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If this is your Florida home, make the county record match.

Homestead can lower taxable value and start Save Our Homes protection, but the county property appraiser has to approve it.

The practical path is simple: confirm the home is your permanent residence, gather the proof, and file with the county before the deadline that applies to the tax year.

Find your county property appraiser

First stop

You are mainly proving one thing: this is home.

Florida homestead is for a property you own and make your permanent residence, or the permanent residence of your dependent. If you are filing for the first time, start with your county property appraiser's homestead page and follow their application instructions.

County property appraiser

Your county property appraiser

The state explains the rule, but the county property appraiser reviews the application and decides whether the property gets the exemption.

Find your county official

January 1 residency

January 1

For that tax year, the home generally needs to be your permanent residence, or your dependent's permanent residence, by January 1.

Florida Revenue homestead guide

March 1 filing

By March 1

First-time homestead applications use Form DR-501 and go to the county property appraiser by March 1 of the tax year.

DR-501 application

The exemption

It can lower taxable value.

For 2026, an eligible home with enough assessed value can receive up to $51,411 of homestead exemption for non-school property taxes. The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes. Assessed value from $25,000 through $50,000 is not covered by the regular homestead exemption, and the additional $26,411 applies above $50,000 without reducing school district taxes.

For example, on $80,000 of assessed value, the first $25,000 can reduce both school and non-school property-tax calculations. For non-school taxes, the additional exemption can cover the value from $50,000 through $76,411. The property appraiser calculates the parcel's actual taxable values.

Save Our Homes

The cap starts after homestead.

Once a property has homestead, the annual assessment increase is capped at the lower of 3 percent or the CPI change. For 2026, Florida Revenue lists the cap as 2.7 percent.

Portability

Moving inside Florida can matter.

If you had a previous Florida homestead, you may be able to move part of the Save Our Homes benefit to a new Florida homestead, up to a $500,000 cap. Florida Revenue says you generally establish the new homestead within three years of January 1 of the year you left the old one. Check with the new county before you assume it worked.

Estimate portability

Watch-outs

Three details can change the answer.

Residency changes the answer. Renting the home, moving your permanent residence, or claiming residency elsewhere can affect eligibility. If ownership or residency is not straightforward, call the property appraiser before you file.

A missed March 1 deadline is not a reason to wait. Ask the property appraiser about the limited late-application path before the 25th day after the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes, or TRIM notice, is mailed. Approval requires an accepted reason; it is not automatic.

The whole bill does not freeze. Millage rates, special districts, other exemptions, and assessed value still matter, so homestead is one piece of the property-tax picture.

Find your place Compare other benefits Read property-tax basics

FAQ

Homestead quick answers

Who decides whether I get homestead?

The county property appraiser reviews the application. State guidance explains the rule, but the county office applies it to the property and facts.

What date matters first?

For a tax year, the home generally needs to be your permanent residence, or your dependent's permanent residence, by January 1.

What is the usual filing deadline?

First-time applications generally go to the county property appraiser by March 1 of the tax year. Check the county page for the current process.

What if I missed March 1?

Contact the county property appraiser now. Florida law has a limited late-application path for an otherwise qualified applicant who files by the 25th day after the property appraiser mails the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes, often called the TRIM notice, and shows circumstances that the property appraiser or value adjustment board accepts. It is not an automatic extension.

Does homestead freeze the whole tax bill?

No. Homestead can lower taxable value and start Save Our Homes protection, but millage rates, special districts, non-ad valorem assessments, and local records still matter.

Why can the exemption be more than the old $50,000 shorthand?

Florida Revenue says the additional non-school homestead exemption is adjusted for positive CPI beginning with the 2025 tax year. For 2026, the adjusted additional amount is $26,411, so the full non-school exemption can be higher when the assessed value is high enough.

Official checks

Official sources

This page uses Florida Revenue exemption, homestead, Save Our Homes, and form guidance. Use the county property appraiser before you file; that office reviews the application.

Last reviewed: July 21, 2026

Use this carefully: Use this as a filing guide, not a decision on eligibility. Check your county property appraiser for the current application path and records needed.

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