| Item | Current figure |
|---|---|
| Chapter 7 court filing fee | $338 |
| Chapter 13 court filing fee | $313 |
| Chapter 11 court filing fee | $1,738 |
| Credit counseling window | Within 180 days before filing |
| Homestead exemption | $35,000 per filer; $52,500 combined for joint owners |
| Personal property exemption | $10,000 per filer |
| Chapter 7 median income, 1 person | $63,979 |
| Chapter 7 median income, 4 people | $109,585 |
| Chapter 13 debt limits | $526,700 unsecured; $1,580,125 secured |
| Chapter 7 length | Often several months |
| Chapter 13 length | Typically 3 to 5 years |
The median income figures above are the Tennessee figures published by the U.S. Trustee Program for cases filed on or after July 15, 2026. The U.S. Trustee Program updates the applicable data periodically, so check the figures against the table in effect when a case is filed.
The Senate passed the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026 (S. 3977) in August 2026, and the House passed its version (H.R. 7730) in September 2026, but as of October 1, 2026, neither bill has been enacted. If signed, it would replace the separate Chapter 13 secured and unsecured debt limits with a single $2,750,000 aggregate debt limit for cases filed on or after the enactment date.
Bankruptcy venue generally depends on where your domicile, residence, principal place of business, or principal assets were located during the 180 days immediately before filing, or for the longer portion of that period when you moved between districts (28 U.S.C. § 1408).
| District | Courthouse Cities / Offices | Area Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern District | Greeneville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Winchester | East Tennessee and the Winchester Division counties |
| Middle District | Nashville, Columbia, Cookeville | Middle Tennessee |
| Western District | Memphis, Jackson | West Tennessee |
The Eastern District has four divisions. The Northeastern Division hears cases from Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties. The Northern Division covers Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties. The Southern Division covers Bledsoe, Bradley, Hamilton, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties. The Winchester Division covers Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Lincoln, Moore, Van Buren and Warren counties. The Eastern District lists court locations in Greeneville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Winchester. The Middle District operates from Nashville with satellite offices in Columbia and Cookeville.
You can file bankruptcy in Tennessee if you meet these conditions:
A discharge also depends on when you filed your last case:
| Earlier Case | New Case | General minimum period for a new discharge |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 7 | Chapter 7 | 8 years |
| Chapter 7 | Chapter 13 | 4 years |
| Chapter 13 | Chapter 13 | 2 years |
| Chapter 13 | Chapter 7 | 6 years, unless the plan paid 100% of unsecured claims, or at least 70% under a good-faith plan |
The Tennessee means test is used in many individual Chapter 7 cases involving primarily consumer debts to determine whether a statutory presumption of abuse arises. It uses current monthly income, generally based on the average monthly income received during the 6 full calendar months before filing, and compares the result with the state median for your household size.
| Household size | Tennessee median income for cases filed on or after July 15, 2026 |
|---|---|
| 1 | $63,979 |
| 2 | $82,846 |
| 3 | $97,511 |
| 4 | $109,585 |
| Each person over 4 | Add $11,100 |
A family of 3 averaging $7,500 a month has an annualized figure of $90,000. That is below the $97,511 Tennessee median for a three-person household in the current table, so the household is below median income for this initial comparison. A debtor above the median generally completes Official Form 122A-2, which applies the statutory expense deductions and other adjustments. The resulting figure is used to determine whether a presumption of abuse arises:
The means-test provisions do not apply in the same way to every Chapter 7 debtor. For example, certain debtors whose debts are primarily business debts are outside the consumer-debt means-testing framework, and the statute contains additional exceptions. Because the calculation looks back 6 months, a recent job loss can change the result as older income drops out. Run your numbers first with the Instant Bankruptcy Calculator.
Tennessee has opted out of the federal exemptions (Tenn. Code § 26-2-112), so every filer uses the state list plus federal non-bankruptcy exemptions. To use Tennessee’s list, your domicile must have been in Tennessee for the 730 days before filing. If you moved during that period, you use the exemptions of the state where you were domiciled for the 180 days before those 730 days, or for the longer part of that 180-day period.
