How To File Bankruptcy for Free in Utah

Collect Your Utah Bankruptcy Documents

Before you can file Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Utah, you’ll need to gather documents. Some documents are required by the court or trustee, while others are just helpful to have. These give the court a full picture of your finances.

📌 Start with these required items:

• Pay stubs from the past six months

• Tax returns from the last two years

• A bank statement that includes your bankruptcy filing date

🗂️ You might want to pull together a few other items while you’re getting organized. These aren’t required, but can make it easier to accurately list your debts, income, and expenses:

• Credit card and loan statements

• Letters from debt collectors or collection agencies

• Bank statements from the last 6–12 months

• A recent credit report

📃 You can get a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. If you use Upsolve’s free filing tool, your credit report will be pulled for you automatically.

Take a Credit Counseling Course

You’ll need to take a credit counseling course before you can file your case with the court. This is a short class that helps you better understand your finances and explore your options. Many people find it helpful, even if they already know they want to file.

📚 Here’s what to expect:

• The course usually costs $10–$50. If that feels out of reach, you can ask for a fee waiver.

• Most people take it online or by phone.

• You must use an approved provider.

• You must complete the course within 180 days before you file.

• You’ll get a certificate when you finish.

👉 Keep your certificate when you finish, and file it with your bankruptcy forms. If it’s missing, the court could dismiss your case, and your debts won’t be cleared.

Complete the Bankruptcy Forms

Filing your Chapter 7 bankruptcy forms is one of the most important steps in the process. These are federal forms, so they’re the same no matter where you live. 

💻 You can download and complete them for free from USCourts.gov. Utah also requires some local forms, which we’ll talk about in the Utah Districts & Filing Requirements section later in the guide.

🛠️ If you’re eligible to use Upsolve’s filing tool, the process gets much easier. Instead of filling out each form individually, you’ll answer questions through an online questionnaire. Then Upsolve’s tool will complete the forms for you based on your answers.

Get Your Filing Fee

There’s a $338 filing fee for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. 

🙋‍♀️ If you have a low income, you may qualify for a fee waiver, which allows you to file your case for free. If you’re eligible for a fee waiver and use Upsolve’s filing tool, it will prepare the form for you.

📅 If you don’t qualify for a waiver, you can ask the court to let you pay the fee in up to four monthly installments. If you need to file quickly to stop things like wage garnishment, foreclosure, or repossession, this option can be useful. Filing your case triggers something called the automatic stay, which puts those actions on hold right away.

Just keep in mind that if you miss a payment, your case will be dismissed, and the automatic stay’s protection ends.

Print Your Bankruptcy Forms

Once you’ve finished your bankruptcy forms, it’s time to print them so you can file by mail or in person. 

🖨️ Follow these best practices when printing your forms:

• Use black ink.

• Print single-sided.

• Use standard letter-size (8.5” x 11”) white paper.

• Don’t use staples or hole-punch your forms.

• Sign every page that requires a signature.

✨ If you’re using Upsolve’s filing tool, you’ll get a ready-to-print packet with all your forms in one place. It also includes helpful dividers that show you which pages to sign.

File Your Forms With the Utah Bankruptcy Court

If you're filing without a lawyer in Utah, you’ll need to submit your bankruptcy forms either in person or by mail to the Salt Lake City courthouse. Utah only accepts electronic filings from lawyers.

👥 Many people choose to file in person if they’re nearby. It’s often quicker, and the clerk can make sure everything is signed and complete before accepting your forms. Plus, you don’t have to worry about delivery issues or delays.

📬 That said, mailing your forms is still a good option if it’s easier for you. Just double-check that you’ve signed every required page and included all your documents before sending them in. It’s also a good idea to send your forms via certified mail so you have proof the forms were sent and of when they’re received by the court.

Mail Documents to Your Trustee

After you file your case, the court will assign a bankruptcy trustee to manage it. The trustee isn’t a judge or a lawyer for either side. Their job is to check that your paperwork is accurate and ensure that your case follows the rules. They’ll also lead your 341 meeting, where you’ll answer a few simple questions about your forms.

