How much money in a bank account is protected from creditors?
Short answer: It depends on the state. Some states automatically protect a set amount; others protect only certain kinds of money, such as Social Security benefits under federal rules. Here is the rule in each state.
The rule in every state
Each answer links to the statute or official page it comes from (50 of 51 jurisdictions verified).
| State | The rule |
|---|---|
| Alabama | No separate bank account exemption. Money in a bank account can be claimed as exempt under the general personal property exemption ($9,400 for exemptions claimed on or after April 1, 2024; the statute's base figure is $7,500, adjusted for inflation every 3 years). Exempt federal benefits keep their protection under federal law. Ala. Code §§ 6-10-6, 6-10-12, 6-10-37; U.S. Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ala., Alabama exemption amounts |
| Alaska | Earnings protected under the earnings exemption stay protected. A person who does not receive regular weekly, twice-monthly or monthly earnings may claim $1,890 per month in cash and other liquid assets, including bank deposits ($2,970 with an affidavit that their earnings alone support the household). Alaska Permanent Fund dividends are treated separately: 20% of the annual dividend is exempt. AS 09.38.030(b), 09.38.050(b), 09.38.020; 8 AAC 95.030; Alaska Court System Judgment Debtor Booklet, CIV-511 (8/26) |
| Arizona | $5,000 held in a single account at any one financial institution is exempt, adjusted every January 1 for inflation beginning in 2024. The exempt amount is still subject to the bank's normal service charges. A.R.S. § 33-1126(A)(9) |
| Arkansas | No separate bank account exemption. Money in an account can be claimed under the constitutional personal property exemption: $500 for a married person or head of a family, $200 for an unmarried person who is not head of a family (plus wearing apparel). Exempt federal benefits keep their protection under federal law. Ark. Const. art. 9, §§ 1-2 (as listed in Ark. Code Ann. § 16-66-218(b)(1)-(2)) |
| California | $2,325 per debtor in deposit accounts is exempt automatically, without filing a claim (effective July 1, 2026). The amount equals the state's minimum basic standard of adequate care for a family of four (Region 1) and is adjusted every July 1. Higher automatic amounts apply to directly deposited Social Security or public benefits. The automatic exemption does not apply to levies for child or spousal support, wages owed, or state tax collection. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 704.220, 704.080; Judicial Council form EJ-156 (rev. July 20, 2026) |
| Colorado | Up to $2,500 in total in a depository account or accounts in the debtor's name is exempt. C.R.S. § 13-54-102(1)(w) |
| Connecticut | No general dollar exemption for bank accounts. Exempt funds (such as Social Security or other benefits) keep their protection, and banks must protect electronically deposited exempt funds identified during a look-back period. A debtor may also apply the $1,000 'any property' exemption to money in an account. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-367b(a), (c); 52-352b(18) |
| Delaware | No general bank account exemption outside bankruptcy. A head of a family may select up to $500 of personal property, which can include money, in addition to specific items such as clothing and family books. Exempt federal benefits keep their protection under federal law. 10 Del. C. §§ 4902, 4903 |
| District of Columbia | No separate bank account exemption. Money can be protected under the 'any property' exemption ($850 plus up to $8,075 of the unused residence exemption) for a head of family or householder. Non-wage earnings, insurance and pension payments are exempt up to $200 a month for 2 months for a person who mainly supports a family, or $60 a month for others. Social Security, veterans and similar benefits are exempt. D.C. Code §§ 15-501(a)(3), (a)(7); 15-503(a)-(b) |
| Florida | No general bank account exemption. A head of family's exempt wages stay exempt for 6 months after being deposited, if they can be traced. A debtor who does not claim the homestead exemption may protect up to $4,000 of personal property, which can include money. The Florida Constitution also protects $1,000 of personal property. Fla. Stat. §§ 222.11(3), 222.25(4); Fla. Const. art. X, § 4(a)(2) |
