2023 California Exemption Calculator California Homestead Exemption

 

How much of your home equity is protected if you file for bankruptcy in California?

ADVERTISEMENT -
AD_GOOGLE_2_RESPONSIVE_PRE_CONTENT

.
 

California residents saw a more generous homestead exemption as of January 1, 2021, when the standard Homestead exemption increased from $75,000 to a range from $300,000 to  $600,000, depending on your county. California exemption amounts are adjusted annually for inflation on April 1, so that amount as of April 1, 2023, is $339,196 to  $678,391, depending on your county.

LegalConsumer.com has added a California Exemption Calculator to help you quickly find what the exemption amount is in your county.

The new law states that the homestead exemption amount is based on the following:

  • the median county-wide sale price for a home
  • in the previous calendar year
  • But not less than $300,000 ($313,000)
  • and not more than $600,000 ($678,391).

The California Homestead calculator shows you the 2023 median sales price for every county in California based on available numbers from the California Realtors Association. The numbers in the calculator are based on the monthly median number for each county  for 2023. 

County 2023 Avg Max Exemption
Alameda $1,212,583 $678,391
Amador $433,099 $433,099
Butte $426,556 $426,556
Calaveras $473,250 $473,250
Contra-Costa $845,512 $678,391
Del Norte $365,500 $365,500
El Dorado $655,102 $655,102
Fresno $408,866 $408,866
Glenn $345,125 $345,125
Humboldt $431,160 $431,160
Imperial $355,117 $355,117
Kern $379,140 $379,140
Kings $365,938 $365,938
Lake $328,104 $328,104
Lassen $236,404 $236,404
Los Angeles $819,372 $678,391
Madera $417,564 $417,564
Marin $1,600,417 $678,391
Mariposa $416,750 $416,750
Mendocino $501,958 $501,958
Merced $383,873 $383,873
Mono $950,688 $678,391
Monterey $913,434 $678,391
Napa $892,271 $678,391
Nevada $543,230 $543,230
Orange $1,261,667 $678,391
Placer $655,273 $655,273
Plumas $365,983 $365,983
Riverside $612,122 $612,122
Sacramento $526,024 $526,024
San Benito $757,349 $678,391
San Bernardino $473,408 $473,408
San Diego $931,918 $678,391
San Francisco $1,553,125 $678,391
San Joaquin $534,225 $534,225
San Luis Obispo $875,432 $678,391
San Mateo $1,936,917 $678,391
Santa Barbara $1,070,914 $678,391
Santa Clara $1,741,333 $678,391
Santa Cruz $1,226,833 $678,391
Shasta $374,209 $374,209
Siskiyou $295,563 $295,563
Solano $585,603 $585,603
Sonoma $829,037 $678,391
Stanislaus $454,625 $454,625
Sutter $415,271 $415,271
Tehama $321,636 $321,636
Trinity $304,432 $304,432
Tulare $362,233 $362,233
Tuolumne $408,525 $408,525
Ventura $890,750 $678,391
Yolo $608,150 $608,150
Yuba $436,681 $436,681

Source: February home sales and price report - California Association of Realtors



Homestead Exemptions - State System
(State Law + Federal Non-Bankruptcy Law)

Homestead Exemption Under California Law

$339,196 to $678,391 depending on the county, and the median sale price for a home in prior calendar year.

2023 California Homestead Calculator (by County)

Amount Joint amount

$313,000 to $626,000 depending on county

$313,000 to $626,000 depending on county

California Exemption System 1

California Exemption System 2

NOTE: Residency Requirement Caps Maximum Homestead at $189,050 if you've recently moved to a State that allows more than that

Under the 2005 bankruptcy law, you must be have lived in the state for at least 40 months (3 years + 4 months) before you can claim any homestead protection greater than $189,050. (If your state's exemption offers less than this amount, the law is irrelevant to you.) .

Federal Non-Bankruptcy Homestead Exemptions

These are exemptions under federal law, but and are NOT part of the bankruptcy code list of exemptions in 522(d), so states cannot "opt out" from these exemptions. These exemptions available in every State ONLY IF you are using the state exemptions. You cannot use these exemptions if you are using the federal bankruptcy exemption scheme under § 522(d)

-

Homestead Exemptions - Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions 
(Exemptions under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d) only)

Can California debtors use the Federal Bankruptcy exemptions instead of California exemptions?

No. Federal exemptions not available. Instead, California has two systems of exemptions, one of which ("C2") closely mirrors the federal scheme. Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 703.130 

The Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d) are available to you if

  • you haven't lived in any state longer than 180 days for a while,
  • or
  • if your state allows the Federal exemptions as a choice.

ADVERTISEMENT -

Free Bankruptcy Case Evaluation For Vernon, CA

Do you have questions about filing bankruptcy in California, and think you might need a bankruptcy lawyer? Use the form below to connect with the Nolo / Martindale network of bankruptcy lawyers For Vernon, CA.
SPONSORED FORM - Nolo/Martindale Attorney Network



Jurisdictional relevance: ST

There are versions of this article for each State.