Bankruptcy in Indiana
In Indiana you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep). Your home (homestead): $22,750 in the home (real estate or personal property such as a mobile home) that you or a dependent live in.
You file in one of 2 federal bankruptcy courts:
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026. · Free letter and checklist ↓
What you can keep in Indiana
Exemptions are the property the law lets you keep. You use the Indiana list. The federal list is not available in Indiana.
Law: Ind. Code 34-55-10-1
| What | Indiana exemption |
|---|---|
Home (homestead) | $22,750 in the home (real estate or personal property such as a mobile home) that you or a dependent live in Each spouse can claim this exemption for a home they own together as tenants by the entirety. Separately, real estate held as tenants by the entirety is fully exempt from debts that only one spouse owes. The amount is updated by the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions every 6 years; the current amount applies from March 1, 2022. Law: Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(5); Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(1); Ind. Code 750 IAC 1-1-1(c) |
Car or other vehicle | No separate vehicle exemption. A car can be protected under the $12,100 exemption for other real estate or tangible personal property. Law: Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(2); Ind. Code 750 IAC 1-1-1(c) |
Household goods and clothing | $12,100 total for other real estate or tangible personal property (household goods, furniture, clothing, a vehicle, tools and similar items). Separate $450 for intangible property such as cash and bank accounts. Professionally prescribed health aids are fully exempt. Law: Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(2)-(4); Ind. Code 750 IAC 1-1-1(c) |
Wages | A creditor can garnish no more than the lesser of 25% of your weekly take-home pay or the amount by which it is above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage. A court can lower the 25% to as little as 10% if you show good cause. Law: Ind. Code 37-2-6-4(b) (formerly Ind. Code 24-4.5-5-105) |
Retirement accounts | Your interest in a retirement plan is exempt to the extent of tax-deferred contributions (and Roth IRA contributions), their tax-deferred earnings and rollovers. Law: Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(6) |
Public benefits | Unemployment benefits are exempt until you actually receive them. Workers' compensation is exempt from creditors (except child support). A veteran's service-connected disability benefit is exempt. Law: Ind. Code 22-4-33-3; Ind. Code 22-3-2-17; Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(12) |
Other exemptions |
Law: Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(11); Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(7)-(8); Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(9)-(10) |
Amounts: March 1, 2022; next adjustment no later than March 1, 2028.
The means test in Indiana: first step
Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Indiana. Here are the official medians:
- 1 person$64,461
- 2 people$81,986
- 3 people$95,627
- 4 people$115,656
- 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 Indiana
You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Your county decides the district and division: Northern District list at https://www.innb.uscourts.gov/district-composition and Southern District list at https://www.insb.uscourts.gov/jurisdiction-where-file.
Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408
Divisions: South Bend, Fort Wayne, Hammond, Hammond at Lafayette
Clerk's phone: (574) 968-2265
Divisions: Indianapolis, Evansville, New Albany, Terre Haute (Terre Haute office unstaffed)
Clerk's phone: (317) 229-3800 (Indianapolis); (812) 434-6470 (Evansville); (812) 542-4540 (New Albany)
Free help in Indiana
- S.D. Ind. Chapter 7 Pro Bono Panel (U.S. Bankruptcy Court)
- Indiana Legal Services · 317-631-9410
- Indiana Legal Help (statewide legal information and help finder)
- Indianapolis Legal Aid Society (Marion and nearby counties) · (317) 635-9538
- Find free legal aid at LawHelp.org
- Northern District – Court's self-help page
- Southern District – 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 Indiana's courts.
Bankruptcy in Indiana by topic
Exemptions in Indiana
Home, car, household goods, wildcard and more, with the law for each.
The means test in Indiana
The official median income and the first-step check.
Where to file in Indiana
The bankruptcy courts, divisions, fees and the 341 meeting.
Good to know in Indiana
- Indiana has no separate car, wildcard or tools exemption: most physical property, including a car, shares one $12,100 exemption, and cash and bank accounts share a $450 exemption.
Law: Ind. Code 34-55-10-2; 750 IAC 1-1-1
- Real estate owned by a married couple as tenants by the entirety is exempt from debts owed by only one spouse, but not from joint debts.
Law: Ind. Code 34-55-10-2(c)(5)
- In the Southern District, the Terre Haute office is unstaffed; paper filings for that division go to the Evansville office (S.D. Ind. Bankruptcy Court).
Questions about bankruptcy in Indiana
Can I use the federal bankruptcy exemptions in Indiana?
No. Indiana requires you to use the state exemptions.
What is the homestead exemption in Indiana?
$22,750 in the home (real estate or personal property such as a mobile home) that you or a dependent live in
How much of a car can I keep in bankruptcy in Indiana?
No separate vehicle exemption. A car can be protected under the $12,100 exemption for other real estate or tangible personal property.
What household goods can I keep in Indiana?
$12,100 total for other real estate or tangible personal property (household goods, furniture, clothing, a vehicle, tools and similar items). Separate $450 for intangible property such as cash and bank accounts. Professionally prescribed health aids are fully exempt.
Are retirement accounts protected in bankruptcy in Indiana?
Your interest in a retirement plan is exempt to the extent of tax-deferred contributions (and Roth IRA contributions), their tax-deferred earnings and rollovers.
Are my wages protected in Indiana?
A creditor can garnish no more than the lesser of 25% of your weekly take-home pay or the amount by which it is above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage. A court can lower the 25% to as little as 10% if you show good cause.
Where do I file bankruptcy in Indiana?
You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Your county decides the district and division: Northern District list at https://www.innb.uscourts.gov/district-composition and Southern District list at https://www.insb.uscourts.gov/jurisdiction-where-file.
What is the median income for the means test in Indiana?
For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $64,461; 2 people: $81,986; 3 people: $95,627; 4 people: $115,656; Each extra person: +$11,100.
Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in Indiana?
S.D. Ind. Chapter 7 Pro Bono Panel (U.S. Bankruptcy Court), Indiana Legal Services and Indiana Legal Help (statewide legal information and help finder).