Florida property-tax guide • reviewed September 12, 2026
Florida Homestead Exemption Status & Online Filing
To check a Florida homestead exemption status, start with the Property Appraiser in the county where the home is located.
Florida does not use one statewide filing portal for every homeowner. Each county Property Appraiser reviews homestead applications, exemption status and Save Our Homes benefits.
The regular filing deadline is March 1. You must generally own and make the Florida home your permanent residence as of January 1 for that tax year.
Fast answer
How to Check Homestead Exemption Status in Florida
Use the county where the home is located, not the state tax office.
File with the county Property Appraiser by March 1 for the tax year.
Your ownership and permanent-residence facts are measured as of January 1.
The first homestead exemption applies to all property taxes, including school taxes.
The additional non-school exemption is CPI-adjusted for 2026.
The cap starts the year after the property receives homestead.
Homestead status is county-specific. Search your county property record, online filing account, TRIM notice and tax bill before assuming your exemption was approved or denied.
Status workflow
Step-by-Step: Check Florida Homestead Exemption Status Online
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Find your county Property Appraiser.
Use the Florida Department of Revenue county official directory.
Open Florida county official directoryAfter opening: choose Property Appraiser, select your county and open the county website. Use the Property Appraiser for exemptions and value questions. -
Search your property record.
Search by property address, owner name, parcel ID, folio number, strap number or account number.
The local term changes by county, so copy the identifier exactly from your deed, TRIM notice or tax bill.
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Look for the exemption area.
Common labels include Homestead, HX, Exemptions, Benefits, Save Our Homes, SOH, Cap or Taxable Value.
If the record says pending, your application may not be fully reviewed yet.
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Check your online application account.
If you filed online, log back into the same county portal.
Look for submitted, received, pending review, approved, denied or missing-document status.
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Review the TRIM notice in August.
The Notice of Proposed Property Taxes usually shows proposed exemptions, values and estimated taxes.
It is not the final bill, but it is one of the best status checkpoints.
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Check the November tax bill.
The county Tax Collector sends property tax bills.
If the exemption is missing from the bill, contact the Property Appraiser first, then the Tax Collector if the roll or bill must be corrected.
What common status labels usually mean
Submitted: the portal received your filing, but staff may not have reviewed it yet.
Pending: the office is reviewing eligibility, residency, ownership or documents.
Approved: the exemption should appear on the property record or TRIM notice once posted.
Denied: read the denial notice and appeal deadline carefully.
Renewed: the exemption continued because the owner still qualified.
Removed: ownership, use, rental, residency or title changes may have affected eligibility.
Online filing
How to File Florida Homestead Exemption Online
Florida homestead filing starts with your county Property Appraiser.
Some counties offer a full online application. Others use a fillable form, mail filing, email filing, appointment filing or a hybrid process.
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Open the correct county website.
Do not use a paid third-party site until you have checked the official county Property Appraiser portal.
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Choose Homestead Exemption or Exemptions.
Some counties also show portability, senior, disability, veteran and widow/widower benefits in the same filing flow.
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Enter the property identifier.
Use the parcel, folio, property control number, strap number or account number used by that county.
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Enter residency details.
Be ready with Florida driver license or Florida ID details, Social Security numbers and prior homestead information.
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Upload documents if requested.
Trusts, non-citizen residency, disability, veteran, senior or portability benefits may require extra documents.
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Submit and save proof.
Save the confirmation number, email receipt, screenshots and uploaded-document copies.
A saved draft is not the same as a submitted application. Log back in and confirm the filing shows submitted or received.
Deadline rules
Florida Homestead Exemption Filing Deadlines
Ownership, permanent residence and many exemption facts are measured on January 1.
File the application with the county Property Appraiser by March 1.
Late filing may be available before the statutory TRIM-related deadline.
Review exemptions, values and proposed taxes when the notice arrives.
Appeal a denied exemption to the county Value Adjustment Board by the deadline.
The Tax Collector sends the bill after values, rates and exemptions are processed.
What if I missed March 1?
Contact your county Property Appraiser immediately. Florida law provides a late-filing path tied to the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes.
Do not wait until the tax bill arrives. By then, the exemption, VAB and roll-correction paths may be much harder.
Open Florida Statute 196.011Prepare before filing
Documents and Information Needed for Florida Homestead Filing
Florida driver license or Florida ID: counties use this to verify Florida permanent residence.
Social Security numbers: Form DR-501 requires Social Security numbers for applicants and spouses.
