New Hampshire is one of the minority of states that lets you choose between the state exemption set and the federal bankruptcy exemptions under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d) — you pick whichever package protects more of your property, but you must take one entire set, not a mix-and-match of the best parts of each. New Hampshire's headline protection is its homestead exemption of $120,000 under RSA 480:1, which shields that much equity in the home you occupy as your principal residence. That figure is per debtor, so a married couple who both own and live in the home can generally protect up to $240,000 of equity in a joint filing. This ability to opt into the federal set, and the size of the homestead, is exactly what varies from state to state, so the New Hampshire rule below will not match what a neighbor in another state experiences.
The state-or-federal choice
Most states force debtors to use the state exemption list. New Hampshire does not. Under New Hampshire law you may instead elect the federal exemptions in 11 U.S.C. § 522(d). You cannot blend the two systems — if you take the New Hampshire set you use it for everything, and if you take the federal set you use it for everything. Married couples filing jointly must both choose the same system.
Why the choice matters: the federal homestead exemption is far smaller than New Hampshire's. The federal figure adjusts every three years and, as of the April 2025 adjustment, sits at roughly $31,575 per filer (confirm the current number, because it changes on a three-year cycle). New Hampshire's $120,000 homestead dwarfs that, so a homeowner with meaningful equity almost always chooses the state set. By contrast, a renter or someone with little home equity may prefer the federal set, because the federal system includes a generous "wildcard" that lets you apply unused homestead room to any property you like.
The New Hampshire homestead exemption
RSA 480:1 protects $120,000 of equity in your homestead — the dwelling you occupy as your home. The protection attaches automatically; you do not have to file a separate homestead declaration the way some states require. It covers a house, and in many cases a manufactured (mobile) home, that serves as your principal residence. It does not protect a vacation property, a rental you do not live in, or raw investment land.
Two practical limits are worth knowing. First, the homestead exemption protects equity, not value — if your mortgage balance eats up most of what the home is worth, there may be little equity for the exemption to shield, but also little for a trustee to reach. Second, the exemption is a shield against general unsecured creditors and the bankruptcy trustee; it does not defeat a voluntary mortgage, a properly recorded mechanic's lien, or certain tax obligations.
Vehicle, household goods, and tools
New Hampshire's personal-property exemptions appear mostly in RSA 511:2. Commonly cited protections include:
- Motor vehicle: one automobile, up to approximately $10,000 in value.
- Household furniture: up to roughly $3,500.
- Necessary clothing, beds, bedsteads, and bedding for you and your family, with no dollar cap on these necessities.
- Tools of your occupation: up to about $5,000, which helps tradespeople and the self-employed keep working.
- Bibles, books, and library up to several hundred dollars, plus a cooking stove, heating equipment, and a refrigerator.
- Jewelry up to roughly $500, and certain food, fuel, and provisions.
Because the legislature adjusts these caps from time to time, treat the dollar figures above as the established ranges and verify the exact current amount in the live text of RSA 511:2 before you rely on it. The categories themselves are stable; the precise ceilings are what occasionally move.
The New Hampshire wildcard
New Hampshire offers a wildcard exemption under RSA 511:2 that lets you protect property the specific categories do not otherwise cover. It generally consists of $1,000 in any property, plus up to $7,000 of the unused portion of certain other exemptions (such as the furniture, tools, books, and provisions categories). That means a filer who does not use up the furniture or tools allowances can redirect that unused room — up to the cap — to cash, a second vehicle, or other assets. This is the tool people use to keep a tax refund, a modest bank balance, or a sentimental item that does not fit a named category.