Oregon Bankruptcy Exemptions
Oregon is one of the states that lets a filer choose between the federal exemption list and the state exemption list, so the protected-asset math depends on which set is elected. The Oregon homestead jumped from forty thousand dollars to one hundred fifty thousand dollars for a single filer in 2025, and the vehicle exemption more than tripled the same year, which changes what a creditor can actually reach. This guide lays out the current Oregon figures with statute cites, explains the federal-or-state choice, and shows where a lawful public-records asset search fits when you are the creditor trying to identify what is NOT exempt.
The Short Version
Oregon debtors may elect EITHER the federal bankruptcy exemptions in 11 U.S.C. section 522(d) OR the Oregon state exemptions, but not a mix of both. Oregon reversed its old opt-out in 2013, so the choice is real and case-specific. Under the Oregon list, the homestead protects up to one hundred fifty thousand dollars of equity for a single filer and three hundred thousand dollars for joint owners (ORS 18.395/18.402), figures raised by the 2024 Family Financial Protection Act and now adjusted yearly for inflation. The vehicle exemption is ten thousand dollars (ORS 18.345), the wildcard is four hundred dollars, and tools of trade are protected to five thousand dollars. We are a public-records research firm, not a law firm: for creditors, we lawfully locate debtors and identify non-exempt, reachable assets. This is general legal information, not legal advice; confirm your situation with an Oregon bankruptcy attorney.
Watch: Oregon Exemptions in Brief
What is protected, what a creditor can still reach.
Watch Overview
Oregon’s Defining Feature: The Federal-or-State Choice
The one fact that sets Oregon apart from its neighbors.
Most states force a bankruptcy filer to use the state exemption list and forbid the federal alternative. Oregon does not. Oregon originally opted out of the federal scheme in 1981, but the Legislature reversed that in 2013, joining the minority of states where a debtor may instead claim the federal exemptions set out in 11 U.S.C. section 522(d). The opt-back-in lives in ORS 18.300, which expressly lets an Oregon resident use either the federal exemptions or the state exemptions in a bankruptcy case.
The catch is that the choice is all-or-nothing. A filer cannot cherry-pick the high Oregon homestead and then layer the generous federal wildcard on top of it. Once you elect a list, every exemption you claim must come from that same list. That makes the decision genuinely strategic: a homeowner with substantial Oregon equity will almost always prefer the state list because the Oregon homestead now dwarfs the federal one, while a renter with no real estate but a paid-off car and cash may come out ahead under the federal list, which offers a large wildcard that can be stacked on the unused federal homestead. For a creditor, this matters too, because the exemption set the debtor elects defines exactly which assets stay out of reach.
Oregon List vs. Federal List
A side-by-side of the headline categories a filer weighs. General information; figures change.
| Category | Oregon Exemptions | Federal Exemptions (522(d)) |
|---|---|---|
| Homestead | One hundred fifty thousand dollars single / three hundred thousand joint (ORS 18.395/18.402), inflation-indexed2025 | A set federal figure (roughly the high twenty-thousands), adjusted every three years |
| Motor Vehicle | Ten thousand dollars in one vehicle (ORS 18.345) | A few thousand dollars per the federal schedule |
| Wildcard | Four hundred dollars in any property (ORS 18.345) | A modest base wildcard plus most of the UNUSED homestead amount |
| Tools of Trade | Five thousand dollars (ORS 18.345) | A few thousand dollars per the federal schedule |
| Retirement | Tax-qualified plans broadly protected | Tax-qualified plans broadly protected; IRAs capped at a federal ceiling |
| Mixing allowed? | No. Under ORS 18.300 and section 522(b), all claimed exemptions must come from ONE list. | |
The takeaway from the table is why Oregon’s choice is powerful: the state homestead is the standout, so most Oregon homeowners choose the Oregon list, while the federal list’s stackable wildcard can win for filers with little home equity. Verify the exact federal figures, which adjust on a federal cycle, before relying on them. These categories are illustrative; consult an attorney for your case.
The Oregon Homestead Exemption
The single biggest change, and the most misreported number online.
For decades the Oregon homestead sat at forty thousand dollars for a single owner and fifty thousand for co-owners, a figure that had not kept pace with Oregon home values. The 2024 Family Financial Protection Act (Senate Bill 1595), signed in April 2024 and operative January 1, 2025, raised the homestead to one hundred fifty thousand dollars for a single filer and three hundred thousand dollars for two or more household members who jointly own the home, codified in ORS 18.395 and ORS 18.402. Beginning July 1, 2025, those amounts are adjusted annually for inflation under the Consumer Price Index, so the live figure may already be higher than the 2025 baseline.