Parcel ID or legal description: use the identifier from the county property record or TRIM notice.
Deed information: the form asks for deed type, deed date and recording information.
Trust information: a trust-owned home may require trust or beneficial-interest documentation.
Prior homestead details: list any prior Florida or out-of-state residency-based exemption.
Immigration or resident card: non-U.S. citizens may need permanent-residency proof.
Vehicle registration or voter registration: many county portals use these as residency indicators.
Portability details: use Form DR-501T if transferring Save Our Homes benefit from a prior Florida homestead.
Special exemption proof: senior, disability, veteran, surviving-spouse or first-responder benefits need separate proof.
Tax savings
How Florida Homestead Exemption Savings Work in 2026
The first $25,000 of homestead value applies to all property taxes, including school district taxes.
The additional non-school exemption applies to assessed value above $50,000 and is adjusted for positive CPI changes.
For 2026, the Florida Department of Revenue lists the maximum additional non-school exemption amount as $26,411.
Simple 2026 example
If assessed value is $300,000, school taxes can use a $25,000 homestead exemption.
Non-school taxes can use the first $25,000 plus up to $26,411 more in 2026.
Save Our Homes is different. It limits future assessed-value increases after homestead is established.
Open simple 2026 homestead estimate tool
School exemption used: $25,000.00
Non-school exemption used: $51,411.00
Estimated school savings: $175.00
Estimated non-school savings: $565.52
Total estimate: $740.52
County portal examples
Official Florida County Homestead Filing and Status Portals
Use these examples only if your property is in that county.
If your county is not listed, use the Florida Department of Revenue county official directory.
Miami-Dade County
Property Appraiser: Tomás Regalado
Phone: 305-375-4712
Email: PAWebmail@MiamiDadePA.gov
Open Miami-Dade Property AppraiserBroward County
Property Appraiser: Marty Kiar
Address: 115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 111, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Phone: 954-357-6830
Hours: Weekdays, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Open Broward Property AppraiserPalm Beach County
Property Appraiser: Dorothy Jacks
Address: 301 N. Olive Ave., 1st Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Exemption Services: 561-355-2866
Email: MyExemption@pbcpao.gov
Open Palm Beach homestead pageOrange County
Office: Orange County Property Appraiser
Address: 200 S. Orange Ave., Suite 1700, Orlando, FL 32801
Main phone: 407-836-5044
Homestead help: 407-836-5045
Open Orange County homestead pageOffice role decoder
Property Appraiser vs. Tax Collector vs. VAB vs. DOR
County Property Appraiser
Use for: homestead applications, exemption status, assessed value, Save Our Homes, portability and denial notices.
The Property Appraiser determines whether a parcel is entitled to an exemption.
County Tax Collector
Use for: property-tax bills, payments, discounts, delinquent taxes, tax certificates and refunds.
The Tax Collector usually cannot approve a homestead exemption.
Value Adjustment Board
Use for: appeals involving value, classification, exemption denial, portability or tax-deferral denial.
The county Clerk of Court usually administers the VAB process.
Florida Department of Revenue
Use for: statewide forms, taxpayer guides, property-tax oversight and county official directory links.
The DOR does not approve your individual homestead application.
Status or filing problem → Property Appraiser. Bill or payment problem → Tax Collector. Denial appeal → VAB Clerk. Statewide form or rule check → Florida DOR.
State office map
Florida Department of Revenue Property Tax Oversight Contact
Use the Department of Revenue for statewide property-tax forms and general oversight information.
For your actual homestead status, contact the county Property Appraiser where the home is located.
Florida Department of Revenue
Property Tax Oversight phone: 850-717-6570
Fax: 850-488-9482
Mail: Property Tax Oversight, Florida Department of Revenue, P.O. Box 3000, Tallahassee, FL 32315-3000
Main address: 5050 West Tennessee Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399
Denial and disputes
What If Your Florida Homestead Exemption Is Missing or Denied?
A missing exemption is not always a denial. It may be pending, incomplete, not yet posted or tied to a document issue.
A written denial is different. Once the Property Appraiser mails a denial notice, the VAB appeal deadline becomes important.
Missing or pending status
Check your online filing account, property record and TRIM notice first.
Then contact the Property Appraiser with your parcel ID and confirmation number.
Denied exemption
Read the denial letter carefully.
Florida’s taxpayer calendar explains that denial appeals go to the VAB after the denial letter is mailed.
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Get the denial reason in writing.
