you can use them, where to find them, if the federal bankruptcy exemptions are available, and more.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- D.C.
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Start here to learn the basics of bankruptcy exemptions.
Find out if your state allows you to use the federal bankruptcy exemptions.
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