Homestead Exemption After Amendment 3: What Changes and What to Do
8 min read · Updated November 2026
Voters approved Amendment 3 on Nov 3, 2026, with 61.98% of the vote. Up to $150,000 of assessed value exempt from non-school property taxes in 2027, for eligible residents as of Dec 31, 2026. Eligible residents can receive up to $250,000 of assessed value exempt from non-school property taxes for 2028. The school exemption stays up to $25,000. Eligibility depends on whether you maintained a permanent residence in this state as of Dec 31, 2026 and meet the January 1 homestead requirements.
This guide sorts out what you need to do based on where you are right now, then helps you estimate what the change could mean for your own bill.
The short version
- Already have homestead? In Orange County, an existing homestead exemption generally renews automatically while ownership, use and eligibility remain unchanged. You do not normally file a new application just because the exemption amount increases. Tell the property appraiser promptly about changes, and respond to any request for information. If you move or title changes, ask whether a new application is required. Other counties can have different renewal procedures.
- Buying a home to live in? Own it and live in it on Jan 1, then file with the county property appraiser by March 1.
- Moving here from another state? Later-arriving residents start with a $50,000 non-school assessed-value exemption base, adjusted for positive inflation from 2028. The larger, inflation-adjusted exemption begins in the fifth year of exemption. The school exemption stays up to $25,000. Ask the property appraiser about eligibility.
- Your November 2026 tax bill doesn't change. The first bill with the new amounts is the one mailed in November 2027.
Find your situation
You already have homestead on your home
In Orange County, an existing homestead exemption generally renews automatically while ownership, use and eligibility remain unchanged. You do not normally file a new application just because the exemption amount increases. Tell the property appraiser promptly about changes, and respond to any request for information. If you move or title changes, ask whether a new application is required. Other counties can have different renewal procedures.
You close on a home you will live in by Dec 31, 2026
Meet the January 1 ownership and permanent-residence requirements, then file by March 1, 2027. A qualifying change of ownership generally resets the assessment to just value on January 1 of the following year, subject to portability and other legal exceptions. The buyer's bill can differ substantially from the seller's.
You are moving here from another state
If you had not maintained a permanent residence in this state as of Dec 31, 2026, the amendment provides a school-tax exemption of up to $25,000 of assessed value and an initial non-school exemption of up to $50,000. The non-school base is adjusted for positive inflation beginning in 2028. The larger non-school exemption begins with your fifth year of exemption, using the $250,000 base adjusted for positive inflation beginning in 2029. Administration remains subject to implementing law and federal constitutional requirements. Ask your county property appraiser how the rule applies to your residency and exemption history.
You buy after Jan 1, 2027
You buy after Jan 1, 2027. For an ordinary purchase after that date, your first possible homestead year is 2028 if you meet the January 1 requirements. File by March 1, 2028. Ask the appraiser about unusual title or occupancy situations.
You're selling one homestead and buying another here
Portability can transfer up to $500,000 of assessed-value benefit under its rules if you had homestead in any of the three immediately preceding years. Downsizing and shared ownership can affect the transferable amount. This is not a tax credit. File the portability form (DR-501T) with your new homestead application by March 1.
It is a rental or second home
Rentals and second homes generally do not qualify for homestead. Beginning in 2027, ordinary annual increases in assessed value for non-school levies are generally capped at 5%, subject to ownership changes, improvements and other legal exceptions. This does not cap the tax bill. School assessments are not covered by this non-homestead cap.
The exemption, year by year
| Tax year / eligibility | School assessed-value exemption | Non-school assessed-value exemption |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (bill mailed Nov 2026) | Up to $25,000 | For 2026, a qualifying homestead can exempt up to $51,411 of assessed value from non-school property taxes: the first $25,000 plus up to $26,411 on assessed value above $50,000. The school-tax exemption is up to $25,000. |
| 2027, eligible residents as of Dec 31, 2026 | Up to $25,000 | Up to $150,000 of assessed value |
| 2028, eligible residents as of Dec 31, 2026 | Up to $25,000 | Up to $250,000 of assessed value, adjusted for positive inflation starting in 2029 |
| Later-arriving residents | Up to $25,000 | Later-arriving residents start with a $50,000 non-school assessed-value exemption base, adjusted for positive inflation from 2028. The larger, inflation-adjusted exemption begins in the fifth year of exemption. The school exemption stays up to $25,000. Ask the property appraiser about eligibility. |
School assessed-value exemption: Up to $25,000
Non-school assessed-value exemption: For 2026, a qualifying homestead can exempt up to $51,411 of assessed value from non-school property taxes: the first $25,000 plus up to $26,411 on assessed value above $50,000. The school-tax exemption is up to $25,000.
School assessed-value exemption: Up to $25,000
Non-school assessed-value exemption: Up to $150,000 of assessed value
School assessed-value exemption: Up to $25,000
Non-school assessed-value exemption: Up to $250,000 of assessed value, adjusted for positive inflation starting in 2029
School assessed-value exemption: Up to $25,000
Non-school assessed-value exemption: Later-arriving residents start with a $50,000 non-school assessed-value exemption base, adjusted for positive inflation from 2028. The larger, inflation-adjusted exemption begins in the fifth year of exemption. The school exemption stays up to $25,000. Ask the property appraiser about eligibility.
