How to File for Bankruptcy in Nevada: Forms, Fees, and 341 Meeting

To file for bankruptcy in Nevada, you complete an approved credit counseling course, prepare the federal petition and schedules along with Nevada-specific forms, pass the means test if you want Chapter 7, and submit everything to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada in either the Las Vegas or Reno division with a $338 (Chapter 7) or $313 (Chapter 13) filing fee. Between 21 and 40 days later you attend a Meeting of Creditors, finish a second financial education course, and — if nothing is contested — receive your discharge about 60 days after the meeting in a Chapter 7 case, or at the end of a three-to-five-year repayment plan in Chapter 13.

Step 1: Complete Credit Counseling First

Federal law requires every individual filer to finish a credit counseling course from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee for the District of Nevada before the petition is filed. You have to complete it within the 180 days leading up to filing, and the agency issues a certificate that goes in with your paperwork.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S.C. 109 – Who May Be a Debtor Skip the course or use an unapproved provider and the court will almost always dismiss the case. Narrow exceptions exist for emergencies, disability, and active-duty service in a combat zone, but even emergency filers typically have to complete the course within 30 days of filing.

Step 2: Decide Between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13

Chapter 7 wipes out most unsecured debts in a few months. Chapter 13 reorganizes what you owe into a repayment plan that runs three to five years. Which one you can use depends largely on income.

Chapter 7 requires passing the means test, documented on Official Form 122A-1. The test compares your household’s average monthly income over the six months before filing to Nevada’s median income for a household your size.2United States Courts. Chapter 7 Statement of Your Current Monthly Income Official Form 122A-1 If you’re at or below the median, you qualify without further calculation.

For cases filed on or after November 1, 2025, the Nevada medians are:3U.S. Trustee Program/Dept. of Justice. Census Bureau Median Family Income By Family Size

  • 1 person: $70,370
  • 2 people: $85,660
  • 3 people: $99,032
  • 4 people: $111,184
  • Add $11,100 for each additional person

If you’re over the median, a second calculation on Form 122A-2 subtracts allowable expenses to see whether you have enough disposable income to fund a Chapter 13 plan. Passing the full test doesn’t guarantee the court will let you proceed in Chapter 7 — a case can still be dismissed for abuse — but failing it generally pushes you into Chapter 13. Chapter 13 filers complete a parallel form (122C-1) that sets the length of their plan rather than deciding eligibility.

Step 3: Gather Your Forms and Financial Records

The central document is the Voluntary Petition for Individuals, Official Form 101, which captures identifying information, your address, the type of debts you have, and estimates of your assets and liabilities.4United States Courts. Official Form 101 Voluntary Petition for Individuals Filing for Bankruptcy You file it with a stack of supporting schedules:

  • Schedules A/B list all real estate and personal property you own.
  • Schedule C lists the exemptions you’re claiming.
  • Schedules D and E/F list secured debts (mortgages, car loans) and unsecured debts (credit cards, medical bills).
  • Schedules I and J report your current income and monthly expenses.

The District of Nevada also expects local supplements. Official Form 121, the Statement About Your Social Security Numbers, gives the court your full SSN for verification but stays off the public record.5United States Courts. Official Form 121 Statement About Your Social Security Numbers You also prepare a Master Mailing Matrix — a complete list of every creditor’s name and address — so the court and trustee can notify everyone with a stake in your case.

Step 4: Know Which Property Nevada Lets You Keep

Nevada is an opt-out state, so you must use Nevada’s exemption list rather than the federal set. These exemptions decide what you keep in Chapter 7 and set the floor for what you have to repay in Chapter 13.

The homestead is the big one. Nevada protects up to $605,000 of equity in your primary residence.6Nevada Legislature. NRS Chapter 115 – Homesteads If you acquired the home less than about 1,215 days (roughly three years and four months) before filing, a federal cap of $189,050 may override the state figure. Other important Nevada exemptions:7Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes 21.090 – Property Exempt From Execution

  • Motor vehicle equity up to $15,000, with no limit for a vehicle equipped for a person with a disability.
  • Household goods — furniture, appliances, electronics — up to $12,000.
  • Tools of the trade, including professional libraries and equipment, up to $10,000.
  • A wildcard of $10,000 for any personal property (not real estate).
  • Private libraries, art, and jewelry up to $5,000.

You claim these on Schedule C. Any equity above the applicable cap can be sold by the Chapter 7 trustee to pay creditors. In practice, most individual Chapter 7 cases in Nevada are “no-asset” cases, meaning the exemptions cover everything the filer owns and nothing gets sold.

Step 5: File in the Right Division and Pay the Fee

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada has two divisions, and you must file in the one covering your county of residence:8United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Nevada. Local Rule 1071 – Divisions – Bankruptcy Court

  • Southern Division (Las Vegas): Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, and Nye counties.
  • Northern Division (Reno): Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, and White Pine counties.

Filing in the wrong division delays the case and may force you to refile. The division also decides which trustee panel handles your case and where your creditors’ meeting takes place.

