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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Start with homestead. If you own and occupy a Florida home as your permanent residence on January 1, you may qualify for up to $50,000 in homestead taxable-value exemption. The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes; a second $25,000 applies to assessed value above $50,000 and only to non-school taxes. The county property appraiser—not the Florida Department of Revenue—decides whether your parcel qualifies.
Homestead also starts the Save Our Homes assessment cap, while separate state and local benefits may help seniors, surviving spouses, people with severe disabilities, veterans, active-duty service members, first responders and homeowners who add qualifying living space for an older parent or grandparent. Each benefit has its own residency, income, documentation and filing rules.
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What Florida homeowners can claim first
Florida property-tax relief comes in several different forms. An exemption removes part of a property’s taxable value. A discount reduces a tax bill by a stated percentage. An assessment cap limits how quickly assessed value can rise. These are not interchangeable, and a $50,000 exemption does not mean $50,000 in cash savings.
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Your actual reduction depends on the home’s taxable value, the county’s millage rates and which taxing authorities levy against the property. Florida’s official guidance gives eligibility rules and exemption amounts, but there is no single statewide average savings figure. The property appraiser’s office can show the parcel-specific effect.
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Homestead exemption: eligibility and the two $25,000 tiers
Who can apply
An individual who owns Florida real property on January 1 and makes it a permanent residence may apply. The permanent residence of a qualifying dependent can also satisfy the occupancy requirement. You file with the property appraiser in the county where the home is located.
How the amount is applied
| Portion | What it does | Taxes covered |
|---|---|---|
| First $25,000 | Removes up to $25,000 from taxable value | All property taxes, including school taxes |
| Additional $25,000 | Removes assessed value above $50,000, up to another $25,000 | Non-school taxes only |
Florida Department of Revenue materials describe the benefit as “as much as $50,000.” The second tier does not apply to school-board levies, and neither tier guarantees a particular dollar reduction in the final bill.
When to apply
Apply to the county property appraiser. The office will provide the current filing deadline and any county-specific procedure. Keep confirmation of the filing and review the following year’s assessment notice to make sure the exemption appears.
Save Our Homes: the benefit that follows homestead
Beginning in the year after homestead exemption is granted, Save Our Homes generally limits the annual increase in a homesteaded property’s assessed value to the lesser of the change in the Consumer Price Index or 3 percent. The cap applies to assessed value, not necessarily to the home’s market or “just” value. A rapidly rising market can therefore create a growing gap between just value and assessed value.
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“Beginning the year after you receive homestead exemption, the assessment on your home cannot increase by more than the lesser of the change in the Consumer Price Index or 3 percent each year, no matter how much the just value increases.”
This language appears on the Florida Department of Revenue’s Original Application for Homestead Exemptions, DR-501, revision 08/25.
Portability when you move
Homestead itself stays with the old property and is not transferable to a buyer. If you establish a new Florida homestead, you may be able to transfer (“port”) some or all of the accumulated difference between the old home’s just value and assessed value. The new homestead must be established within the applicable period; the DR-501 materials describe moves within the last three years. File the portability application, DR-501T, and have the new and former county appraisers verify the calculation. Portability is separate from claiming the new homestead exemption.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsAdditional exemptions and discounts by household situation
Homeowners age 65 or older
A county or municipality may adopt an additional homestead exemption for a qualifying owner who is at least 65 and whose household income is below the annual limit. Because this is a local option, the amount and availability differ by jurisdiction.
A separate local option can exempt the home’s entire assessed value when all of these conditions are met: the owner is at least 65, the home’s just value is under $250,000, the owner has used it as a permanent residence for at least 25 years, and household income is within the limit. Ask the local property appraiser whether the ordinance exists and what the current year’s income threshold is; income limits change annually.
Widow or widower, blindness and total permanent disability
DR-501 lists a $5,000 exemption for a widow or widower, a blind person and a totally and permanently disabled person when the required evidence is supplied. This is distinct from provisions that can eliminate all property taxes for narrower, severe-disability categories.
Separate statutes address qualifying quadriplegic homeowners and certain legally blind, paraplegic, hemiplegic or wheelchair-dependent homeowners. Some of those full exemptions are income-limited and require specific medical certification. The evidence and income tests differ, so request the exact form and documentation list from the county appraiser rather than assuming the $5,000 benefit is the only option.
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Florida has several veteran programs, not one universal exemption. Depending on service and disability facts, a homeowner may qualify for:
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- Up to $5,000 for a veteran with a qualifying disability.
- A full homestead exemption for specified service-connected total-and-permanent disabilities.
- A full exemption in certain wheelchair-confinement situations.
- Benefits for certain surviving spouses.
A veteran who is at least 65 and has a combat-related service-connected disability may receive a tax discount equal to the VA disability percentage if every statutory condition is met. The statute requires filing with the county property appraiser by March 1, along with a VA letter identifying the disability percentage and combat-related status, proof of honorable discharge and proof of age.
