Does California Adjust Its State Exemptions for Inflation?
California updates its exemption amounts every three years. (§703.150) (The last revision was in 2022; the next will be April 1, 2025.) As a result, the amounts listed in this chart (from the 2019 revisions) may not match the amounts that appear in the cited statutes. The 2022 exemption amounts can be found on form EJ-156 the California Judicial Council Website.
Revised Federal Bankruptcy Exemption Amounts As of April 1, 2022
Can I use the Federal Exemptions in California?:
No. Federal exemptions not available. Instead, California has two systems of exemptions, one of which closely mirrors the federal scheme. Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 703.130
The federal bankruptcy exemptions are revised every three years. The last change was in 2019 and now they are changing again in 2022. The next change will be in 2025.
Not all states allow their residents to use the Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions.
The following are the new Federal Bankruptcy exemption amounts, effective April 1:
| Exemption: | Amount |
| Homestead - § 522(d)(1) | $27,900 |
| Motor Vehicle - § 522(d)(2) | $4,450 |
| Household Goods - § 522(d)(3) - Per Item Limit - Aggregate Limit |
$700 $14,875 |
| Jewelry - § 522(d)(4) | $1,875 |
| Wild Card - § 522(d)(5) - Any property - Unused homestead under § 522(d)(1) |
$1,475 $13,950 |
| Tools of the Trade - § 522(d)(6) | $2,800 |
| Unmatured Life Insurance - § 522(d)(8) | $14,875 |
| Personal Injury Claims - § 522(d)(11)(D) | $27,900 |
Here's What Other States Do
Every state also has its own exemption laws. Some of these states revise them for inflation, just like the federal government. The table below shows what each state does.
Some states (Alabama, Arizona, Alaska, California. Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, and South Carolina) periodically adjust their statutory exemption limits for inflation.
See the table below for more details.
- 2021
- 2022
- Alaska — October 2022 (even-numbered years)
- California — April 2022 (every three years)
- Indiana — March 2022 ((every 6 years)
- Maryland — April 2022 (every three years) Homestead Only
- Minnesota — July 2022 (every two years)
- Montana — Homestead (every year 4% — $364,000)
- Ohio — April 2022 (every three years)
- South Carolina — July 2022 (every two years)
- 2023
- Michigan — April 2023
- Montana — Homestead (every year 4% — $378,560)
- Nebraska Personal Property Exemption Amounts
- Adjusted Every 5 Years
- beginning in 2023.
- Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25–1556