| Property | Tennessee protection | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Home equity (principal residence) | $35,000 per filer; $52,500 combined for joint owners who file together | Tenn. Code § 26-2-301 |
| Any personal property: car, cash, bank accounts, tax refund, household goods | $10,000 per filer | Tenn. Code § 26-2-103 |
| Tools, books & equipment of your trade | $1,900 | Tenn. Code § 26-2-111 |
| Necessary clothing, family portraits, family Bible & school books | Fully exempt | Tenn. Code § 26-2-104 |
| Certain qualified retirement plans and accounts | Protected if the plan or account qualifies under the applicable statute; Tennessee specifically lists plans qualified under §§ 401(a), 403(a), 403(b), 408 and 408A | Tenn. Code § 26-2-105; 11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(3)(C) |
| Traditional & Roth IRAs | Qualifying accounts receive protection under Tennessee law; federal § 522(n) separately provides a current $1,711,975 aggregate cap for certain IRA assets exempted under § 522, subject to statutory exclusions and exceptions | Tenn. Code § 26-2-105; 11 U.S.C. § 522(n) |
| Personal injury & wrongful-death awards | Up to $15,000 aggregate under § 26-2-111, with a $7,500 limit for personal bodily injury and a $10,000 limit for wrongful-death awards | Tenn. Code § 26-2-111 |
| Life insurance & annuities payable to a spouse, child or dependent | Net amount payable is exempt when the policy or annuity is made for the benefit of, or assigned to, your spouse, children or dependent relatives; the beneficiary designation and policy terms decide coverage | Tenn. Code § 56-7-203 |
| Social Security & VA benefits | Fully exempt | 42 U.S.C. § 407; 38 U.S.C. § 5301 |
| Unemployment & workers' compensation benefits | Exempt | Tenn. Code §§ 50-7-401, 50-6-223 |
Married couples who file together can generally each claim the $10,000 personal-property exemption, for up to $20,000 total. The homestead exemption remains capped at $52,500 combined when the qualifying joint owners claim it in the same proceeding.
Equity equals market value minus valid liens. A single filer with a $250,000 home and a $220,000 mortgage has $30,000 in equity, and the $35,000 homestead exemption can cover that equity. With $60,000 in equity, $25,000 remains above the $35,000 homestead exemption, so that unprotected equity may expose the property to administration by a Chapter 7 trustee after considering the exemption, liens, sale costs, and the benefit to the estate.
In Chapter 13, the plan must satisfy the Bankruptcy Code’s confirmation requirements, including the requirement that unsecured creditors receive at least what they would receive in a hypothetical Chapter 7 liquidation when that test applies. The homestead exemption does not eliminate valid mortgage liens or certain tax claims.
Tennessee has no separate vehicle exemption, so the $10,000 personal property exemption covers car equity. A car worth $14,000 with a $6,000 loan has $8,000 in equity, leaving $2,000 of the exemption for cash, bank balances, or a tax refund. Chapter 7 filers with a car loan pick one option:
In Chapter 13, a debtor may be able to reduce the amount paid on a secured vehicle claim to the collateral’s value when the Bankruptcy Code permits cramdown. For a vehicle purchased for the debtor’s personal use, the 910-day rule generally prevents that treatment when the purchase-money debt was incurred within 910 days before filing. Other secured-debt rules and plan-confirmation requirements also apply. Filing also generally halts a pending car repossession.
Bankruptcy cancels most unsecured debt, but federal law (11 U.S.C. § 523) lists specific debts that no discharge can wipe out.
For a mortgage or car loan, bankruptcy erases your personal liability but leaves the lender’s lien in place. You keep the house or car only by keeping up the payments.
The moment you file, the automatic stay orders most creditors to stop collecting (11 U.S.C. § 362). It stops:
Car repossessions.
| Milestone | Chapter 7 | Chapter 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Credit counseling | Within 180 days before filing | Within 180 days before filing |
| First plan payment | Not required | Within 30 days after filing |
| 341 meeting | 21 to 40 days after filing | 21 to 50 days after filing |
| Plan confirmation hearing | Not required | 20 to 45 days after the 341 meeting |
| Deadline for certain objections to discharge or dischargeability | 60 days after the first 341 meeting date | 60 days after the first 341 meeting date |
| Debtor education course | Within 60 days after the first 341 meeting date | No later than the final plan payment |
| Discharge | 3 to 4 months after filing | After the final plan payment |
The Pope Firm files Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 cases for individuals and businesses across East Tennessee, from offices in Johnson City, Kingsport, and Elizabethton. It ranks among the largest bankruptcy filers in the Tri Cities. Attorney Charles Parks Pope (Tennessee Bar No. 015617) has practiced in Tennessee since 1992. He brings 30+ years of bankruptcy and restructuring experience, plus a background in corporate law, lending, and accounting, to each filing.
Every case includes:
The Pope Firm helps Tennessee families and business owners stop collection calls, foreclosures, and garnishments with a filing built on current Tennessee law. Schedule a free consultation to learn which chapter you qualify for and what property you keep.
The firm also handles debt settlement and small business bankruptcy. Call 423-929-7673, visit 404 E. Watauga Ave., Johnson City, TN 37601, or email admin@thepopefirm.com.
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