Washington Bankruptcy Laws

Annual median: 1 person $52,996; 2 persons $63,409; 3 persons $72,286; 4 persons $84,970. Must have resided in WA for 730 days (2 years) before filing to use WA exemptions.

Protects the greater of $125,000 or the county median sale price of a single-family home in the preceding year. Examples (2025): King County ~$986,300; Snohomish ~$781,700; Pierce ~$567,800. Updated annually. Dramatically increased by SB 5408 (2021).

Protects up to $15,000 in equity in one motor vehicle per filer. Joint filers can each exempt one vehicle.

Up to $10,000 in any personal property (bankruptcy only, not judgment creditors). Cash/bank accounts limited to $2,000 for consumer debts, $2,500 for student loan filers.

Exempt from garnishment: the greatest of 35x federal minimum hourly wage or 75% of disposable earnings. Consumer debt: greater of 80% of disposable earnings or 35x state minimum wage.