Attorneys and registered pro se electronic filers submit through the court’s CM/ECF system. Without electronic access, you can file in person at the clerk’s office or by mail to the correct division. The fees are:9U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Nevada. Bankruptcy Fee Schedule

  • Chapter 7: $338
  • Chapter 13: $313

If you can’t pay upfront, Official Form 103A requests an installment plan that splits the fee into up to four payments over 120 days. Chapter 7 filers whose income is under 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines can use Official Form 103B to ask for a full waiver. Without the fee or an approved form, the court will dismiss the petition.

Emergency Filings

Facing an imminent foreclosure, repossession, or wage garnishment? You can file a skeleton petition to trigger the automatic stay right away. The minimum includes the petition itself, your creditors’ contact information, the credit counseling certificate (or a waiver request), and Form 121. You then have 14 days to file the remaining schedules or the case is dismissed. Outside normal court hours (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday), you can arrange an emergency filing by calling the Las Vegas intake office at (702) 527-7000 or the Reno office at (775) 326-2100.10U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Nevada. Emergency Filings and Motions

What the Automatic Stay Stops

The moment you file, a federal court order called the automatic stay takes effect and halts most collection activity, including:11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S. Code 362 – Automatic Stay

  • Lawsuits over pre-filing debts
  • Wage garnishments
  • Collector calls and letters
  • Foreclosure proceedings
  • Vehicle or property repossession
  • Bank account levies

The stay has limits. Criminal proceedings continue. So do family law matters, including paternity, custody, domestic support collection, and domestic violence cases. If you had a bankruptcy dismissed within the previous year, the stay in your new case lasts only 30 days unless the court extends it, and a second dismissed case within that window means no stay at all absent a court order.

Step 6: Attend the 341 Meeting and Finish Debtor Education

Between 21 and 40 days after filing, the court sets a Meeting of Creditors — the “341 meeting.” In Nevada these are held in federal building conference rooms or through authorized telephone or video platforms. Bring a government-issued photo ID and proof of your Social Security number, like your card or a W-2.

The trustee runs the meeting and asks questions under oath about your schedules: income, assets, debts, recent transactions. Creditors are allowed to attend but rarely do. If your paperwork is complete and accurate, the meeting usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.

After the meeting, you must complete the second required course — a personal financial management class (debtor education) from a U.S. Trustee–approved provider.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S.C. 111 – Nonprofit Budget and Credit Counseling Agencies; Financial Management Instructional Courses It’s separate from the pre-filing counseling. File Official Form 423 to document completion. Without it, the court will not grant your discharge. These courses typically run $10 to $50 and can be taken online or by phone.

Reaffirmation if You Want to Keep a Car Loan

In Chapter 7, keeping a car or other secured property while you continue paying may require a reaffirmation agreement — a contract that keeps you personally liable for that debt even though your other qualifying debts are being wiped out. The agreement has to be signed before discharge and filed with the court.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S.C. 524 – Effect of Discharge If you file without an attorney, the judge must hold a hearing and find the deal is in your best interest and not an undue hardship.

The risk is real. Once you reaffirm, you lose bankruptcy protection on that loan. Fall behind later and the lender can repossess and sue for any deficiency, and you cannot file Chapter 7 again for eight years.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S. Code 727 – Discharge Think hard before reaffirming when the loan balance is close to or above what the property is worth.

Discharge Timing and Debts That Survive

In a typical Chapter 7, discharge arrives about 60 days after the first scheduled 341 meeting date, provided no one objects and you’ve filed Form 423. Chapter 13 discharge comes only after you finish every payment under your three-to-five-year plan.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S.C. 1328 – Discharge The discharge order bars creditors from collecting the eliminated debts, and the court mails notice to everyone on your mailing matrix. A bankruptcy filing can appear on your credit report for up to 10 years from the filing date.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. 1681c – Requirements Relating to Information Contained in Consumer Reports

Several categories of debt survive bankruptcy regardless of chapter:17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S. Code 523 – Exceptions to Discharge

  • Domestic support obligations — child support and alimony — are never discharged.
  • Recent income taxes, taxes with no return filed, and taxes involving fraud or willful evasion survive; older tax debts may be dischargeable if specific timing rules are met.
  • Government-backed and qualified private student loans survive unless you prove undue hardship in a separate court proceeding, a difficult standard.
  • Debts obtained by fraud or a materially false financial statement, if the creditor proves it.
  • Criminal fines and restitution.
  • Debts for death or personal injury caused by driving under the influence.

Chapter 13’s discharge is slightly broader — some obligations that survive Chapter 7, including certain divorce property settlements, can be eliminated when you complete the plan.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 U.S.C. 1328 – Discharge Support, most taxes, student loans, and criminal restitution still don’t go away under either chapter.

Filing Without a Lawyer

You have the right to file pro se, but the District of Nevada warns that bankruptcy is a particularly difficult area to handle alone.18U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Nevada. Filing Without an Attorney (Pro Se) The clerk’s office cannot give legal advice. The court links to resources from the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, which publishes a free bankruptcy manual. If your case involves significant assets, a mortgage, or contested debts, professional representation sharply reduces the chance of losing property or having the case dismissed.