Owning a home in Florida
Florida Homestead Exemption: A 2026 Guide
In 2026 the Florida homestead exemption can take up to $51,411 off the assessed value of your permanent home: $25,000 off all property taxes, plus up to $26,411 more off non-school taxes. You must own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1, then apply with your county property appraiser by March 1.
Kris Persaud · Watson Realty Corp. · 1390 N Hancock Rd, Clermont, FL 34711
2026 amounts
How Much It Takes Off
The exemption comes in two parts. The first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from every property tax on the bill, including school taxes. A second exemption applies to assessed value above $50,000 and covers non-school taxes only.
Since 2025 that second part rises with inflation each January 1, after Florida voters approved Amendment 5 in November 2024. It was $25,000 in 2024, $25,722 in 2025 and $26,411 in 2026.
| Tax year | Off all taxes | Extra off non-school taxes | Most it can take off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| 2025 | $25,000 | $25,722 | $50,722 |
| 2026 | $25,000 | $26,411 | $51,411 |
Source: Florida Department of Revenue, Additional Homestead Exemption Adjustment (revised January 2026); Fla. Stat. 196.031.
The January 1 rule
Who Qualifies
- You hold legal or equitable title to the home on January 1 of the tax year.
- You live in the home on January 1 and, in good faith, make it your permanent residence.
- You apply by March 1 of that same year. The exemption does not start on its own when you buy.
- Once granted, it renews each year while you own and live in the home. Tell the property appraiser if that changes, for example if you rent the home out or move.
Timing matters when you buy. A home bought in February 2027 can't be homestead for 2027, because you did not own it on January 1. You would apply for 2028. Lake County lets owners who move in after January 1 file early for the next tax year.
Step by step
How to Apply in Lake, Orange and Osceola
Get your Florida paperwork in order
Counties want proof of Florida residency, usually a Florida driver license or ID card plus a Florida vehicle registration or voter registration showing the home's address.
File with the county property appraiser
Use the county's online filing, or the paper application, form DR-501 (Original Application for Homestead and Related Tax Exemptions). Lake County uses its own approved version of that form.
Meet the March 1 deadline
File between January 1 and March 1 of the tax year. If you are moving an earlier homestead's tax savings, file the portability form DR-501T at the same time.
Check your August notice
The proposed tax notice (TRIM notice) mailed in August shows whether the exemption was applied. Call the appraiser's office straight away if it is missing.
| County | Online filing | What the county asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Lake (Clermont, Minneola, Groveland, Montverde) | Lake County online filing | Two proofs of Florida residency per resident (Florida license or ID, Florida vehicle registration, Lake County voter registration, or a recorded Affidavit of Florida Residency), plus Social Security numbers for you and your spouse |
| Orange (Winter Garden, Ocoee, Windermere, Apopka, Orlando) | Orange County online filing | For each applicant, a Florida license or ID card, plus a Florida vehicle registration or voter ID card |
| Osceola (Kissimmee) | Osceola County online filing | Social Security number, Florida license or ID, Florida vehicle registration and Florida voter card showing the property address, plus a recent electric bill. Proofs dated before January 1 |
Sources: Lake County Property Appraiser, Orange County Property Appraiser and Osceola County Property Appraiser exemption pages, read October 9, 2026. Requirements can change; check the county site before you file.
Missed March 1? Florida law allows a late application up to 25 days after the August notice is mailed. The appraiser may grant it, or you can petition the Value Adjustment Board (a $15 fee) if you can show extenuating circumstances (Fla. Stat. 196.011). It is far easier to file on time.
Keeping the savings
Save Our Homes and Portability
Once a home has the homestead exemption, Save Our Homes limits how much its assessed value can rise each year: 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower (Fla. Stat. 193.155). Market value can climb faster than assessed value, so the gap between the two grows over the years.
Portability lets you carry that gap to your next Florida homestead, up to $500,000. Moving to a pricier home carries the full gap; moving to a cheaper one carries a share in proportion to the new home's value. You need to set up the new homestead within three years of January 1 of the year you left the old one, and file form DR-501T with your DR-501.
Not law yet
Amendment 3 on the November 2026 Ballot
Florida voters will see a property tax amendment, listed as Amendment 3, on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The Legislature passed it on June 2, 2026, and it needs at least 60% of the vote to pass. Until then, the current rules on this page stay in place.
As written, it would leave the $25,000 school-tax exemption as it is and raise the non-school homestead exemption to up to $150,000 from January 1, 2027 and up to $250,000 from January 1, 2028. Homeowners who are permanent residents by December 31, 2026 would qualify for the larger amounts. New homesteads from 2027 would start at $50,000 and step up in their fifth year. It would also lower the yearly cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property from 10% to 5% for non-school taxes. It would not end property taxes.
Beyond homestead
Other Exemptions You May Qualify For
- Widow or widower: $5,000 (with a death certificate).
- Disability: $5,000 for a total and permanent disability or blindness, with a full exemption in some cases under income limits.
- Veterans: $5,000 for a service-connected disability of 10% or more, a discount for some combat-disabled veterans 65 and older, and a full exemption for a total and permanent service-connected disability.
- Seniors 65 and older with limited income (local option): the 2026 income limit is $38,686. In Lake County, the city amount differs; Clermont grants $25,000 while Lake County and Minneola grant up to $50,000. File form DR-501SC by March 1.
Sources: Lake County and Osceola County property appraiser exemption pages, read October 9, 2026. Each county sets the details for its local options, so ask your property appraiser which ones apply to you.
Next steps
Buying a Home You Plan to Live In?
When you buy, the seller's tax bill reflects their exemptions, not yours. Your first year's taxes can be higher or lower once the home is reassessed in your name and your own homestead is applied. Kris can help you look up a home's current tax bill before you write an offer.
Estimate the payment
Add the property tax, insurance and HOA to a mortgage estimate.
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Driver license, car registration and the rest of the residency checklist.
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Homestead exemption questions
How much is the Florida homestead exemption in 2026?
Up to $51,411 off assessed value: $25,000 off all taxes, plus up to $26,411 off non-school taxes on assessed value above $50,000 (Florida Department of Revenue, January 2026).
When is the deadline to file for homestead in Florida?
March 1 of the tax year. You must own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1 of that year.
What form do I use to apply?
Form DR-501, Original Application for Homestead and Related Tax Exemptions, or your county property appraiser's online filing. Lake County uses its own approved version of DR-501.
What documents do I need for homestead in Lake County?
Lake County asks for two proofs of Florida residency per resident, such as a Florida driver license or ID, Florida vehicle registration, Lake County voter registration or a recorded Affidavit of Florida Residency, plus Social Security numbers for you and your spouse.
What is Save Our Homes?
A cap on how much a homestead's assessed value can rise each year: 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower.
Can I move my homestead savings to a new home?
Yes. Portability can carry up to $500,000 of your Save Our Homes difference to a new Florida homestead set up within three years. File form DR-501T with your application.
Will Amendment 3 get rid of property taxes?
No. If voters approve it on November 3, 2026, it would raise the non-school homestead exemption in steps from 2027 and keep school taxes and the $25,000 school exemption as they are. It needs 60% of the vote.
Keep reading
Related pages
Questions about taxes on a home you're considering?
Call or text Kris directly on his cell, or send a message and he will get back to you.
Kris Persaud · Watson Realty Corp. · 1390 N Hancock Rd, Clermont, FL 34711