| Georgia | No general bank account exemption. Wages held in a bank account can still be protected under the wage limits and the other garnishment exemptions, and a debtor may use the general $5,000 exemption for any property. The debtor must file a claim to assert these protections. O.C.G.A. §§ 18-4-15(a), 44-13-1 |
| Hawaii | No general dollar exemption for bank accounts in the personal property exemption statute. Pay for services in the 31 days before the proceeding is exempt, and exempt federal benefits keep their protection under federal law. HRS § 651-121 |
| Idaho | No separate bank account exemption. Earned but unpaid wages are exempt to the extent of the wage limits, and a debtor may claim up to $1,500 in any tangible personal property. Exempt federal benefits keep their protection under federal law. Idaho Code § 11-605(10), (11) |
| Illinois | A debtor may protect up to $4,000 in any personal property, including money in a bank account. For consumer debt judgments entered on or after January 1, 2020, $1,000 of that amount in a checking or savings account is protected automatically, without a court order. 735 ILCS 5/12-1001(b); 735 ILCS 5/12-1001.1 |
| Indiana | No separate bank account exemption. Up to $450 of intangible personal property, which includes bank deposits and cash, is exempt (effective March 1, 2022). Social Security and veterans benefits remain exempt. IC 34-55-10-2(c)(3); 750 IAC 1-1-1(c); Indiana Small Claims Manual, Notice of Exemption Rights |
| Iowa | Up to $1,000 in total in cash, bank deposits, credit union accounts or any other personal property is exempt. Iowa Code § 627.6(14) |
| Kansas | Kansas's list of exempt personal property does not include a general exemption for cash or bank deposits. Exempt federal benefits keep their protection under federal law. K.S.A. 60-2304 |
| Kentucky | No general bank account exemption. Kentucky's exemption statutes protect specific property and funds (for example health savings accounts) rather than a set dollar amount in a bank account. KRS 427.010(1); KRS Chapter 427 |
| Louisiana | No general bank account exemption. Specific funds are protected, including pensions, IRAs and other tax-deferred accounts, health savings accounts (up to the IRS family-coverage annual limit), the federal earned income tax credit and the refundable child tax credit. La. R.S. 13:3881(A)(6), (D) |
| Maine | Up to $3,550 in cash or bank and other financial accounts is exempt (statute text says $3,000; adjusted for inflation by the Supreme Judicial Court effective October 24, 2024). An account owner may file an ex parte motion in the court that entered the judgment for a hearing on how the exemption applies. 14 M.R.S. § 4422(17); SJC Administrative Order JB-24-02 |
| Maryland | Up to $500 in a deposit account is automatically protected without the debtor having to claim it; it applies separately to each bank and each garnishment. In addition, the debtor may elect to exempt up to $6,000 in cash or any property (combined with the $500) by claiming it within 30 days of the levy or attachment. Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504(b)(5)-(6), (c) |
| Massachusetts | $2,500 in a bank or credit union account of an individual is exempt from attachment by trustee process; the bank must answer only for money above $2,500. A person may have only one $2,500 exemption at a time. Public assistance payments are fully exempt. M.G.L. c. 246, § 28A; c. 235, § 34 (Fifteenth) |
| Michigan | No general bank account exemption. Specific funds are protected, such as Social Security, SSI, unemployment, workers' compensation, public assistance, IRAs and qualified retirement plans. MCL 600.6023; SCAO form MC 12 (list of exempt income) |
| Minnesota | No general dollar exemption for bank accounts outside bankruptcy. Exempt funds traceable to their source stay protected in an account, including need-based government assistance, wages for 20 days after deposit, and retirement and health savings accounts. In bankruptcy only, a $1,650 wildcard exemption can cover bank funds. Minn. Stat. § 550.37, subds. 13, 14, 20, 28; Commerce adjustment effective July 1, 2026 |
