Bankruptcy in Kansas
In Kansas you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep). Your home (homestead): unlimited value.
You file in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026. · Free letter and checklist ↓
What you can keep in Kansas
Exemptions are the property the law lets you keep. You use the Kansas list. The federal list is not available in Kansas.
Law: K.S.A. 60-2312(a)
| What | Kansas exemption |
|---|---|
Home (homestead) | Unlimited value. Up to 160 acres of farmland, or up to 1 acre inside a city or town, or a manufactured or mobile home, that you or your family live in. The homestead is not protected from property taxes, from the loan used to buy it, or from debts for building improvements on it, or from a lien both spouses agreed to (such as a mortgage). A married owner cannot sell or mortgage it without the other spouse's consent. Law: K.S.A. 60-2301 |
Car or other vehicle | $20,000 of your interest in one vehicle you regularly use to get around or to get to work. No dollar limit for a vehicle designed or equipped for a person with a disability. Law: K.S.A. 60-2304(c) |
Household goods and clothing | Furnishings, equipment and supplies (including food, fuel and clothing) reasonably needed at your home for one year, with no dollar cap. Jewelry and ornaments up to $1,000. Law: K.S.A. 60-2304(a)-(b) |
Tools of your trade | $7,500 total for books, tools, equipment, breeding stock, seed and other means of production you regularly need for your work Law: K.S.A. 60-2304(e) |
Wages | A creditor can garnish no more than the lesser of 25% of your weekly take-home pay or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage. If you or a family member was too sick to work for more than 2 weeks, garnishment is paused until 2 months after recovery. Law: K.S.A. 60-2310(b)-(c) |
Retirement accounts | Money in retirement plans qualified under Internal Revenue Code 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408 (IRAs), 408A (Roth IRAs) or 409 is exempt, except from a qualified domestic relations order or child support order. Many Kansas public pensions are also exempt. Law: K.S.A. 60-2308(b)-(c); K.S.A. 60-2313(a)(1) |
Public benefits | Public assistance, workers' compensation, unemployment benefits and crime victims compensation awards are exempt. Support money held by the state's payment center, the Department for Children and Families or a court trustee is exempt. Law: K.S.A. 60-2313(a)(2)-(5); K.S.A. 60-2308(e) |
Other exemptions |
Law: K.S.A. 60-2315; K.S.A. 60-2313(a)(7); K.S.A. 60-2304(d); K.S.A. 60-2312(b) |
If you use your state's exemptions, you can protect no more than $214,000 of home equity that you acquired in the 1,215 days (about 3 years and 4 months) before you filed. Equity moved from an earlier home in the same state, bought before that period, does not count. The cap does not apply to a family farmer's main home.
Law: 11 U.S.C. 522(p); 90 FR 8941
Amounts: Amounts set by statute and not indexed; vehicle and tools amounts unchanged since 1988. Kansas Statutes as published by the Revisor of Statutes, 2026.
The means test in Kansas: first step
Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Kansas. Here are the official medians:
- 1 person$69,197
- 2 people$87,441
- 3 people$103,852
- 4 people$125,971
- 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 Kansas
You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. All of Kansas is one district. For a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case: if you live in Wyandotte or Johnson County you must file in Kansas City, in Shawnee or Douglas County in Topeka, and in Sedgwick or Butler County in Wichita; from any other county you may file in any of the three offices (Standing Order 25-1: https://www.ksb.uscourts.gov/sites/ksb/files/SO_25_1.pdf).
Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408
Divisions: Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita
Clerk's phone: 913-735-2110 (Kansas City); 785-338-5910 (Topeka); 316-315-4110 (Wichita)
Free help in Kansas
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 Kansas's courts.
Bankruptcy in Kansas by topic
Exemptions in Kansas
Home, car, household goods, wildcard and more, with the law for each.
The means test in Kansas
The official median income and the first-step check.
Where to file in Kansas
The bankruptcy courts, divisions, fees and the 341 meeting.
Good to know in Kansas
- Kansas homestead protection has no dollar cap, only an acreage limit (160 acres of farmland or 1 acre in town).
Law: K.S.A. 60-2301
- Kansas does not allow the federal exemption list, but filers may add the federal 522(d)(10) benefit exemption on top of Kansas exemptions.
Law: K.S.A. 60-2312
- The bankruptcy court requires filers from six large counties to use a specific office: Wyandotte and Johnson (Kansas City), Shawnee and Douglas (Topeka), Sedgwick and Butler (Wichita) (D. Kan. Standing Order 25-1, effective July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027).
Questions about bankruptcy in Kansas
Can I use the federal bankruptcy exemptions in Kansas?
No. Kansas requires you to use the state exemptions.
What is the homestead exemption in Kansas?
Unlimited value. Up to 160 acres of farmland, or up to 1 acre inside a city or town, or a manufactured or mobile home, that you or your family live in.
How much of a car can I keep in bankruptcy in Kansas?
$20,000 of your interest in one vehicle you regularly use to get around or to get to work. No dollar limit for a vehicle designed or equipped for a person with a disability.
What household goods can I keep in Kansas?
Furnishings, equipment and supplies (including food, fuel and clothing) reasonably needed at your home for one year, with no dollar cap. Jewelry and ornaments up to $1,000.
Are retirement accounts protected in bankruptcy in Kansas?
Money in retirement plans qualified under Internal Revenue Code 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408 (IRAs), 408A (Roth IRAs) or 409 is exempt, except from a qualified domestic relations order or child support order. Many Kansas public pensions are also exempt.
Are my wages protected in Kansas?
A creditor can garnish no more than the lesser of 25% of your weekly take-home pay or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage. If you or a family member was too sick to work for more than 2 weeks, garnishment is paused until 2 months after recovery.
Where do I file bankruptcy in Kansas?
You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. All of Kansas is one district. For a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case: if you live in Wyandotte or Johnson County you must file in Kansas City, in Shawnee or Douglas County in Topeka, and in Sedgwick or Butler County in Wichita; from any other county you may file in any of the three offices (Standing Order 25-1: https://www.ksb.uscourts.gov/sites/ksb/files/SO_25_1.pdf).
What is the median income for the means test in Kansas?
For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $69,197; 2 people: $87,441; 3 people: $103,852; 4 people: $125,971; Each extra person: +$11,100.
Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in Kansas?
Kansas Legal Services and Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service.