Bankruptcy.lawBankruptcy.law

Property & exemptions

Ohio bankruptcy exemptions

Verified Ohio exemptions — 10 categories below, each quoted from the statute that states it. A category not listed is one we have not published for Ohio, not a finding that Ohio law is silent on it.

Which exemption list applies in Ohio

Not published yet. Whether Ohio lets you choose the federal exemptions under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d), or limits you to Ohio law, is the fact that decides which list applies to everything you own — so we are not going to guess at it here.

This page is still being completed

Ohio is held pending a recorded completeness blocker. 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

Motor vehicle

Wildcard and general personal property

Household goods and furnishings

Ohio publishes more than one current amount here. Which applies depends on your circumstances — compare the conditions below rather than assuming the largest.

Life insurance and annuities

  • Ohio qualifying life-insurance proceedsNo dollar limit stated

    Ohio protects qualifying life-insurance proceeds under the statutory conditions.

    Ohio Rev. Code § 3911.10

Public benefits

Ohio publishes more than one current amount here. Which applies depends on your circumstances — compare the conditions below rather than assuming the largest.

  • Ohio unemployment benefitsNo dollar limit stated

    Ohio protects qualifying unemployment benefits from assignment and creditor process under the statute.

    Ohio Rev. Code § 4141.32

  • Ohio workers' compensationNo dollar limit stated

    Ohio protects covered workers' compensation benefits from the listed creditor processes.

    Ohio Rev. Code § 4123.67

Tools of the trade

Personal-injury recoveries

Jewelry

Other published exemptions

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.

Turn this into a plan for your exact situation, state, and court.

See My Debt Relief Options→