📌 After you file, you’ll get an official notice from the court with your trustee’s name, contact information, and the date and time of your 341 meeting.

📬 You’ll need to send your trustee a few documents so they can verify the details in your forms. Send these at least 14 days before your 341 meeting:

• A copy of your most recent federal tax return

• A bank statement for each account you had on the day you filed

• A clear copy of your government-issued photo ID

• Proof of your Social Security number (such as your Social Security card, W-2, or a pay stub with your full SSN) 

• Your most recent pay stub or other proof of income

📝 All filers must also submit a Payment Advices Certification form, even if they already sent in their pay stubs or didn’t earn income before filing. This local Utah form lets the trustee know whether you received any pay in the 60 days before your case was filed and what you’re including to show that.

If your trustee requests anything else, follow their instructions closely. Getting everything in on time helps your case move forward smoothly.

Take a Debtor Education Course

After you file and attend your 341 meeting, there’s one more required step before your case can be completed: a debtor education course. This second course gives you helpful tools for managing your money and making the most of your fresh start after bankruptcy.

🧠 Here’s what to know:

• You must take the course within 60 days of your 341 meeting.

• It must be from a court-approved provider.

• You can take the course online, by phone, or sometimes in person.

• It usually takes about an hour to complete.

• It costs $10–$50, but you can apply for a fee waiver if you can’t afford the fee.

✅ Once you finish, you’ll get a certificate of completion. You’ll need to file this with the court to get a discharge, which is the court order that clears away your eligible debts.

Attend Your 341 Meeting

About a month after you file, you’ll meet with your bankruptcy trustee in a short video call. This is called the 341 meeting, or meeting of creditors. It’s a routine step in every case and usually lasts less than 10 minutes.

💻 Most 341 meetings happen on Zoom. In rare cases, the meeting may be held in person. Your court notice will include the date, time, and login details, so read it carefully.

During the meeting, the trustee will place you under oath and ask a few simple questions to confirm your identity and make sure your forms are correct. 

📄 It’s helpful to have these documents close by in case you need to reference them:

• A copy of your bankruptcy forms

• The documents you already sent to your trustee (like your tax return or bank statement)

• Your case notice from the court

It’s normal to feel nervous before the meeting. Most Upsolvers are surprised by how quick and simple it is. As long as you answer honestly, it’ll be over before you know it.

Deal With Your Car

Many people worry they’ll lose their vehicle when filing for bankruptcy, but most filers are able to keep their car. You have a few options depending on your situation and how much your car is worth.

If you own your car outright: You may be able to keep it if your car’s value is less than Utah’s $3,000 vehicle exemption. 

💡Bankruptcy exemptions protect certain types of property up to a specific dollar amount when you file for Chapter 7. We’ll go over exemptions in more detail later in the Utah Bankruptcy Exemptions section.

🏦 If you’re still paying off a car loan: Your options depend on how much equity you have in the car. Equity means the vehicle’s current value minus any loan balance. 

If your equity is protected by Utah’s exemptions and you want to keep your car, you can either:

• Reaffirm the loan by signing a reaffirmation agreement with the lender. To do this, you must be current on your loan payments, and the judge must approve the agreement. This is common for people who want to keep their car, who can afford monthly payments, and who don’t owe more than their car is worth.

• Redeem the car. Redemption means paying the lender a lump sum equal to the car’s current value. If you owe more than it’s worth, the extra balance is wiped out in your bankruptcy. Your lender must agree to this. This isn’t very common for Chapter 7 filers because it requires coming up with a large lump sum of money.

If you don’t want to keep your car, you can surrender it. Many filers choose to do this if their car payment is too high, they no longer want the vehicle, or they owe much more than the car is worth. When you surrender the car, you give it back to the lender, and the remaining balance on the loan is erased.

📑 If you lease your car: You can reject the lease and return the car with no further payments or assume the lease and keep making payments. To learn more, read our Bankruptcy Guide to Leases article.