| Mississippi | No separate bank account exemption. A debtor may choose up to $10,000 in total of certain personal property, which includes cash on hand, motor vehicles, household goods and tools of the trade. Retirement plan assets are exempt. Miss. Code Ann. § 85-3-1(a), (e) |
| Missouri | No specific bank account exemption. Bank funds can be protected only through general exemptions: the 'any other property' exemption ($600 through December 31, 2026; $1,700 from January 1, 2027), and for a head of a family, up to $1,250 plus $350 per qualifying dependent child in any property, including debts and wages. RSMo 513.430.1(3); RSMo 513.440 |
| Montana | No general dollar exemption for bank accounts. Exempt funds keep their protection in an account when traceable: earned wages for 45 days after receipt, and proceeds of exempt property for 6 months. Social Security, public assistance, veterans' and disability benefits, and IRAs are exempt. Mont. Code Ann. § 25-13-610; § 25-13-608 |
| Nebraska | No separate bank account exemption, but a debtor may claim bank funds under the general exemption for any personal property other than wages: $5,970 for 2023-2027. Directly deposited federal benefits such as Social Security, SSI and veterans' benefits are protected. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1552; Nebraska Revenue Ruling 2023-1 |
| Nevada | Yes. When a personal bank account is levied, $400 (or the whole balance if less) automatically stays available to the debtor. If federal benefits such as Social Security were directly deposited within the prior 45 days, $2,000 (or the whole balance if less) stays available instead. The debtor may also claim up to $10,000 in any other property, including money on deposit, under the 'wildcard' exemption. NRS 21.105; NRS 21.090(1)(z) |
| New Hampshire | No separate bank account exemption. Money can be protected under the general exemption for any property: $1,000 plus up to $7,000 of unused amounts from certain other exemptions (furniture, provisions, books, tools, automobile, jewelry). Money in an account designated as a payroll account is exempt from trustee process. RSA 511:2, XVIII; RSA 512:21, XI |
| New Jersey | No general dollar exemption for bank accounts. Child support, welfare, Social Security, SSI, veterans' and unemployment benefits cannot be levied. A debtor whose account is frozen can file a Certification in Objection to Levy, with three months of bank statements, to show the money is exempt. NJ Courts, Collecting a Money Judgment (CN 10282); How to Object to a Bank Account Levy (CN 12323) |
| New Mexico | Yes. Outside bankruptcy, an individual can protect up to $2,400 in total in bank or investment accounts, plus any money from exempt sources (such as Social Security, veterans', disability, unemployment or public benefits, retirement funds and exempt wages). This is part of a general $15,000 exemption for personal property not otherwise listed. NMSA 1978, § 42-10-1(A)(14); § 35-12-7(D) |
| New York | Yes. If exempt payments (such as Social Security or SSI) were directly deposited in the 45 days before the restraint, $3,425 in the account cannot be frozen (for cases started on or after April 1, 2024). In addition, an amount equal to 240 times the higher of the federal or state minimum hourly wage cannot be restrained. Up to $1,325 in cash can also be exempt if no homestead exemption is claimed. N.Y. CPLR 5205(l); CPLR 5222(h)-(i); CPLR 5205(a)(9); NYDFS adjustment effective April 1, 2024 |
| North Carolina | No separate bank account exemption. Money can be protected under the 'wildcard' exemption: up to $5,000 of any unused part of the residence exemption may be applied to any property. Retirement accounts, support payments and personal-injury compensation are also exempt. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1C-1601(a)(2), (8), (9), (12) |
| North Dakota | No separate bank account exemption. A head of a family may select up to $7,500 of other personal property, including money, as exempt; an unmarried person without dependents may select up to $3,750. Exempt benefits such as Social Security keep their protection. N.D.C.C. 28-22-03, 28-22-05, 28-22-03.1(8) |
