Revised Code of Washington
Chapter 6.15 - Personal Property Exemptions.
6.15.010 - Exempt property.

RCW 6.15.010
Exempt property. (Effective until July 1, 2025.)

(1) Except as provided in RCW 6.15.050, the following personal property is exempt from execution, attachment, and garnishment:
(a) All wearing apparel of every individual and family, but not to exceed three thousand five hundred dollars in value in furs, jewelry, and personal ornaments for any individual.
(b) All private libraries including electronic media, which includes audiovisual, entertainment, or reference media in digital or analogue format, of every individual, but not to exceed three thousand five hundred dollars in value, and all family pictures and keepsakes.
(c) A cell phone, personal computer, and printer.
(d) To each individual or, as to community property of spouses maintaining a single household as against a creditor of the community, to the community:
(i) The individual's or community's household goods, appliances, furniture, and home and yard equipment, not to exceed six thousand five hundred dollars in value for the individual or thirteen thousand dollars for the community, no single item to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars, said amount to include provisions and fuel for the comfortable maintenance of the individual or community;
(ii) Other personal property, except personal earnings as provided under RCW 6.15.050(1), not to exceed three thousand dollars in value, of which not more than one thousand five hundred dollars in value may consist of cash, and of which not more than:
(A) For all debts except private student loan debt and consumer debt, five hundred dollars in value may consist of bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities. The maximum exemption under this subsection (1)(d)(ii)(A) shall be automatically protected and may not exceed five hundred dollars, regardless of the number of existing separate bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities.
(B) For all private student loan debt, two thousand five hundred dollars in value may consist of bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities. $1,000 in value shall be automatically protected. The maximum exemption under this subsection (1)(d)(ii)(B) may not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars, regardless of the number of existing separate bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities.
(C) For all consumer debt, two thousand dollars in value may consist of bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities. $1,000 in value shall be automatically protected. The maximum exemption under this subsection (1)(d)(ii)(C) may not exceed two thousand dollars, regardless of the number of existing separate bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities;
(iii) For an individual, a motor vehicle used for personal transportation, not to exceed three thousand two hundred fifty dollars or for a community two motor vehicles used for personal transportation, not to exceed six thousand five hundred dollars in aggregate value;
(iv) Any past due, current, or future child support paid or owed to the debtor, which can be traced;
(v) All professionally prescribed health aids for the debtor or a dependent of the debtor; and
(vi) To any individual, the right to or proceeds of a payment not to exceed twenty thousand dollars on account of personal bodily injury, not including pain and suffering or compensation for actual pecuniary loss, of the debtor or an individual of whom the debtor is a dependent; or the right to or proceeds of a payment in compensation of loss of future earnings of the debtor or an individual of whom the debtor is or was a dependent, to the extent reasonably necessary for the support of the debtor and any dependent of the debtor. The exemption under this subsection (1)(d)(vi) does not apply to the right of the state of Washington, or any agent or assignee of the state, as a lienholder or subrogee under RCW 43.20B.060.
(e) To each qualified individual, one of the following exemptions:
(i) To a farmer, farm trucks, farm stock, farm tools, farm equipment, supplies and seed, not to exceed ten thousand dollars in value;
(ii) To a physician, surgeon, attorney, member of the clergy, or other professional person, the individual's library, office furniture, office equipment and supplies, not to exceed ten thousand dollars in value;
(iii) To any other individual, the tools and instruments and materials used to carry on his or her trade for the support of himself or herself or family, not to exceed ten thousand dollars in value.
(f) Tuition units, under chapter 28B.95 RCW, purchased more than two years prior to the date of a bankruptcy filing or court judgment, and contributions to any other qualified tuition program under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 529 of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, and to a Coverdell education savings account, also known as an education individual retirement account, under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 530 of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, contributed more than two years prior to the date of a bankruptcy filing or court judgment.
(2) For purposes of this section, "value" means the reasonable market value of the debtor's interest in an article or item at the time it is selected for exemption, exclusive of all liens and encumbrances thereon.

[ 2021 c 50 § 2; 2019 c 371 § 3; 2018 c 199 § 203; 2012 c 117 § 2; 2011 c 162 § 2; 2005 c 272 § 6; 2002 c 265 § 1; 1991 c 112 § 1; 1988 c 231 § 5; 1987 c 442 § 301; 1983 1st ex.s. c 45 § 8; 1979 ex.s. c 65 § 1; 1973 1st ex.s. c 154 § 13; 1965 c 89 § 1; 1886 p 96 § 1; Code 1881 § 347; 1879 p 157 § 1; 1877 p 73 § 351; 1869 p 87 § 343; 1854 p 178 § 253; RRS § 563. Formerly RCW 6.16.020.]
NOTES:

Findings—Intent—2021 c 50: "The legislature has previously recognized that garnishees have no responsibility for the situation leading to the garnishment of a debtor's wages, funds, or other property, but that the garnishment process is necessary for the enforcement of obligations. The legislature has further recognized the importance of reducing or offsetting the administrative burden on the garnishee to the extent that that can be accomplished consistent with the goal of effectively enforcing debtors' unpaid obligations. At the same time, debtors must be afforded the exemptions to which they are statutorily entitled and protected from garnishments that violate Washington law.
By establishing automatic exemption amounts and specifying when and how much a garnishee bank is required to hold and release, the legislature intends to ease the burden on garnishees while protecting debtors from situations in which the entirety of their bank accounts are frozen before they have any opportunity to assert certain rightful exemptions." [ 2021 c 50 § 1.]


