Property & exemptions
Alabama bankruptcy exemptions
Selected key Alabama exemptions — the homestead, vehicle, wildcard categories below are quoted from the statute that states them. This is not a complete list of everything Alabama protects.
Which exemption list applies in Alabama
Alabama law only. Alabama has opted out of the federal exemption set, so a filer who uses Alabama exemptions cannot instead choose the list in 11 U.S.C. § 522(d).
This page is still being completed
No completeness decision has been recorded for Alabama. We show what has been verified rather than filling the gap with something we have not checked — but treat what follows as partial.
Homestead — your home
Alabama publishes more than one current amount here. Which applies depends on your circumstances — compare the conditions below rather than assuming the largest.
- Alabama homestead — resident age 62+ or individual with disability$56,400
Limited to 160 acres. Each joint owner may claim separately to the same extent and value as an unmarried individual. Disability proof requirements are stated in subsection (b).
- Alabama ordinary homestead — 2024 adjustment$18,800
Current ordinary amount through March 31, 2027. The 160-acre limit and separate-joint-owner rule remain controlling.
Motor vehicle
- Federal one-motor-vehicle exemption$5,025
Applies to the debtor's interest in one motor vehicle.
11 U.S.C. § 522(d)(2); 90 Fed. Reg. 8941, corrected at 90 Fed. Reg. 10643
Wildcard and general personal property
- Alabama personal-property exemption — 2024 adjustment$9,400
Current adjusted personal-property amount through March 31, 2027; the additional apparel, portraits, pictures, and family books remain separately protected.
What these amounts do and do not mean
- An exemption protects your EQUITY — what the property is worth beyond what you still owe on it — not the item’s sticker price.
- More than one amount can apply in the same category. Where that is true the entries below are listed separately with the condition that selects each one; we do not pick for you.
- Federal limits can still apply on top of state law. 11 U.S.C. § 522(p) and (q) can cap a homestead claim for someone who moved recently or in specific circumstances.
- Which set of exemptions you may use depends on where you were domiciled during the period 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(A) measures, which is not always the state you live in today.
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