| Ohio | $625 in cash, money on deposit in a bank or credit union, tax refunds and money due within 90 days (other than wages), for April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2028. Exempt benefits deposited in an account keep their own protection. Ohio Rev. Code 2329.66(A)(3), (B); Ohio Judicial Conference adjustment table |
| Oklahoma | No general bank account exemption in the Oklahoma exemption statute. Specific funds, such as Social Security and other public assistance, keep their exemptions, and the garnishment notice tells the debtor how to claim them. 31 O.S. 1; 12 O.S. 1174(C) |
| Oregon | When a bank account is garnished, the bank must leave the debtor a base protected balance of $2,600 across all accounts at that bank (July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2027), in addition to protected federal benefits. Exempt funds such as wages and retirement payments stay exempt when deposited if reasonably identifiable, up to an accumulation of $7,500. ORS 18.785(2)(j); 18.348; Oregon Judicial Department, Base Protected Account Balance Exemption table |
| Pennsylvania | A general $300 exemption applies to any property, including money in a bank. Separately, a writ served on a bank does not attach (without a court order) the first $10,000 in an account that receives recurring electronic deposits of exempt funds such as Social Security. 42 Pa.C.S. 8123(a); Pa.R.C.P. 3111.1 |
| Rhode Island | $500 in savings or other deposits in a bank or financial institution. R.I. Gen. Laws 9-26-4(18) |
| South Carolina | Cash and other liquid assets (including bank deposits) up to $7,600 (base amount $5,000, inflation-adjusted figure effective July 1, 2024), but only for a debtor who does not claim the homestead exemption. A wildcard of up to $7,600 of unused exemptions can also be applied to any property. S.C. Code 15-41-30(A)(5), (A)(7), (B); U.S. Bankruptcy Court D.S.C. notice of July 1, 2024 adjustment |
| South Dakota | No separate bank account exemption. A head of a family may select up to $7,000 of other personal property, including money, as exempt; a debtor who is not a head of a family may select up to $5,000. SDCL 43-45-4 |
| Tennessee | No separate bank account exemption. A Tennessee resident may protect up to $10,000 of equity in personal property of the debtor's choosing, which can include money in a bank account. T.C.A. 26-2-103(a) |
| Texas | No general exemption for cash or bank deposits. Exempt funds (such as Social Security) remain protected, and after a bank garnishment the creditor must send the debtor a Notice of Protected Property Rights and a claim form. Tex. Prop. Code 42.001-42.002; Tex. R. Civ. P. 663a, 679b |
| Utah | The Utah Exemptions Act has no general exemption for cash or bank deposits. Exempt sources (such as disability or unemployment benefits, child support, retirement accounts, and federal income tax refunds) are protected. Utah Code 78B-5-505 (as amended 2026) |
| Vermont | $700 in bank deposits or deposit accounts, plus a wildcard of $400 in any property and up to $7,000 of unused vehicle, tools, jewelry, household goods and crop exemptions. 12 V.S.A. 2740(15), (7) |
| Virginia | No separate cash exemption, but a householder may protect up to $5,000 ($10,000 if 65 or older) of any property, including money in a bank, plus $500 per dependent. Banks must automatically exempt certain federal and state benefit payments, and a notice of exemptions must accompany any bank garnishment. Va. Code 34-4; 8.01-512.4 |
| Washington | For consumer debt, $2,000 in bank accounts, savings and securities is automatically protected ($1,000 automatic and up to $2,500 total for private student loan debt; $500 for other debts). These amounts are to be inflation-adjusted every three years starting July 1, 2027. RCW 6.15.010(1)(d)(iii) |
| West Virginia | Up to $1,100 of funds on deposit in a federally insured financial institution, within an overall $15,000 cap on the vehicle, household goods, tools and bank exemptions. W. Va. Code 38-8-1(a)(4), (b) |
| Wisconsin | Up to $5,000 in total in depository accounts for the debtor's personal (not business) use. Wis. Stat. 815.18(3)(k) |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.