Wisconsin State Exemption List

State or Federal Exemptions Allowed

In the state of Wisconsin you may choose either the state of Wisconsin bankruptcy exemption list or the federal bankruptcy list. If you choose the Wisconsin bankruptcy list, there may be certain federal supplemental exemptions you can use too. All exemptions should be discussed with your Wisconsin Bankruptcy Attorney.

Wisconsin has created bankruptcy exemptions to allow you to maintain enough public benefits, wages, personal property and insurance to start over after filing bankruptcy in Wisconsin. There may be certain residency requirements to use the Wisconsin state exemption list.

The following table will outline the Wisconsin Bankruptcy Exemptions. Some of your property or assets may not have a matching exemption.

Exemptions	Exemption Amount	Statutes
Homestead	Property you occupy or intend to occupy to $40,000; sale proceeds exempt for 2 years from sale if you plan to obtain another home ( husband and wife may not double)	815.20
Insurance	Federal disability insurance Fire proceeds for destroyed exempt property for 2 years from receiving Fraternal benefit society benefits Life insurance policy or proceeds to $5000, if beneficiary is a married woman Life insurance proceeds held in trust by insurer, if clause prohibits proceeds from being used to pay beneficiary’s creditors Life insurance proceeds if beneficiary was dependent of insured, needed for support Non-matured life insurance contract, except credit insurance contract, owned by debtor & insuring debtor, dependent of debtor or someone debtor is dependent on Non-matured life insurance contract’s accrued dividends, interest or loan value (to $4000 total in all contracts), if debtor owns contract & insured is debtor, dependent of debtor or someone debtor is dependent on	815.18(3) (ds) 815.18(3) (e) 614.96 766.09 632.42 815.18(3) (I) (a) 815.18(3) (f) 815.18(3) (f)
Miscellaneous	Alimony, child support needed for support Property of business partnership	815.18(3) ( c) 178.21
Public Benefits	Crime victims’ compensation Social Service payments Unemployment compensation Veterans benefits Workers’ compensation	949.07 49.41 108.13 45.35(8) (b) 102.27
Personal Property	Burial provisions Deposit accounts to $1000 Household goods and furnishings, clothing, keepsakes, jewelry, appliances, books, musical instruments, firearms, sporting goods, animals and other tangible property held for personal, family or household use to $5000 total Lost future earnings recoveries, needed for support Motor vehicles to $1200 (plus unused portion of household furnishing exemption) Personal injury recoveries to $25,000 Tenant’s lease or stock interest in housing co-op, to homestead amount Wages used to purchase savings bonds Wrongful death recoveries, needed for support	815.18(3) (a) 815.18(3) (k) 815.18(3) (d) 815.18(3) (I) (d) 815.18(3) (g) 815.18(3) (I) (c) 182.004(6) 20.921(1) (e) 815.18(3) (I) (b)
Pensions	Certain municipal employees Firefighters, police officers who worked in city with population over 150,000 Military pensions Private or public retirement benefits Public employees	66.81 815.18(3) (ef) 815.18(3) (n) 815.18(3) (j) 40.08(1)
Tools of the Trade	Equipment, inventory, farm products, books and tools of trade to $7500 total	815.18(3) (b)
Wages	75% of earned but unpaid wages; bankruptcy judge may authorize more for low-income debtors	815.18(3) (h)
Wildcard	None

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