The Hays County homestead exemption deadline is April 30 of the tax year you want the exemption applied to. File Form 50-114 with the Hays Central Appraisal District by that date and the reduction shows up on your fall tax bill. If you miss April 30, Texas law still lets you file a late application up to two years after the taxes for that year become delinquent, so a missed date rarely means a lost benefit.1Hays Central Appraisal District. Exemption Information and Requirements2State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.431 – Late Application for Homestead Exemption
The April 30 Filing Date
April 30 of the current tax year is the standard deadline for filing a residence homestead exemption application with the Hays Central Appraisal District.1Hays Central Appraisal District. Exemption Information and Requirements Filing by that date is the cleanest path. The appraisal district processes your paperwork, your records are updated with the reduced taxable value, and the lower amount appears on the tax bill mailed in the fall. No further action is required from you.
Processing is not instant. Expect several weeks between submission and a written notice of approval or a request for more information, and expect the wait to stretch during the March and April rush. Filing earlier in the year is better than waiting until the deadline weekend.
If You Miss April 30
Missing the deadline does not forfeit the exemption. Under Section 11.431 of the Texas Tax Code, the chief appraiser can accept a late homestead application filed no later than two years after the delinquency date for that year’s taxes.2State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.431 – Late Application for Homestead Exemption Texas property taxes become delinquent on February 1 of the year after the tax year, so for the 2026 tax year, the late window runs to roughly February 1, 2029.
If a late application is approved and you already paid your tax bill without the exemption, you get the overpayment back. The tax collector has to refund the overpaid amount within 60 days of being notified by the chief appraiser, and you do not need to file a separate refund request.2State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.431 – Late Application for Homestead Exemption If the tax has not been paid yet, the collector simply deducts the exempted amount from your bill. People who forgot to file for a year or two can recover real money through this provision.
Late filing is a safety net, not a plan. The sooner you file, the sooner the lower tax amount replaces the higher one, and the less you have to chase refunds and corrections after the fact.
The Separate Deadline for Over-65 and Disabled Exemptions
The over-65 and disability exemptions have their own deadline, and it is not April 30. Under Section 11.43(k), you must apply for these additional exemptions no later than one year after the date you first qualified.3State of Texas. Texas Tax Code TAX 11.43 – Application for Exemption If you turned 65 on March 15, 2026, you have until March 15, 2027, to submit the application for the over-65 exemption. The same one-year rule applies to the disability exemption from the date you first qualified.
This deadline is independent from the general April 30 date and from the two-year late-filing window for the general exemption. If you are approaching 65 or have recently become disabled, mark the one-year anniversary of your qualifying date on your calendar and file well before it.
What You File in Hays County
The required form is 50-114, the Residence Homestead Exemption Application published by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. It asks for your full legal name, date of birth, and the physical street address of the property, and you check the boxes for each exemption you are claiming: general residence, over-65, disability, or others.4Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Residence Homestead Exemption Application Leaving a box unchecked means leaving savings off the table; fixing it later means going back through the amendment process.
You must attach a copy of your Texas driver’s license or state-issued ID, and the address on that ID has to match the property address. A mismatch will stall or block the application. If you recently moved and have not updated your license, handle the DPS address change before you file. Active-duty military members and their spouses can request a waiver of the address-matching requirement, and holders of certain special-category driver’s licenses may also qualify for a waiver.4Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Residence Homestead Exemption Application
Where to Send It
The Hays Central Appraisal District accepts applications through several channels. The district’s online portal lets you upload the completed form and a scan of your ID without leaving home. You can also mail everything to the district office at 712 S Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, Texas 78666, or deliver the application in person during business hours. The form itself is available for download on the district’s website.
Who Qualifies to File at All
To file, you must own the property on January 1 of the tax year and use it as your principal residence.5State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead Ownership can be full or partial, and the property can be a traditional house, a condo, or a manufactured home. Investors and landlords do not qualify, because the exemption is strictly for the home where you live.
If you bought the home after January 1, you do not have to wait a full year to apply. A 2022 change in Texas law lets new buyers apply for the general homestead exemption in the same year they purchase, with the exemption taking effect as of the date you occupy the property as your principal residence. For a mid-year purchase, that means you can file now rather than waiting for the next January.
You Only Have to File Once
The homestead exemption renews automatically each year once it is approved. You do not refile every April 30, and no annual confirmation letter is required from most homeowners. The exemption stays on the property until your eligibility changes, for example because you sell, move your principal residence elsewhere, or convert the home to a rental. If any of those happen, you are required to notify the appraisal district.
Short-term absences generally do not end eligibility. You can keep the exemption as long as you do not establish a principal residence elsewhere, you intend to return, and you are away for less than two years.6Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Residence Homestead Exemption Frequently Asked Questions Military service members stationed elsewhere and people living in a health care or assisted-living facility can exceed the two-year limit without losing it.
Don’t Confuse It with the Protest Deadline
The exemption filing deadline is separate from the appraisal protest deadline. If you also want to challenge the appraised value of your home, the protest deadline is typically May 15, roughly two weeks after the exemption filing date.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Appraisal Protests and Appeals They are two different filings with two different deadlines, and handling both in the same window is common. Filing a protest is not required to receive the exemption, and filing the exemption does not substitute for a protest.