Do not guess. The reason controls what evidence you need.
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Ask whether documents can still fix the file.
Some issues are document gaps. Others require a formal VAB petition.
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Use the correct petition form.
Form DR-486 is used for many VAB petitions. DR-486PORT is used for portability disputes.
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File with the VAB clerk in your county.
Do not send the petition to the Florida Department of Revenue.
Decision path
What Should You Do Next?
You already filed online: log into the same county portal and check whether the application is submitted, pending, approved or denied.
You never filed: open the county Property Appraiser website and file before March 1 if eligible.
You missed March 1: call the Property Appraiser and ask about current-year late filing before the TRIM-related deadline.
You moved from another Florida homestead: ask about portability and Form DR-501T.
Your TRIM notice is wrong: contact the Property Appraiser before the VAB deadline passes.
Your bill is wrong after exemption approval: ask the Property Appraiser whether the tax roll was updated, then contact the Tax Collector.
Your deed or owner name is wrong: review county official records or Clerk records. The Property Appraiser may need recorded-document evidence.
Avoid delays
Common Florida Homestead Status and Online Filing Mistakes
Using the Tax Collector first: exemption approval belongs to the Property Appraiser.
Missing the March 1 deadline: file early, even if you think a late path may exist.
Leaving an online draft unfinished: save proof that the application was actually submitted.
Ignoring January 1: Florida measures many homestead facts as of January 1.
Forgetting portability: the homestead exemption itself does not transfer, but Save Our Homes benefit may be portable.
Assuming a seller’s exemption is yours: the seller’s homestead may remain on the roll for the sale year, but the buyer must qualify separately.
Not reporting changes: rental, ownership, use, marriage, divorce, death or out-of-state residency benefits can affect eligibility.
Using property records for the wrong purpose: assessment records are not background-check or consumer-reporting records.
Important notice
Independent Information, Tax Caution and Property-Records Notice
This page is independent informational content for Florida homeowners.
It is not the official website of the Florida Department of Revenue, any county Property Appraiser, any Tax Collector, any Clerk of Court or any Value Adjustment Board.
It is not legal advice, tax advice, an exemption approval, a denial notice, a tax bill or a property assessment.
Rules, forms, CPI-adjusted amounts, deadlines, portals, office hours and county procedures can change.
Verify current details directly with your county Property Appraiser or the official Florida Department of Revenue source before acting.
Property records should be used only for property-tax, appraisal, ownership-reference and public-record purposes.
Do not use property-record information for employment, tenant screening, credit, insurance or any FCRA-regulated purpose.
FAQs
Florida Homestead Exemption Status and Online Filing FAQs
How do I check homestead exemption status in Florida?
Open your county Property Appraiser website and search your property record by address, owner name or parcel identifier.
Then review the exemption, homestead, Save Our Homes, taxable value or benefits section.
Is there one statewide Florida homestead filing website?
No. Florida homestead applications are filed with the county Property Appraiser where the property is located.
The Florida Department of Revenue publishes forms, guides and county official links.
What is the Florida homestead exemption deadline?
The regular deadline is March 1 for filing with the county Property Appraiser.
Your ownership and permanent-residence facts are generally measured as of January 1.
Can I file a Florida homestead exemption late?
A late-filing path may be available if you act before the statutory TRIM-related deadline.
Contact your county Property Appraiser immediately if March 1 has passed.
How much is the Florida homestead exemption in 2026?
The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes, including school taxes.
For 2026, the CPI-adjusted additional non-school exemption amount is listed by the state as $26,411.
Does Save Our Homes start the same year I file?
Save Our Homes generally begins the year after the property receives homestead exemption.
It limits future assessed-value increases to 3% or CPI, whichever is lower.
Can I transfer my Florida homestead exemption when I move?
The exemption itself does not transfer to the new home.
You may be able to transfer, or port, some Save Our Homes assessment difference using Form DR-501T.
What documents are needed for Florida homestead exemption?
Common items include Florida driver license or ID, Social Security numbers, property identifier, deed details and residency evidence.
Trust, portability, senior, disability, veteran or surviving-spouse benefits may require extra proof.
Who handles a denied Florida homestead exemption?
The county Property Appraiser issues the denial.
An appeal is filed with the county Value Adjustment Board through the local VAB clerk process.
Does the Property Appraiser collect my property taxes?
No. The Property Appraiser handles values and exemptions.
The county Tax Collector sends bills, collects payments, handles discounts and processes many payment-related issues.
Official resources