There is one Oregon-specific trap that catches the unwary. The old forty-thousand / fifty-thousand numbers did not vanish entirely. For a debt arising from a child-support or spousal-support obligation, or a money judgment that includes restitution, the homestead is rolled BACK to forty thousand dollars single and fifty thousand dollars for co-owners. So the same Oregon home can carry a one-hundred-fifty-thousand-dollar shield against an ordinary credit-card creditor and only a forty-thousand-dollar shield against a support or restitution claim. The homestead also has acreage and proceeds rules under the statute. Because many older guides still quote the forty-thousand figure as the general number, this is exactly the kind of fact worth confirming against the current statute before relying on it.
Oregon Personal-Property Exemptions (ORS 18.345)
The figures most filers care about, with the support-debt carve-outs noted.
Motor Vehicle
Ten thousand dollars of equity in one vehicle per debtor, a figure raised from three thousand dollars by SB 1595 in 2025. For support or restitution debts, the vehicle exemption drops back to three thousand dollars.
Wildcard
Four hundred dollars in any personal property of the debtor’s choosing, so up to eight hundred dollars in a joint case. Useful for cash, a tax refund, or equity that exceeds another category’s cap.
Tools of Trade
Five thousand dollars in the tools, equipment, and professional books necessary to carry on the trade or profession by which the debtor habitually earns a living.
Household Goods
Three thousand dollars total in household goods, furniture, radios, a television set, and utensils held primarily for personal, family, or household use.
Wages / Earnings
Seventy-five percent of disposable earnings are exempt from garnishment, subject to a weekly dollar floor set by statute that the 2024 Act increased. Most take-home pay is protected.
Other Categories
Wearing apparel and jewelry to one thousand eight hundred dollars; books, pictures, and musical instruments to six hundred dollars; certain personal-injury awards to ten thousand dollars.
Several of these dollar caps were touched by the 2024 reforms and several are now indexed, so treat the numbers above as a current snapshot rather than a permanent fixture. Tax-qualified retirement accounts such as 401(k) plans and pensions are broadly protected under Oregon and federal law, which is why a creditor rarely reaches them. The verifiable, Oregon-specific figures that would be FALSE if pasted onto another state’s page are the ones to anchor on: the one-hundred-fifty-thousand homestead, the ten-thousand vehicle, the four-hundred-dollar wildcard, and the support-debt carve-outs.
What a Creditor Can Still Reach
Exemptions are generous, but they are not a wall around everything.
Exemptions protect specific categories up to specific dollar limits; they do not protect EVERY asset a debtor owns. Equity above a cap, a second vehicle, non-exempt investment or business interests, valuable collections, and assets the debtor failed to disclose can all be within a creditor’s reach. So can property moved improperly: a transfer made to put an asset out of a creditor’s hands shortly before filing can be challenged as a fraudulent transfer and unwound, and the bankruptcy trustee has standing to pursue it. Certain debts also survive a discharge entirely, including most domestic-support obligations, many tax debts, and debts for fraud or willful injury.
This is where lawful asset research matters for the creditor’s side. As a public-records research firm, we do not give legal advice and we are not a credit reporting agency; we compile what the public record and licensed sources lawfully show so an attorney or judgment creditor can decide what is non-exempt and worth pursuing. That can mean locating the debtor, identifying real property, business filings, and registered vehicles, and surfacing signs that an asset was shuffled before a filing. Our broader guide to which assets can be seized on a judgment walks through the categories, and our overview of how to find hidden assets covers the lawful methods. We hand you a clean record; your counsel decides the legal strategy.
Where Oregon Filers Get Tripped Up
Common mistakes that change the exemption outcome.
Quoting the Old Homestead
Relying on the outdated forty-thousand figure instead of the current one-hundred-fifty-thousand single homestead can badly misjudge what is protected.
Missing the Support Carve-Out
Assuming the high homestead and vehicle figures apply to a support or restitution debt, when the statute rolls them back to forty thousand and three thousand.
Trying to Mix Lists
Claiming the Oregon homestead and the federal wildcard together. Under ORS 18.300, every exemption must come from one list, not both.
Pre-Filing Transfers
Moving a car or cash to a relative before filing. Such transfers can be unwound as fraudulent and can jeopardize the discharge.
