There is no rights restoration procedure after a U.S. bankruptcy
Unlike systems that suspend civil qualifications on a bankruptcy adjudication and then restore them through a separate step, U.S. law has no restoration procedure to wait for. A Chapter 7 discharge ends the case, and 11 U.S.C. 525 already bars governmental units and most employers from discriminating against someone solely because they were a debtor. What actually runs on a clock is how soon you can file again and how long the case stays on a credit report.
Enter the date the prior case was filed and, if it happened, the date the discharge was entered. All of the dates shown run from the filing date, because that is the reference point each rule uses.
Statutory basis (as of September 2026) — 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(8) denies a Chapter 7 discharge if the debtor received one in a case commenced within eight years before the new petition, and 11 U.S.C. 1328(f)(1) denies a Chapter 13 discharge if a Chapter 7 discharge came from a case filed within the preceding four years. The Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)(1), allows reporting of a case for ten years from the date of entry of the order for relief.
This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Filing bars interact with dismissals, conversions and prior cases in ways that depend on the record, so consult a licensed bankruptcy attorney about your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. U.S. bankruptcy law has no restoration application. The discharge itself closes the debts, and 11 U.S.C. 525 limits governmental and employment discrimination based solely on a bankruptcy filing.
No. Both are measured from the date the earlier case was commenced, not from when the discharge was entered, which is why every date on this page uses the filing date as its starting point.