Bankruptcy in Idaho
In Idaho you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep). Your home (homestead): $175,000 of net value (market value minus liens) in your homestead, with no limit on land area.
You file in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Idaho.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026. · Free letter and checklist ↓
What you can keep in Idaho
Exemptions are the property the law lets you keep. You use the Idaho list. The federal list is not available in Idaho.
Law: Idaho Code § 11-609
| What | Idaho exemption |
|---|---|
Home (homestead) | $175,000 of net value (market value minus liens) in your homestead, with no limit on land area The homestead is the house, mobile home or manufactured home you live in or intend to live in, with its buildings and land. It is protected automatically once you occupy it as your principal residence. For unimproved land or a home you do not yet live in, you must record a declaration of homestead with the county recorder (and a declaration of abandonment for any other homestead). The statute sets one cap per homestead; it does not say the amount doubles for married couples. Law: Idaho Code §§ 55-1001, 55-1003, 55-1004 |
Car or other vehicle | $10,000 in one motor vehicle (per individual) Law: Idaho Code § 11-605(3) |
Household goods and clothing | Household furnishings, goods and appliances, clothing, animals, books, musical instruments, family portraits and heirlooms: up to $1,000 per item and $7,500 total. Jewelry up to $1,000 total. One firearm up to $1,500. Food and water (with containers and shelving) for 12 months. Health aids reasonably necessary (no limit). Law: Idaho Code §§ 11-605(1), (2), (4), (8), 11-603(2) |
Wildcard (any property) | $1,500 in any tangible personal property Law: Idaho Code § 11-605(10) |
Tools of your trade | $10,000 total in implements, professional books, business equipment and tools of the trade Law: Idaho Code § 11-605(3) |
Wages | Earned but unpaid wages, salary and pay for personal services are exempt up to $2,500 per calendar year. Separately, garnishment is limited to the lesser of 25% of weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage. Law: Idaho Code §§ 11-605(11), 11-207 |
Retirement accounts | Pensions, annuities, retirement and disability allowances, and plans and accounts under IRC 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408 (IRA), 408A (Roth IRA) and 457 are exempt and treated as spendthrift trusts; Idaho college savings program accounts too. Federal government pensions are exempt even after deposit. QDROs and child support are not blocked. Law: Idaho Code § 11-604A |
Public benefits | Social Security and veterans' benefits (except for support orders), federal, state and local public assistance, medical-care benefits and medical savings accounts are exempt. Unemployment benefits are exempt and stay exempt if not mixed with other money. Workers' compensation is exempt from all creditors except support orders. Law: Idaho Code §§ 11-603(3)-(6), 72-1375(3), 72-802 |
Other exemptions |
Law: Idaho Code § 11-605(9); Idaho Code § 11-603(1); Idaho Code § 11-605(7) |
Amounts: Amounts last changed by 2020 Idaho Session Laws ch. 232; not indexed. Current text read on the Idaho Legislature's official statutes site in October 2026.
The means test in Idaho: first step
Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Idaho. Here are the official medians:
- 1 person$73,413
- 2 people$86,160
- 3 people$98,381
- 4 people$119,662
- Each extra person+$11,100
Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4
Where to file in Idaho
You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. All of Idaho is one district; find your division by county on the court's map page: https://www.id.uscourts.gov/clerks/Divisional_Map_Idaho.cfm?lni=308
Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408
Divisions: Southern (Boise), Northern (Coeur d'Alene; Central at Moscow), Eastern (Pocatello / Twin Falls)
Clerk's phone: (208) 334-1361 or toll-free (866) 496-1250 (Boise clerk's office)
Free help in Idaho
- Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program (Idaho Law Foundation) – free civil legal help for low-income Idahoans · (208) 334-4500
- Idaho Legal Aid Services
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Idaho – Self Representation resources
- Find free legal aid at LawHelp.org
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Idaho – Court's self-help page
Free letter and checklist
Letter: tell a creditor you filed bankruptcy
Notice to a creditor or debt collector with your case number, court, filing date and chapter.
Checklist: what to gather before you file
Income, tax returns, debts, property and budget papers the federal forms ask about, with Idaho's courts.
Bankruptcy in Idaho by topic
Exemptions in Idaho
Home, car, household goods, wildcard and more, with the law for each.
The means test in Idaho
The official median income and the first-step check.
Where to file in Idaho
The bankruptcy courts, divisions, fees and the 341 meeting.
Good to know in Idaho
- Your home is protected automatically once you live in it. If you want to protect land or a home you do not live in yet, you must record a declaration of homestead with the county recorder.
Law: Idaho Code § 55-1004
- Idaho protects a year's supply of food and water, with storage containers and shelving, for you and your dependents.
Law: Idaho Code § 11-605(4)
- Personal-property exemptions in § 11-605 do not protect an item against a judgment for its own purchase price or a mortgage on it.
Law: Idaho Code § 11-605(5)
Questions about bankruptcy in Idaho
Can I use the federal bankruptcy exemptions in Idaho?
No. Idaho requires you to use the state exemptions.
What is the homestead exemption in Idaho?
$175,000 of net value (market value minus liens) in your homestead, with no limit on land area
How much of a car can I keep in bankruptcy in Idaho?
$10,000 in one motor vehicle (per individual)
Does Idaho have a wildcard exemption?
$1,500 in any tangible personal property
What household goods can I keep in Idaho?
Household furnishings, goods and appliances, clothing, animals, books, musical instruments, family portraits and heirlooms: up to $1,000 per item and $7,500 total. Jewelry up to $1,000 total. One firearm up to $1,500. Food and water (with containers and shelving) for 12 months. Health aids reasonably necessary (no limit).
Are retirement accounts protected in bankruptcy in Idaho?
Pensions, annuities, retirement and disability allowances, and plans and accounts under IRC 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408 (IRA), 408A (Roth IRA) and 457 are exempt and treated as spendthrift trusts; Idaho college savings program accounts too. Federal government pensions are exempt even after deposit. QDROs and child support are not blocked.
Are my wages protected in Idaho?
Earned but unpaid wages, salary and pay for personal services are exempt up to $2,500 per calendar year. Separately, garnishment is limited to the lesser of 25% of weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage.
Where do I file bankruptcy in Idaho?
You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. All of Idaho is one district; find your division by county on the court's map page: https://www.id.uscourts.gov/clerks/Divisional_Map_Idaho.cfm?lni=308
What is the median income for the means test in Idaho?
For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $73,413; 2 people: $86,160; 3 people: $98,381; 4 people: $119,662; Each extra person: +$11,100.
Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in Idaho?
Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program (Idaho Law Foundation) – free civil legal help for low-income Idahoans, Idaho Legal Aid Services and U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Idaho – Self Representation resources.