If a Florida home is your permanent residence on January 1, you can apply for the homestead exemption. It lowers the taxable value of the home and limits how fast its assessed value can rise — two of the biggest levers on what you pay in property taxes every year.
What the exemption saves
The homestead exemption takes up to roughly $50,000 off the assessed value of your home, in two parts:
- The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes, including school taxes.
- The second $25,000 applies to the assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 and does not apply to school taxes. Since 2025 (Amendment 5) this second amount is adjusted every year for inflation — it was $25,722 for 2025 — and it can only go up.
The Save Our Homes cap
Starting the year after your homestead is granted, the assessed value of the home can rise by at most 3% a year (or the change in the Consumer Price Index, if lower), no matter how much the market value climbs. Over the years this gap between market value and assessed value can become the largest part of your savings.
Portability: taking your savings to a new home
When you move from one Florida homestead to another, you can transfer the accumulated Save Our Homes difference — up to $500,000 — to the new home, as long as you establish the new homestead in time (generally within three years of leaving the old one). You apply for portability together with the new homestead exemption.
Who qualifies
- You own the property and it is your permanent residence on January 1 of the tax year.
- The property appraiser will ask for proof of residency — typically a Florida driver license or ID, vehicle registration and voter registration showing the address.
- Investment properties and second homes do not qualify.
How and when to apply
Apply with the property appraiser of the county where the home is, by March 1. Most counties accept online applications:
What buyers should know
The seller's property tax bill is not a good estimate of yours. The seller's exemption and Save Our Homes cap end with the sale, and the home is reassessed at market value the year after you buy. Budget with the taxes you will pay — not the ones the seller paid — and file your own homestead application by March 1 after you move in.
Frequently asked questions
When is the homestead exemption deadline in Florida?
March 1 of the tax year. The home must be your permanent residence on January 1 of that year.
I bought my home in November. When do I apply?
If you live in it as your permanent residence on January 1, apply by March 1 of that new year. The exemption then applies to that year's tax bill.
Will my property taxes be higher than the seller's?
Often, yes. The seller's Save Our Homes cap does not transfer to you, so the home is reassessed at market value. If you are moving from another Florida homestead, portability can offset part of the difference.
Can I claim homestead on a rental or second home?
No. The exemption is only for the home you own and live in as your permanent residence.
Questions about your situation? Talk to Dayron Crespo — in English or Spanish.
- Miami-Dade Property Appraiser — Portability
- Miami-Dade Property Appraiser — Second homestead exemption
- Broward County Property Appraiser
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser
General information only — not legal, tax or insurance advice. Laws and rates change; confirm the details for your property with the county property appraiser, an attorney, your insurer or your title company.