Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Exemptions

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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...

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Written by
Jeffrey Johnson

Jeffrey Johnson

Insurance Lawyer

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Reviewed by
Jeffrey Johnson

Updated January 2025

Assets	Exemption	State Statutes
Homestead	None; however, property held as tenancy by the entirety may be exempt against debts owed by only one spouse.	In re Martin, 259 B.R. 119 (M.D. Pa. 2001)
Tenancy by Entirety	Property held as tenancy by the entirety may be exempt against debts owed by only one spouse.	In re Martin, 259 B.R. 119 (M.D. Pa. 2001)
Insurance	Accident or disability benefits.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (c)(7)
	Fraternal benefit society benefits.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (c)(1),(8)
	Group life policy or proceeds.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (c)(5)
	Insurance policy or annuity contract payments, where insured is the beneficiary, cash value or proceeds to $100 per month.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (c)(3)
	Life insurance and annuity proceeds if clause prohibits proceeds from being used to pay beneficiary’s creditors.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (c)(4)
	Life insurance annuity policy cash value or proceeds if beneficiary is insured’s dependent, child or spouse.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (c)(6)
	No-fault automobile insurance proceeds.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (c)(9)
Misc.	Property of business partnership.	15 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8342
Pensions & Retirement Savings	City employees.	53 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 13445 53 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 23572 53 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 39383 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (b)(1)(iv)
	County employees.	16 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 4716
	Municipal employees.	53 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 881.115 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (b)(1)(vi)
	Police officers.	53 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 764 53 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 776 53 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 23666 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (b)(1)(iii)
	Private retirement benefits (IRAs, etc.) to extent tax-deferred, if clause prohibits proceeds from being used to pay beneficiary’s creditors; exemption limited to deposits of $15,000 per year made at least 1 year before filing (limit does not apply to rollovers from other exempt funds or accounts).	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (b)(1)(vii), (viii),(ix)
	Public school employees.	24 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8533 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (b)(1)(i)
	State employees.	71 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 5953 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (b)(1)(ii)
Personal Property	Bibles and schoolbooks.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (a)(2)
	Clothing.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (a)(1)
	Military uniforms and accoutrements.	51 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann.’ 4103 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (a)(4)
	Sewing machines.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (a)(3)
Public Benefits	Crime victims’ compensation.	18 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 11.708
	Korean conflict veterans’ benefits.	51 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 20098
	Unemployment compensation.	43 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 863 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (a)(10)
	Veterans’ benefits.	51 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 20127 51 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 20098 51 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 20048 51 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 20012
	Workers’ compensation.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (c)(2)
Tools of Your Trade	Seamstress’s sewing machine.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8124 (a)(3)
Wages	Earned but unpaid wages.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8127
	Prison inmates’ wages.	61 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 1054
	Wages of victims of abuse.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8127 (f)
Wildcard	$300 of any property, including cash, real property, securities, or proceeds from sale of exempt property.	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 8123