The age-65 combat-related discount can continue for a surviving spouse who holds title and permanently resides in the homestead. Continued eligibility is conditioned on not remarrying and not selling or otherwise disposing of the property, subject to limited transfer rules. Forms listed by the Department of Revenue include DR-501DV for this discount. Deployed service members should ask about the current DR-501M26 application and its instructions.
Active-duty service members
Florida’s benefit list also includes relief for qualifying active-duty service members. Eligibility can depend on deployment, dates of service and residency facts. Use the current military form and county instructions; do not substitute a veteran-disability application for an active-duty claim.
First responders and surviving spouses
Full homestead exemptions are available in certain line-of-duty death or total-and-permanent-disability cases involving first responders. The surviving-spouse rules are specific to the statute and documentation. Obtain the county’s required certification before filing.
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Living quarters for an older parent or grandparent
A county may reduce assessed value when a homeowner constructs living quarters for an eligible parent or grandparent who is at least 62. This is an assessment benefit rather than the standard homestead exemption. The appraiser must confirm that the relative and construction meet the statutory requirements.
Renewable-energy devices
The Department of Revenue identifies an assessment benefit for certain renewable-energy devices that does not require an application. Keep installation records and ask the appraiser how the device is treated on the parcel record.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to apply: a practical checklist
- Confirm the county. Use the property appraiser for the county where the home sits, even if you live elsewhere part of the year.
- Choose every benefit that fits. Start with DR-501 for homestead. Add DR-501SC when household income must be reported, DR-501T for portability, and the relevant disability or veteran form for specialized relief.
- Gather proof. Depending on the claim, this can include identification and residency records, age proof, household-income documents, medical or disability certification, a VA disability letter, honorable-discharge evidence, deployment records or a death certificate.
- Submit before the county deadline. Veteran applications that use the statutory March 1 deadline should be filed by that date. Other deadlines and late-filing rules are administered locally.
- Check the assessment notice. Confirm that the exemption, assessment cap or discount appears and that the ownership and residency information is accurate.
- Keep the appraiser informed. Report a move, sale, remarriage, change in residency or other event that can end a benefit. Portability and surviving-spouse programs have special continuation rules.
If the property appraiser denies the claim
Read the denial notice carefully. Florida Department of Revenue guidance says a taxpayer may petition the county Value Adjustment Board. The notice and county calendar control the filing deadline, hearing procedure and evidence requirements. Assemble the documents that address the stated reason for denial and submit them in the format the county requires. A Value Adjustment Board petition is different from an ordinary request to correct a clerical error, so ask the appraiser which route applies.
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How to compare benefits before you file
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Does it reduce taxable value, provide a percentage discount or cap assessment growth? | Each mechanism changes the bill differently; Save Our Homes is not a cash exemption. |
| Is it statewide or a local-option program? | Local ordinances can determine whether a senior or long-term-resident benefit exists. |
| Must the home be your homestead? | Most major benefits require permanent residence, while some assessment provisions have separate tests. |
| Are age, income, disability, service or survivor facts required? | These criteria determine which form and evidence package you need. |
| Is there a portability or continuation rule? | Moving, selling, remarriage or changing residency can affect eligibility. |
| What is the filing date? | Missing a statutory or local deadline can delay the benefit or require a board appeal. |
2026 constitutional amendment: proposed, not current law
CS/HJR 1-F was referred to Florida voters for the November 2026 general election. The official legislative summary says that, if at least 60 percent of voters approve it, the proposal would take effect January 1, 2027.
Under the proposed terms, the non-school homestead exemption could be up to $150,000 beginning January 1, 2027, and up to $250,000 beginning January 1, 2028, with positive inflation adjustments beginning in 2029. The measure also describes a smaller initial exemption and a five-year path for people who establish permanent residence later. It would apply only to people who maintained permanent residence by December 31, 2026 and then establish homestead under the proposal’s conditions.
Those amounts are not available as of October 13, 2026. A referral is not an enacted tax change, and the governor’s May 2026 proposal was not identical to the Legislature’s final resolution. Verify the certified ballot language and election result before relying on any proposed amount.
Common mistakes that cost homeowners relief
- Assuming the $50,000 figure is a $50,000 tax credit instead of a taxable-value reduction.
- Applying to the wrong county or failing to claim the new homestead after a move.
- Expecting the second $25,000 tier to reduce school taxes.
- Using a prior year’s senior income limit without checking the current limit.
- Submitting a general disability statement when a statute requires a specified certification.
- Assuming every veteran qualifies for a full exemption.
- Missing the March 1 veteran deadline or the Value Adjustment Board deadline in a denial notice.
- Failing to report a sale, move, remarriage or loss of permanent-residence status.
Bottom line for Florida homeowners
File for homestead with your county property appraiser first, then screen your household for senior, survivor, disability, veteran, active-duty and first-responder programs. Homestead can save taxable value immediately and unlock Save Our Homes in the following year; portability may preserve part of the accumulated assessment advantage when you move. Local adoption, annual income thresholds, medical evidence and service documentation determine whether additional relief is available. Treat the 2026 amendment as a proposal until voters approve it and its effective date arrives.
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