What Are the Oklahoma Bankruptcy Exemptions?
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If you file Chapter 7 in Oklahoma, you’ll use the state’s bankruptcy exemptions to protect your property. Oklahoma has a generous homestead exemption that allows bankruptcy filers to protect all the equity in their home, provided it isn’t on more than 1 acre in an urban area or 160 acres in a rural area. The motor vehicle exemption for single filers in Oklahoma is $7,500.
Written by Attorney Kassandra Kuehl. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated January 13, 2026
Why Are Exemptions Important in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Oklahoma?
Bankruptcy exemptions help you protect your property when you file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If you don’t use exemptions properly or you have property that’s non-exempt, the bankruptcy trustee could sell your things to pay your creditors.
Luckily, this rarely happens in Chapter 7 cases. Most people who file bankruptcy get to keep everything they own.
✨ If you use Upsolve’s free filing tool to prepare your Chapter 7 forms, it will walk you through exemptions step by step. Upsolve is a nonprofit, and our services are 100% free.
Can Oklahoma Filers Use the Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions?
No. Oklahoma residents filing bankruptcy must use the state’s exemptions. Oklahoma doesn’t allow its residents to use the federal bankruptcy exemptions.
In addition to the state exemptions, you can also use the federal non-bankruptcy exemptions to help protect your retirement savings and other money benefits.
📅 Note that if you’ve lived in Oklahoma for less than two years, you may be required to use a different set of exemptions when you file your case.
What Are Oklahoma’s Bankruptcy Exemptions?
Oklahoma exemptions cover three major categories:
🏠 Real property, like a home or land
👕 Personal property, like household goods, furniture, jewelry, and cars
💸 Money benefits or intangible property, like retirement accounts, pensions, government assistance, and more
The exemptions listed in this article are for individual filers. If you’re married and you and your spouse are filing bankruptcy jointly, you can double the value of each exemption as long as you co-own the property you’re trying to exempt.
Real Property: The Oklahoma Homestead Exemption
Oklahoma has one of the most generous homestead exemptions in the U.S.
It’s one of only a few states that provide an unlimited exemption in home equity, subject only to certain acreage restrictions:
If you live in an urban area or a town, you can exempt 1 acre of land and the buildings that sit on that land.
If you live in a rural area, you can exempt up to 160 acres and the buildings that sit on that land.
🔑 Note that to use this exemption, the home must be your primary residence.
If you use more than 25% of your home’s square footage for business purposes, the homestead exemption will be limited to $5,000.
Source: Oklahoma Statutes §§ 31-1(A), 2(C)
Oklahoma’s Personal Property Exemptions
Oklahoma makes it easier than many other states to keep the things you need to get by.
🔎 Most personal property is fully protected. If there’s a limit — like a dollar amount or a specific number of items — it’s noted on the list below:
Books
Bridles and saddles (two of each)
Burial plots
Clothing (up to $4,000)
Crop seed to last one year
Food to last one year
Funeral benefits that have been prepaid and placed in a trust
Furniture
Guns for household use (up to $2,000)
Household items
Individual development account deposits
Interest in college savings plans
Livestock for family use (up to two horses, five cows, 10 hogs, 20 sheep, and 100 chickens as well as their feed to last one year)
Personal computers
Personal injury and wrongful death recoveries (up to $50,000 with additional exemplary or punitive damages exempt without limitation)
Pictures and portraits
Prescription health aids
War bond payroll saving account
Wedding bands and anniversary rings (up to $3,000)
Source: Oklahoma Statutes §31-1(A)(1)-(23)
Oklahoma’s Motor Vehicle Exemption
🚘 You can exempt equity in a motor vehicle up to $7,500 as a single filer or $15,000 if you’re married and filing jointly.
If you use a motor vehicle as part of your profession, you may be able to claim an additional $10,000 in equity in that vehicle under Oklahoma’s tools of the trade exemption.
The tools of the trade exemption generally covers $10,000 of any implements necessary for working farmland that also serves as your homestead. Tools of the trade exemptions generally cover any equipment required to carry out your business or profession.
Source: Oklahoma Statutes §31-1(A)(5), 31-1(C)
Money Benefits
In addition to offering protections for retirement plans and most retirement accounts, Oklahoma law exempts 75% of those wages earned in the 90 days before a filer submits their bankruptcy petition to the court.
The court has the discretion to exempt more than that threshold if the filer can demonstrate hardship. Given that most Chapter 7 bankruptcy filers are low-income, hardship is generally not difficult to demonstrate in this context.
In addition to the wage-specific exemption, the following money benefits are exempt thanks to federal non-bankruptcy exemptions:
ERISA-qualified benefits
IRAs, Roth IRAs, and Education IRAs and Keoghs (up to the current maximum as outlined in law; these figures are adjusted every three years)
Tax-exempt retirement accounts, including 401(k)s, 403(b)s, defined-benefit plans, money purchase plans, profit-sharing plans, and SEP and SIMPLE IRAs
Source: Oklahoma Statutes §§ 31-1(A)(20), 31-1(A)(24), 15-41-30(A)(13), and 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(C)(n)
Pensions
Oklahoma law gives special exemption-related consideration of pensions and other qualifying assets owned by members of certain professions.
County employees
Disabled veterans
Firefighters
Judges
Law enforcement employees
Police officers
Public employees
Teachers
For more information, see Oklahoma Statutes §§ 19-959, 31-7, 11-49-126, 20-1111, 47-2-303.3, 11-50-124, 74-923, 70-17-109
Public Benefits Exemptions
Many public benefits, insurance benefits, and miscellaneous assets are also exempt under Oklahoma state law, including:
Crime victim compensation
Earned income tax credit
Public assistance
Social Security
Unemployment compensation
Workers' compensation
Source: Oklahoma Statutes §§ 21-142.13, 31-1(A)(23), 56-173, 40-2-303, 85-48
Need Help Filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Oklahoma?
Most people can file a successful Chapter 7 bankruptcy case on their own. If you want some help through the process, you can use Upsolve’s free filing tool. It walks you through the process step by step. We’ve helped thousands of people discharge more than $950 million in debt. Our services are 100% free, and we have great reviews from our members!
If you’re worried about losing certain property that you own, you can schedule a free consultation with a bankruptcy attorney. You don’t have to hire an attorney to file bankruptcy, but if your case is complex or you own expensive property like a home, it’s often helpful to get legal advice.
