Missouri Bankruptcy Exemptions

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

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UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

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We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

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UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.

We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021Fact Checked

Federal bankruptcy exemptions available? NO

Though not included in the Missouri statutory homestead exemption, a court has held that property owned as a tenancy by the entirety by a married couple may be exempt if only one of the spouses owes the debt. A court has also held that a cause of action for personal injury is exempt from bankruptcy.

The references to Missouri statutes are to the Missouri Revised Statutes.

Resources:

United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Missouri

United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Missouri

Missouri Bankruptcy Attorneys

Missouri Bankruptcy Exemptions
Assets Exemption State Statute
Homestead Real property: up to $15,000 for single or joint owners. 513.475
  Mobile home: up to $5,000 for single or joint owners. 513.430(6)
Insurance Life insurance proceeds or assessment plan: all. 377.090
  Stipulated insurance premiums: all. 377.330
  Life insurance policy (unmatured): all. 513.430(7)
  Benefits from fraternal benefit society. 513.430(8)
  Life insurance dividends/loan value/interest: up to $150,000 for policies purchased over 6 months before filing for bankruptcy. 513.430(8)
  Disability or illness benefits: all. 513.430(10)(c)
Miscellaneous Property belonging to a business partnership: all. 358.250
  Child support or alimony: up to $750 per month. 513.430(10)(d)
Pensions Federal pension exemptions.  
  Pensions of employees of cities with 100,000 or more people. 71.207
  Public officer and employee pensions: all. 70.695; 70.755
  Police department employee pensions: all. 86.190; 86.353; 86.1430
  Firefighter pensions: all. 87.090; 87.365; 87.485
  Pensions for employees of highway and transportation departments: all. 104.250
  State employee pensions: all. 104.540
  Teacher pensions: all. 169.090
  Employee benefit spendthrift trust: all. 456.014
  IRAs, Roth IRAs, ERISA qualified benefits, and other retirement accounts: all necessary for support. 513.430(10)(e), (f)
Personal Property Burial grounds: up to $100 for up to 1 acre. 214.190
  Household goods and furnishings, appliances, clothing, books, musical instruments, animals, and crops: up to $3,000 total. 513.430(1)
  Wedding rings: up to $1,500. 513.430(2)
  Other jewelry: up to $500. 513.430(2)
  Motor vehicle: up to $3,000. 513.430(5)
  Health aids: all professionally prescribed. 513.430(9)
  Recoveries for wrongful death of person on whom debtor was dependent: all. 513.430(11)
Public Benefits Workers compensation benefits: all. 287.260
  Unemployment compensation benefits: all. 288.380(10)(l); 513.430(10)(c)
  Public assistance benefits: all. 513.430(10)(a)
  Social Security benefits: all. 513.430(10)(a)
  Veteran’s benefits: all. 513.430(10)(b)
  Crime victim’s compensation benefits: all. 595.025
Tools of Your Trade Tools of trade, implements, books: up to $3,000 total. 513.430(4)
Wages Wages of common laborer or servant: up to $90 total. 513.470
  Wages: at least 75% of the weekly earnings for someone other than the head of household and at least 90% of the weekly earnings for head of household or 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is greater. The bankruptcy judge may allow a larger exemption for low-income debtors. 525.030
Wildcard For nonhead of household, any property: up to $600. 513.430(3)
  For head of household, any property: up to $1,250 plus up to an additional $350 for each child. 513.440

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Jeffrey Johnson

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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...

Insurance Lawyer

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.

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