Wisconsin Bankruptcy Exemptions
Table of Contents
Insurance Lawyer
Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...
Jeffrey Johnson
Insurance Lawyer
Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...
Jeffrey Johnson
Updated January 2025
| Assets | Exemption | State Statutes |
|---|---|---|
| Homestead | Property you occupy or intend to occupy to $75,000; sale proceeds exempt for 2 years if you intend to purchase another home (husband & wife’s may double). | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.20 |
| Insurance | Federal disability insurance benefits. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3) |
| Fraternal benefit society benefits. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 614.96 | |
| Life insurance proceeds for someone debtor depended on, needed for support. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(i)(a) | |
| Unmatured life insurance contract (except credit insurance contract) if debtor owns contract & insured is debtor or dependent, or someone debtor is dependent on. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(f) | |
| Unmatured life insurance contract’s accrued dividends, interest, or loan value to $4,000 total, if debtor owns contract & insured is debtor or dependent, or someone debtor is dependent on. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(f) | |
| Misc. | Alimony, child support needed for support. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(c) |
| Property of business partnership. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 178.21 (3)(c) | |
| Pensions & Retirement Savings | Certain municipal employees. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 62.63 (4) |
| Firefighters, police officers who worked in city with population over 100,000. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3) | |
| Military pensions. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(n) | |
| Private or public retirement or disability benefits, including IRAs and KEOGHs, 401(k), subject to many exceptions & limitations. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(j) | |
| Public employees. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 40.08 (1) | |
| Personal Property | Burial plot, tombstone, coffin (husband & wife may double). | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(a) |
| College savings account or tuition trust fund. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 14.63 (8) Wis. Stat. Ann. § 14.64 (7) |
|
| Fire & casualty proceeds for destroyed exempt property for 2 years from receiving. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(e) | |
| Lost future earnings recoveries, needed for support. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(i)(d) | |
| Tenant’s lease or stock interest in housing co-op, to homestead amount. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 182.004 (6) | |
| Wages used to purchase savings bonds. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 20.921 (1)(e) | |
| Wrongful death recoveries, needed for support. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(i)(b) | |
| Household goods and furnishings, clothing, keepsakes, jewelry, appliances, books, musical instruments, firearms, sporting goods, animals, and other tangible personal property to $12,000 total (husband & wife may double). | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(d) | |
| Motor vehicles to $4,000 (husband & wife may double; unused portion of $12,000 personal property exemption may be added). | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(g) | |
| Personal injury recoveries to $50,000. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(i)(c) | |
| Deposit accounts to $5,000. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(k) | |
| Public Benefit | Crime victims’ compensation needed for support. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 949.07 |
| Social services payments. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 49.96 | |
| Unemployment compensation. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 108.13 | |
| Veterans’ benefits under 45.03(8)(b). | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 45.03 (8)(b) Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (13)(k) |
|
| Workers’ compensation. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 102.27 | |
| Tools of Your Trade | Equipment, inventory, farm products, books, and tools of trade to $15,000 total. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(b) |
| Wages | 75% of weekly net income or 30 times the greater of the federal or state minimum hourly wage; bankruptcy judge may authorize more for low-income debtors. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 815.18 (3)(h) |
| Wages of county jail prisoners. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 303.08 (3) | |
| Wages of county work camp prisoners. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 303.10 | |
| Wages of inmates under work-release plan. | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 303.065 (4)(b) | |
| Wildcard | None listed. |
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