Bankruptcy in Maryland
In Maryland you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep). Your home (homestead): your equity in the owner-occupied home you live in, up to the same dollar amount as the federal homestead exemption in 11 U.S.C. 522(d)(1), as adjusted.
You file in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026. · Free letter and checklist ↓
What you can keep in Maryland
Exemptions are the property the law lets you keep. You use the Maryland list. The federal list is not available in Maryland.
Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(g)
| What | Maryland exemption |
|---|---|
Home (homestead) | Your equity in the owner-occupied home you live in (house, condo, converted manufactured home, or co-op), up to the same dollar amount as the federal homestead exemption in 11 U.S.C. 522(d)(1), as adjusted. Since April 1, 2025 that amount is $31,575. A husband and wife cannot both claim it in the same case. You cannot use it on a property if you, or your spouse, child, child's spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent or grandchild, successfully claimed it on that same property in the 8 years before your filing. It applies only in bankruptcy. Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(f)(1)(i)2, (f)(1)(ii), (f)(2), (f)(3) |
Household goods and clothing | Up to $1,000 total in household furnishings, household goods, clothing, appliances, books, pets and other items held mainly for personal, family or household use. Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(b)(4) |
Wildcard (any property) | Two parts: (1) $6,000 in cash or any property you choose (this $6,000 cap also covers the $500 automatically protected in a bank account); and (2) in bankruptcy only, an extra $5,000 in any personal property. Maryland has no separate car exemption, so you can use these amounts to protect a car. Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(b)(5), (b)(6), (f)(1)(i)1 |
Tools of your trade | Up to $5,000 in clothing, books, tools, instruments or appliances needed for your trade or profession (not items kept for sale). Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(b)(1) |
Wages | The greater of 75% of disposable wages, or 30 times the Maryland minimum hourly wage times the number of weeks the wages were earned. Medical insurance payments deducted by your employer are also protected. Law: Md. Code, Com. Law 15-601.1(b) |
Retirement accounts | Money in, and payments from, plans qualified under IRC 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408 (IRAs), 408A (Roth IRAs), 414(d) and 414(e) are protected from creditors, except claims by the Maryland Department of Health. Contributions above the deductible or allowed amount, and their earnings, are not protected. Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(h) |
Public benefits | Unemployment benefits are protected, also after you receive them unless mixed with other money. Workers' compensation money is protected until the check is issued (except for child support under the Family Law Article). Public assistance paid or payable is protected. Money paid because of sickness, accident, injury or death (insurance, disability benefits, settlements, judgments) is also protected; disability benefits are not protected against a debt for necessities bought after the disability began. Law: Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. 8-106(b), 9-732; Md. Code, Hum. Serv. 5-407(a); Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(b)(2) |
Other exemptions |
Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(b)(7); Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(b)(8); Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(b)(3); Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(b)(2), (i) |
Amounts: Statute text as published by the Maryland General Assembly, read October 2026. The homestead amount follows the federal 522(d)(1) figure, adjusted every three years (last on April 1, 2025).
The means test in Maryland: first step
Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Maryland. Here are the official medians:
- 1 person$86,928
- 2 people$114,611
- 3 people$135,949
- 4 people$166,173
- 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 Maryland
You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before you file. Maryland has one district. You may file papers in either the Baltimore or the Greenbelt office. The court's locations page lists which counties each division serves: https://www.mdb.uscourts.gov/general-info/locations
Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408
Divisions: Baltimore, Greenbelt (Salisbury: hearings only)
Clerk's phone: Baltimore (410) 962-2688; Greenbelt (301) 344-8018
Free help in Maryland
- Debtor Assistance Project (free 30-minute consultation with a volunteer bankruptcy lawyer, run with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court)
- Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service · 410-547-6537
- Maryland Legal Aid · 888-465-2468
- Find free legal aid at LawHelp.org
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland – 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 Maryland's courts.
Bankruptcy in Maryland by topic
Exemptions in Maryland
Home, car, household goods, wildcard and more, with the law for each.
The means test in Maryland
The official median income and the first-step check.
Where to file in Maryland
The bankruptcy courts, divisions, fees and the 341 meeting.
Good to know in Maryland
- Maryland does not let you use the federal exemption list. You must use Maryland's exemptions.
Law: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 11-504(g)
- The Maryland homestead exemption exists only in bankruptcy. Its dollar amount automatically tracks the federal homestead figure (11-504(f)(1)(ii)).
- A married couple filing together gets only one homestead exemption, and a family can use it on the same home only once every 8 years (11-504(f)(2)-(3)).
Questions about bankruptcy in Maryland
Can I use the federal bankruptcy exemptions in Maryland?
No. Maryland requires you to use the state exemptions.
What is the homestead exemption in Maryland?
Your equity in the owner-occupied home you live in (house, condo, converted manufactured home, or co-op), up to the same dollar amount as the federal homestead exemption in 11 U.S.C. 522(d)(1), as adjusted. Since April 1, 2025 that amount is $31,575.
Does Maryland have a wildcard exemption?
Two parts: (1) $6,000 in cash or any property you choose (this $6,000 cap also covers the $500 automatically protected in a bank account); and (2) in bankruptcy only, an extra $5,000 in any personal property. Maryland has no separate car exemption, so you can use these amounts to protect a car.
What household goods can I keep in Maryland?
Up to $1,000 total in household furnishings, household goods, clothing, appliances, books, pets and other items held mainly for personal, family or household use.
Are retirement accounts protected in bankruptcy in Maryland?
Money in, and payments from, plans qualified under IRC 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408 (IRAs), 408A (Roth IRAs), 414(d) and 414(e) are protected from creditors, except claims by the Maryland Department of Health. Contributions above the deductible or allowed amount, and their earnings, are not protected.
Are my wages protected in Maryland?
The greater of 75% of disposable wages, or 30 times the Maryland minimum hourly wage times the number of weeks the wages were earned. Medical insurance payments deducted by your employer are also protected.
Where do I file bankruptcy in Maryland?
You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before you file. Maryland has one district. You may file papers in either the Baltimore or the Greenbelt office. The court's locations page lists which counties each division serves: https://www.mdb.uscourts.gov/general-info/locations
What is the median income for the means test in Maryland?
For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $86,928; 2 people: $114,611; 3 people: $135,949; 4 people: $166,173; Each extra person: +$11,100.
Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in Maryland?
Debtor Assistance Project (free 30-minute consultation with a volunteer bankruptcy lawyer, run with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court), Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and Maryland Legal Aid.