How to Get a Homestead Exemption in Texas: Eligibility, Filing, and Deadlines

To get a homestead exemption in Texas, file Form 50-114 with the appraisal district in the county where your home is located, generally between January 1 and April 30, and include a copy of a Texas driver’s license or state ID showing the same address as the property.¹ Once approved, the general exemption removes $140,000 from your home’s taxable value for school district taxes, with additional reductions possible from your county, city, and other local taxing units.²

Who Qualifies

You qualify if you own the home and use it as your primary residence. The property has to be owned by an individual, not by a business entity like an LLC or corporation. Certain qualifying trusts can hold title as long as you have the legal right to live there as your primary residence.²

You can claim the exemption on only one property. If you own more than one home, only the one where you actually live qualifies. The exemption covers your house and up to 20 acres of surrounding land used as your yard, as long as it’s all part of the same property.²

Temporary absences don’t disqualify you. If you move away but intend to return, you can keep the exemption for up to two years, provided you haven’t established a primary residence somewhere else in the meantime. That covers situations like military deployment, a temporary job assignment, or extended medical care.²

What You Need Before You File

The application is Form 50-114, available on the Texas Comptroller’s website or from your county appraisal district.¹ Pull these items together before you start:

Your full legal name and the physical street address of the home (not a P.O. Box).
The property’s legal description, which appears on your deed or a previous tax bill.
Your property account number or parcel ID, assigned by the county appraisal district.
Your purchase date and your ownership percentage in the property.
A copy of your Texas driver’s license or state-issued ID card.

The ID is where most applications get tripped up. The address on your driver’s license or state ID has to match the physical address of the property you’re claiming. If they don’t match, the appraisal district will deny the application, and there is no workaround. If you recently moved, update your license with DPS before you file.¹

The form also asks you to certify that you don’t claim a homestead exemption on any other property, in Texas or anywhere else. If you’re applying for an additional exemption as a senior, a disabled homeowner, or a veteran, check the appropriate boxes on the form and attach any required supporting documents, such as a VA letter or Social Security disability determination.³

When to File

The standard filing window runs from January 1 through April 30 of the tax year you want the exemption to apply to. Filing within that window ensures the exemption appears on your tax bill when it arrives in the fall.¹

Just bought the house? You don’t have to wait for next January. You can apply right after closing, and the exemption will cover a prorated portion of the current tax year, as long as the previous owner didn’t already claim the same exemption that year.³

Missed the deadline? You still have options. Texas allows late homestead applications for up to two years after the delinquency date for the taxes on your home. If you forgot to file or didn’t know you needed to, you can apply retroactively and recover the savings you should have received.⁴ A lot of homeowners leave money on the table simply because they assumed they were too late.

How to Submit the Application

Send the completed Form 50-114 and a copy of your ID to the appraisal district in the county where your property is located. Do not send it to the Texas Comptroller.¹ Most counties accept the application three ways:

Online, through a secure upload portal on the appraisal district’s website.
By mail, sending the signed form and a copy of your ID to the appraisal district’s mailing address.
In person at the appraisal district office, which gives you a chance to confirm the file looks complete before you walk out.

Once approved, you generally don’t have to re-file every year. The exemption stays in effect until you sell the home, stop using it as your primary residence, or otherwise become ineligible. The appraisal district may periodically verify your eligibility, but you won’t be filling out the same form annually.

What Happens After You File

The chief appraiser has 90 days to approve, modify, or deny your application after receiving all the necessary information.² If something is missing, the appraiser will send a written request for more information. You have 30 days to respond. Miss that window and your application gets denied.¹

If the application is denied, you’ll receive a written notice explaining why. You have the right to protest to the Appraisal Review Board by filing Form 50-132. The protest deadline is generally May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district mails the denial notice, whichever is later.⁵ Don’t skip this step if you believe you qualify. A denial based on something like a driver’s license address mismatch can often be resolved quickly once you update the ID and refile.

Additional Exemptions Worth Claiming

If you’re 65 or older, check the age 65 box on the form. You get an additional $10,000 school district exemption on top of the standard $140,000, and many counties and cities add their own senior exemptions. The over-65 exemption also freezes your school district taxes at the amount you pay that year, so your school tax bill will never go above that ceiling, though it can drop if values fall.²

Homeowners who meet the federal definition of disability get the same $10,000 additional school district exemption and the same kind of tax ceiling. You can’t stack the over-65 and disabled exemptions for school taxes, but if you qualify for both you can take whichever combination gives you the better result.²

Veterans with a 100 percent VA disability rating, or a determination of individual unemployability, are exempt from property taxes on the entire appraised value of their home. Zero property taxes on the residence. Veterans with partial disability ratings qualify for reduced exemptions based on their disability percentage under a separate provision in the Tax Code. The surviving spouse of a veteran who received the 100 percent exemption can keep it, as long as they haven’t remarried and still live in the home.⁶ Attach the supporting VA documentation when you file.

1
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Application for Residence Homestead Exemption Form 50-114
2
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code Chapter 11 – Taxable Property and Exemptions
3
Texas Comptroller. Property Tax Exemptions
4
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code Section 11.431 – Late Application for Homestead Exemption
5
Texas Comptroller. Appraisal Protests and Appeals
6
Texas Comptroller. 100 Percent Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse Frequently Asked Questions