Overlooking Indexing
Using a 2025 baseline after the July inflation adjustment. The homestead and several caps move yearly, so confirm the live figure.
Domicile Timing
A recent move into Oregon can trigger the federal lookback that ties which state’s exemptions you may use to where you lived before filing.
How a Creditor-Side Asset Search Works
The lawful path from a name to a clear picture of reachable assets.
Send What You Have
A name, last known address, the case or judgment details, and any business names. Whatever you have becomes the starting point.
We Research the Record
Real property, registered vehicles, business filings, and address history are compiled from public records and licensed sources, lawfully and for a permissible purpose.
We Flag the Non-Exempt
Findings are organized so your attorney can weigh them against the Oregon or federal exemption the debtor is likely to claim.
You Get a Clean Report
A documented, dated record your counsel uses to decide enforcement strategy. For a legitimate matter, results typically come back within 24 hours.
Who We Help in Oregon
We do the research; your counsel handles the law.
Judgment Creditors
Non-exempt assets identified
Collection Attorneys
Debtors located, assets traced
Bankruptcy Trustees
Pre-filing transfers surfaced
Family Law Counsel
Hidden marital assets researched
Small-Business Creditors
Business filings checked
Landlords
Tenants and assets located
Whatever your role, the question is the same: once the exemptions are subtracted, what is left for a creditor to pursue? We answer that with lawful skip tracing and public-records research, never legal advice. If you are comparing state regimes, our breakdowns of West Virginia bankruptcy exemptions and Iowa bankruptcy exemptions show how differently the numbers play out from one state to the next. For a legitimate creditor or legal matter, a verified Oregon asset search typically comes back within 24 hours.
Our Commitment
We are a public-records research firm, not a law firm and not a credit reporting agency. We compile lawful, documented findings so attorneys and judgment creditors can see what Oregon’s exemptions leave reachable. Court-ready research for legitimate purposes since 2004.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Oregon debtors choose between federal and state exemptions?
Yes. Oregon reversed its old opt-out in 2013, and ORS 18.300 now lets a resident claim either the federal exemptions in 11 U.S.C. section 522(d) or the Oregon state exemptions. You must pick one list and cannot mix the two. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the Oregon homestead exemption?
Under ORS 18.395 and 18.402, the homestead protects up to one hundred fifty thousand dollars of equity for a single filer and three hundred thousand dollars for joint household owners. The 2024 Family Financial Protection Act raised these figures effective January 1, 2025, and they are adjusted yearly for inflation.
How much is the Oregon motor vehicle exemption?
ORS 18.345 protects up to ten thousand dollars of equity in one vehicle per debtor, raised from three thousand dollars by SB 1595 in 2025. For a child-support, spousal-support, or restitution debt, the vehicle exemption is limited to three thousand dollars.
What is the Oregon wildcard exemption?
Oregon’s wildcard under ORS 18.345 covers up to four hundred dollars in any personal property of the debtor’s choosing, so up to eight hundred dollars in a joint case. It is often used for cash, a tax refund, or equity that exceeds another category’s limit.
Does the high homestead apply to all debts?
No. For a debt arising from child support, spousal support, or a money judgment that includes restitution, the homestead rolls back to forty thousand dollars single and fifty thousand for co-owners, and the vehicle exemption to three thousand dollars. The high figures apply to ordinary debts.
Are retirement accounts protected in Oregon bankruptcy?
Tax-qualified retirement plans such as 401(k)s and pensions are broadly protected under both Oregon and federal law, which is why creditors rarely reach them. IRAs carry a federal cap if the federal exemption list is used. Confirm the specifics with an Oregon bankruptcy attorney.
What can a creditor still collect after exemptions?
Exemptions cap specific categories, so equity above a cap, a second vehicle, non-exempt business interests, undisclosed assets, and improperly transferred property can remain reachable. Some debts, like most support obligations and fraud debts, survive a discharge. An attorney decides what to pursue.
Are you a law firm or a credit reporting agency?
Neither. We are a public-records research firm. For creditors and their counsel we lawfully locate debtors and identify non-exempt, reachable assets, then hand over a documented report. We do not give legal advice and do not provide consumer reports. For a legitimate matter, results typically return within 24 hours.
Need to Know What’s Reachable in Oregon?
As a public-records research firm we lawfully locate Oregon debtors and identify the non-exempt assets your counsel can pursue, with a documented report typically within 24 hours. Contact us to get started.
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