Florida Homestead Exemption: Who Qualifies and How to File

Updated October 3, 2026

A homestead exemption takes up to $51,411 off the taxable value of your primary Florida home for most levies and caps how fast your assessment can grow. You have to apply for it, and the deadline is March 1.

How much the exemption is worth

Florida's homestead exemption comes in two pieces:

• First $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all property taxes, including school taxes.
• An additional exemption applies to assessed value above $50,000, for non-school taxes only. It was $25,000 for years; since 2025 it is adjusted for inflation and is $26,411 for 2026.

The value between $25,000 and $50,000 is fully taxable. At Florida's average rates the exemption saves about $685 a year on a home assessed above roughly $76,000. Your savings depend on your county's millage; see the county table.

The exemption also switches on the Save Our Homes cap, which limits yearly increases in assessed value to 3% or inflation, whichever is lower. For long-time owners in fast-rising markets the cap is often worth more than the exemption itself.

Who qualifies

You qualify for a given tax year if, on January 1 of that year:

• you hold legal or beneficial title to the property (deed, certain trusts, life estates and some co-op shares count),
• you live there and it is your permanent residence, and
• neither you nor your spouse claims a residency-based exemption or tax credit on another property, in Florida or any other state.

Buying in February means you cannot claim the exemption until the following January 1. Married couples get one homestead between them.

How to file

1. Gather proof of residency. Property appraisers typically ask for a Florida driver license or ID, Florida vehicle registration, Florida voter registration (if registered), and Social Security numbers for each owner and spouse. Some also accept a recorded declaration of domicile.
2. File with your county property appraiser. Most counties offer online filing. The statewide form is DR-501. File by March 1.
3. Add portability if you moved within Florida. If you had a Florida homestead in the last three years, file form DR-501T at the same time to carry over your Save Our Homes benefit.
4. Check your TRIM notice in August. The exemption should appear in the exemptions column. If it doesn't, call the property appraiser right away.

Once granted, the exemption renews automatically each year. You must tell the property appraiser if you stop using the home as your permanent residence.

Missed March 1?

Florida law lets you file late if you can show extenuating circumstances. You file with the property appraiser and, if denied, can petition the Value Adjustment Board within 25 days after TRIM notices are mailed. Policies vary by county, so call early.

Additional exemptions you may stack on top

• Widow or widower: $5,000.
• Blindness or total and permanent disability: $5,000; certain quadriplegic and wheelchair-bound residents can qualify for a full exemption subject to income limits.
• Veterans: $5,000 with a service-connected disability of 10% or more; a full exemption for veterans with a total and permanent service-connected disability; a discount for veterans 65+ with a combat-related disability.
• Seniors 65+ (local option): many counties and cities offer up to $50,000 more for seniors below an income limit that is adjusted each year, and some offer a full exemption to low-income seniors who have lived in the home 25 years or more.
• Deployed military: an exemption proportional to days deployed outside the U.S. in support of designated operations.

Most of these require their own application and documentation, also due March 1.

What can make you lose it

• Renting the whole home for more than 30 days in each of two consecutive calendar years counts as abandoning the homestead.
• Moving out or making another property your permanent residence.
• Claiming residency or a residency-based tax benefit in another state.

An improper homestead can be back-assessed for up to ten years, with a penalty of 50% of the unpaid taxes plus 15% interest a year. If your situation changes, tell the property appraiser.

Frequently asked questions