Where to file bankruptcy in Indiana

Which Indiana court you file in, its divisions and phone, and what happens after you file.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

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.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 2
Courts: Northern District and Southern District

The bankruptcy courts in Indiana

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana

Divisions: South Bend, Fort Wayne, Hammond, Hammond at Lafayette

Clerk's phone: (574) 968-2265

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana

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)

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

Illinois: Northern District, Central District and Southern District
Kentucky: Eastern District and Western District
Ohio: Northern District and Southern District

Steps to file in Indiana

Check where you lived
The court is set by where you lived for most of the past 180 days.
Visit the court's website
Each court lists its divisions, hours and local rules: Northern District and Southern District.
Do the first course
Use an approved agency. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Fill in the forms
The forms are free: official bankruptcy forms.
Ask for free help
Ask for free help: S.D. Ind. Chapter 7 Pro Bono Panel (U.S. Bankruptcy Court) and Indiana Legal Services.

Where to get free help in Indiana

Questions about filing in Indiana

How do I find my bankruptcy court in Indiana?

What are the Indiana means test numbers?

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).

Related Indiana pages

Filing fees

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

The meeting of creditors

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

Two required courses

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Indiana

Short answer

The bankruptcy courts in Indiana

In nearby states

Steps to file in Indiana

Check where you lived

Visit the court's website

Do the first course

Fill in the forms

Ask for free help

Where to get free help in Indiana

Questions about filing in Indiana

Related Indiana pages