Expiration date—2021 c 50: "This act expires July 1, 2025." [ 2021 c 50 § 4.]


Findings—Intent—Short title—2018 c 199: See notes following RCW 67.08.100.


Severability—1988 c 231: See note following RCW 6.01.050.


Severability—1973 1st ex.s. c 154: See note following RCW 2.12.030.


(1) Except as provided in RCW 6.15.050, the following personal property is exempt from execution, attachment, and garnishment:
(a) All wearing apparel of every individual and family, but not to exceed three thousand five hundred dollars in value in furs, jewelry, and personal ornaments for any individual.
(b) All private libraries including electronic media, which includes audiovisual, entertainment, or reference media in digital or analogue format, of every individual, but not to exceed three thousand five hundred dollars in value, and all family pictures and keepsakes.
(c) A cell phone, personal computer, and printer.
(d) To each individual or, as to community property of spouses maintaining a single household as against a creditor of the community, to the community:
(i) The individual's or community's household goods, appliances, furniture, and home and yard equipment, not to exceed six thousand five hundred dollars in value for the individual or thirteen thousand dollars for the community, no single item to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars, said amount to include provisions and fuel for the comfortable maintenance of the individual or community;
(ii) Other personal property, except personal earnings as provided under RCW 6.15.050(1), not to exceed three thousand dollars in value, of which not more than one thousand five hundred dollars in value may consist of cash, and of which not more than:
(A) For all debts except private student loan debt and consumer debt, five hundred dollars in value may consist of bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities. The maximum exemption under this subsection (1)(d)(ii)(A) may not exceed five hundred dollars, regardless of the number of existing separate bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities.
(B) For all private student loan debt, two thousand five hundred dollars in value may consist of bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities. The maximum exemption under this subsection (1)(d)(ii)(B) may not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars, regardless of the number of existing separate bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities.
(C) For all consumer debt, two thousand dollars in value may consist of bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities. The maximum exemption under this subsection (1)(d)(ii)(C) may not exceed two thousand dollars, regardless of the number of existing separate bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities;
(iii) For an individual, a motor vehicle used for personal transportation, not to exceed three thousand two hundred fifty dollars or for a community two motor vehicles used for personal transportation, not to exceed six thousand five hundred dollars in aggregate value;
(iv) Any past due, current, or future child support paid or owed to the debtor, which can be traced;
(v) All professionally prescribed health aids for the debtor or a dependent of the debtor; and
(vi) To any individual, the right to or proceeds of a payment not to exceed twenty thousand dollars on account of personal bodily injury, not including pain and suffering or compensation for actual pecuniary loss, of the debtor or an individual of whom the debtor is a dependent; or the right to or proceeds of a payment in compensation of loss of future earnings of the debtor or an individual of whom the debtor is or was a dependent, to the extent reasonably necessary for the support of the debtor and any dependent of the debtor. The exemption under this subsection (1)(d)(vi) does not apply to the right of the state of Washington, or any agent or assignee of the state, as a lienholder or subrogee under RCW 43.20B.060.
(e) To each qualified individual, one of the following exemptions:
(i) To a farmer, farm trucks, farm stock, farm tools, farm equipment, supplies and seed, not to exceed ten thousand dollars in value;
(ii) To a physician, surgeon, attorney, member of the clergy, or other professional person, the individual's library, office furniture, office equipment and supplies, not to exceed ten thousand dollars in value;
(iii) To any other individual, the tools and instruments and materials used to carry on his or her trade for the support of himself or herself or family, not to exceed ten thousand dollars in value.
(f) Tuition units, under chapter 28B.95 RCW, purchased more than two years prior to the date of a bankruptcy filing or court judgment, and contributions to any other qualified tuition program under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 529 of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, and to a Coverdell education savings account, also known as an education individual retirement account, under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 530 of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, contributed more than two years prior to the date of a bankruptcy filing or court judgment.
(2) For purposes of this section, "value" means the reasonable market value of the debtor's interest in an article or item at the time it is selected for exemption, exclusive of all liens and encumbrances thereon.

[ 2019 c 371 § 3; 2018 c 199 § 203; 2012 c 117 § 2; 2011 c 162 § 2; 2005 c 272 § 6; 2002 c 265 § 1; 1991 c 112 § 1; 1988 c 231 § 5; 1987 c 442 § 301; 1983 1st ex.s. c 45 § 8; 1979 ex.s. c 65 § 1; 1973 1st ex.s. c 154 § 13; 1965 c 89 § 1; 1886 p 96 § 1; Code 1881 § 347; 1879 p 157 § 1; 1877 p 73 § 351; 1869 p 87 § 343; 1854 p 178 § 253; RRS § 563. Formerly RCW 6.16.020.]
NOTES:

Findings—Intent—Short title—2018 c 199: See notes following RCW 67.08.100.


Severability—1988 c 231: See note following RCW 6.01.050.


Severability—1973 1st ex.s. c 154: See note following RCW 2.12.030.

Structure Revised Code of Washington