Florida's homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of a home that is the owner's permanent residence. It is granted by the county property appraiser, not by the state, and it is claimed by filing an application — Form DR-501 — on or before March 1.
It also unlocks the Save Our Homes assessment cap, which limits how fast the assessed value of a homesteaded property can rise. For a long-held home that cap is usually worth far more than the exemption itself.
2026 figures
The second exemption is no longer a flat $25,000. Amendment 5, approved by 66.02% of Florida voters on November 5, 2024 and effective January 1, 2025, indexes it annually to the Consumer Price Index — and only ever upward. It was $25,722 for 2025 and $26,411 for 2026.
One consequence is easy to miss: because the exemption grew, so did the band it phases in over. It now applies to assessed value above $50,000 and is fully applied at $76,411, not $75,000.
How the exemption is applied
The two exemptions do not simply add up against one figure. They apply to different slices of assessed value, and to different taxing authorities.
| Slice of assessed value | School district levies | All other levies |
|---|---|---|
| $0 – $25,000 | Exempt | Exempt |
| $25,000 – $50,000 | Taxable | Taxable |
| $50,000 – $76,411 | Taxable | Exempt (up to $26,411 for 2026) |
| Above $76,411 | Taxable | Taxable |
Where to start
Applying
Who qualifies, what the property appraiser looks at as proof of permanent residence, Form DR-501, the March 1 deadline, late filing and automatic renewal.
Save Our Homes and portability
The 3% cap, when it starts, what resets it, and how to carry up to $500,000 of accumulated benefit to a new Florida homestead within three tax years.
Other exemptions
Senior, veteran, disability, widow and widower, first responder and surviving-spouse provisions — which are statewide and which require a local ordinance.
Your county
All 67 county property appraisers and tax collectors, who accepts online filing, links to each county's own tax estimator, and a savings calculator.
Florida voters decide Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026. If approved by 60% of voters it would raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 for 2027 and $250,000 for 2028, with a five-year residency requirement for people establishing Florida residency on or after January 1, 2027.
None of it is law today. For the 2026 tax roll the exemption remains $25,000 plus $26,411. What the measure would do →
Three different things called “homestead”
Florida law uses the word for three separate regimes. They come from different parts of the constitution, have different tests, and do different things. Conflating them is the single most common error in writing on this subject.
| Source | What it does | Requires filing? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax exemption | Fla. Const. Art. VII, §6 and Chapter 196, F.S. | Reduces taxable value and unlocks the Save Our Homes cap | Yes — Form DR-501 with the county property appraiser by March 1 |
| Creditor protection | Fla. Const. Art. X, §4(a)–(b) | Exempts the homestead from forced sale by most creditors | No — self-executing |
| Descent and devise restriction | Fla. Const. Art. X, §4(c) and s. 732.401, F.S. | Restricts who the owner may leave the homestead to | No — operates automatically at death |
The acreage limits people quote — 160 contiguous acres outside a municipality, half an acre inside one — belong to the creditor protection rule, not the tax exemption. And filing, or not filing, a DR-501 has no bearing on creditor protection.
Common questions
How much is the Florida homestead exemption in 2026?
When is the Florida homestead exemption deadline?
Do I have to reapply for homestead exemption every year in Florida?
Who qualifies for the Florida homestead exemption?
Does the homestead exemption apply to school taxes?
Sources
- s. 196.031, Florida Statutes — homestead exemption and the CPI adjustment — http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0196/Sections/0196.031.html
- Florida Dept. of Revenue, 2025 CPI adjustment to the homestead exemption — https://floridarevenue.com/property/Documents/2025_cpi_homestead_exemption.pdf
- Florida Dept. of Revenue PTO Bulletin 24-20, Amendment 5 inflation adjustment — https://floridarevenue.com/TaxLaw/Documents/PTO%20BUL%2024-20%20Constitutional%20Amendment%205%20Annual%20Inflation%20Adjustment%20to%20Homestead%20Exemption%20Value.pdf
- Pinellas County Property Appraiser — 2026 exemption total of $51,411 — https://www.pcpao.gov/homestead-exemption
- Volusia County Property Appraiser — 2026 additional exemption of $26,411 — https://vcpa.vcgov.org/exemption/homestead
- s. 193.155, Florida Statutes — Save Our Homes and portability — http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0193/Sections/0193.155.html
- Florida Dept. of Revenue — Property Tax Information for Taxpayers — https://floridarevenue.com/property/Pages/Taxpayers.aspx