--- title: "Florida's Homestead Exemption: A First Coast Homeowner's Guide" url: https://stacklist.com/card/0f4b5b52-3eb9-4687-93f2-ebd630a0738b published: 2026-11-03T23:13:12.047Z stack: https://stacklist.com/c/home/stack/4174e17a-97c8-49d8-ab6e-d809f630fef0 summary: "Florida's homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of your primary residence and activates the Save Our Homes cap, which limits annual assessed value increases to 3% or the Consumer Price Index change, whichever is lower. Homeowners must apply by March 1 if they own and occupy the property as their permanent residence on January 1, and can transfer up to $500,000 of accumulated benefits through portability when moving to another Florida homestead." tags: "homestead-exemption, florida-taxes, property-tax, save-our-homes, real-estate, first-coast, homeowner-guide" key_entities: "Florida (location), First Coast (location), Duval County (location), St. Johns County (location), homestead-exemption (concept), Save Our Homes cap (concept), portability (concept), Duval County Property Appraiser (organization), St. Johns County Property Appraiser (organization)" classification: "reference" content_hash: "sha256:f100d304eb2e689882cd35ef74c4f3ae83b25c66b2a970919b1aa810ab671db4" acp_version: "0.2" token_counts_approximate: 1447 visibility: public agent_accessible: true status: "final" --- # Florida's Homestead Exemption: A First Coast Homeowner's Guide ## The short answer If you own a home in Florida and it is your permanent residence on January 1, you can apply for the homestead exemption with your county property appraiser. The deadline is March 1. The exemption lowers the taxable value of your home, and it starts the Save Our Homes cap, which limits how fast your assessed value can rise in later years. It is not automatic. You have to apply. I've walked a lot of people through their first Florida closing. The question I hear most often comes a few months later: "Did I miss something on my taxes?" More often than not, this is it. ## Who qualifies for the Florida homestead exemption? You qualify when two things are true on January 1 of the tax year: - You hold title to the home. - You live in it as your permanent residence. When you apply, your property appraiser will ask for proof that you've made Florida home. Expect to provide items like a Florida driver license or ID card showing the property address, a Florida vehicle registration, and a Florida voter registration if you're registered. Each county lists its exact requirements, so check before you file. Second homes, rental properties and investment properties do not qualify. ## What is the homestead exemption worth? The exemption has two parts: - **The first $25,000** of assessed value is exempt from all property taxes, including school taxes. - **A second exemption** applies to assessed value above $50,000 and counts against non-school taxes only. It started at $25,000 and is now adjusted each year for inflation. What that saves you in dollars depends on your home's assessed value and the millage rates where you live. Your property appraiser's website has an estimator, and your annual TRIM notice in August shows the exemption at work. ## How does Save Our Homes work? Once your homestead is in place, the Save Our Homes cap limits how much your assessed value can increase each year: 3 percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. Market value can climb faster than that. Over time, the gap between your market value and your capped assessed value grows. That gap is your Save Our Homes benefit, and for long-time owners it often matters more than the exemption itself. **A note for buyers:** when a home sells, its assessed value resets for the new owner. The seller's tax bill reflects the seller's exemptions and years of capped growth. Don't budget your escrow from it. Ask your lender or me to estimate taxes at your purchase price. ## Can I take my Save Our Homes benefit with me? Yes, if you're moving from one Florida homestead to another. This is called portability. - You can transfer up to $500,000 of your accumulated Save Our Homes benefit to your new homestead. - You need to establish the new homestead within three tax years of leaving the old one. - Portability is a separate application from the homestead exemption. In Florida it's Form DR-501T, filed with the property appraiser in the county of your new home, by the same March 1 deadline. If you're selling one First Coast home and buying another, plan your timing with portability in mind. It's one of the easiest ways to leave money on the table. ## A filing timeline you can follow Here's how the calendar usually plays out: 1. **You close and move in during the fall.** On January 1, you own the home and live there. 2. **Between January 1 and March 1,** you file your homestead application (and portability, if it applies). 3. **That November,** your tax bill reflects the exemption. If you close after January 1, you didn't own the home on that date, so the exemption starts the following tax year. Some counties will take your application early once you've closed and moved in. Ask yours. ## Where do I file on the First Coast? You file with the property appraiser in the county where the home sits. Most offer online filing. - **Duval County:** Duval County Property Appraiser (Jacksonville) - **St. Johns County:** St. Johns County Property Appraiser - **Clay County:** Clay County Property Appraiser - **Nassau County:** Nassau County Property Appraiser - **Baker County:** Baker County Property Appraiser The Florida Department of Revenue keeps a directory of every county property appraiser if you're buying elsewhere in the state. ## What about Amendment 3? On November 3, 2026, Florida voters decided Amendment 3. It proposed raising the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and lowering the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent. It needed 60 percent of the vote to pass. Whatever the outcome, the first step doesn't change. Own and live in the home on January 1. File by March 1. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I have to reapply every year? 1. Once approved, the exemption renews automatically as long as you continue to own the home and live in it as your permanent residence. If you rent the home out or move, tell your property appraiser. ### Will the homestead exemption lower my mortgage payment? Indirectly. If your taxes are paid through escrow, your lender adjusts your payment after the lower tax bill comes through, usually at the annual escrow review. ### Can I claim homestead on a vacation home or rental? 1. Homestead is for your permanent residence. Non-homestead property has its own 10 percent annual cap on assessment increases for non-school taxes. ### What if I miss the March 1 deadline? Call your property appraiser right away. Florida allows late applications in limited circumstances, and the window is short. ### Is the exemption the same in every Florida county? The state rules are the same. Millage rates and some local exemptions differ by county and city, so your savings will too.