The exemption comes off assessed value, which is often lower than market value for longtime owners because of the Save Our Homes cap. That cap still limits yearly increases on a homestead to 3% or the change in inflation, whichever is lower.
Estimate your own change
Quick estimate
Use assessed value and non-school millage from your tax bill or TRIM notice.
Non-school taxes only (county, city and special districts).
| Year | Assessed value exempt | Taxable | Tax at today's rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-rules comparison | $51,411 | $248,589 | $2,893 |
| 2027 | $150,000 | $150,000 | $1,746 |
| 2028 | $250,000 | $50,000 | $582 |
About $1,147 less in 2027, $2,311 less in 2028
2027: $96; 2028: $193. Annual tax difference divided by 12: a monthly equivalent only, not a promised mortgage-payment change.
Illustration only. This comparison holds assessed value and millage constant and excludes other exemptions, non-ad valorem charges and future inflation adjustments. It compares exemption rules, not your actual prior or future bill.
Example only: a $300,000 homestead assessed value in Orlando tax district 08, using OCPA's published 2026 millage. The total is 17.9818 mills. School State (RLE) is 3.0950 and School Local is 3.2480, for 6.3430 school mills and 11.6388 non-school mills. Holding value and millage constant, non-school tax is about $2,893 under 2026 rules, $1,746 under the eligible-resident 2027 exemption and $582 under the 2028 exemption. That is about $1,147 and $2,311 less than the 2026-rules comparison. The amendment leaves the school exemption at $25,000; school tax in this constant-value, constant-rate example is about $1,744. Actual school and non-school bills can change with assessed values and millage.
In its pre-election impact estimate, Orange County projected about $165 million less County property-tax revenue in 2027 and about $275 million less in 2028. Actual collections will depend on the tax base, adopted millage and implementation. Non-ad valorem charges such as solid waste or street lighting are not affected by this exemption.
When it would show up in your mortgage payment
The amendment does not automatically change your mortgage payment on Jan 1, 2027. It first applies to the 2027 tax roll, with the exemption expected on the August 2027 TRIM notice and the tax bill normally issued in November 2027. Your servicer uses an escrow analysis to set what it collects for taxes and insurance. Analyses occur at least annually and may occur at other times, so payment timing varies. A lower tax bill may reduce the escrow portion or produce a surplus, but insurance costs, shortages and the permitted cushion can offset it. Ask your servicer when it will review your account. Our guide to escrow accounts explains escrow reviews, and the Escrow Payment Estimator illustrates how a different tax bill affects the escrow calculation.
At a 2027 closing, ask the closing agent which assessment, exemptions and millage the contract uses for tax proration, and whether a later adjustment will be needed. The seller's tax bill may not reflect your future assessment or exemption.
Your dates
- Nov 30, 2026Last day of the 4% early payment discount on the 2026 bill in Orange County, if you pay it yourself. December is 3%, January 2%, February 1%.
- Dec 31, 2026The residency date in the amendment. People who maintained a permanent residence in this state as of that date can qualify for the larger exemption once they meet the homestead requirements.
- Jan 1, 2027You must own the home and live in it as your permanent home to claim homestead for 2027. The amendment takes effect the same day.
- Mar 1, 2027Deadline to file a new homestead application (and the portability form, if you're bringing a benefit from another homestead here).
- Aug 2027TRIM notices mail. Check that your exemption is listed. This is also your window to question the assessed value.
- Nov 2027First tax bill under the new amounts.
What to have ready when you file
This is a preparation list, not an exhaustive eligibility determination. The Orange County Property Appraiser asks each applicant for two proofs of residency, and one must be a Florida driver license (or a state ID card if you don't drive) with the same address as the application. The other can be:
- Vehicle registration
- Voter registration, if applicable. It is not required of noncitizens.
- A Declaration of Domicile recorded with the Comptroller before you submit
Have your recorded deed or closing statement ready. Also have the completed, signed homestead application (DR-501), parcel number and recorded ownership details ready. If applicable, gather immigration documentation and proof that any out-of-state residency-based property-tax benefit has been removed. For portability, include DR-501T and your prior homestead details. OCPA may request more documents.
Have the Social Security numbers of each applicant and each applicant's spouse, if any, ready for the official property appraiser application. State law requires them. Submit them only through the property appraiser's official filing process. Do not enter them on this checklist or send them to On Target Mortgage.
Online filing is temporarily unavailable while the Orange County Property Appraiser upgrades its system. To file, call Constituent Services at (407) 836-5044 to submit by phone or schedule an in-person appointment, or email constituentservices@ocpafl.org. The office is at 200 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 1700, Orlando, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Check ocpafl.org for when online filing returns.
Online filing status: check status here. Other counties use their own property appraisers.
A confidential email subject line does not encrypt a message. Recheck the official portal immediately before distribution.
Implementation and guidance
Some property-tax administration changes are already law under Chapter 2026-240. Additional procedures, updated forms and guidance for the new exemption and residency provisions remain to be confirmed. DOR says it will communicate implementation updates. Before relying on a residency deadline or filing instruction, check the latest DOR and county property appraiser guidance. Local millage for 2027 and 2028 is not yet established.
Your county property appraiser makes the final call on eligibility. If your timing is close to Dec 31, ask them directly.
Questions people are asking
Homestead checklist (PDF)
Three pages: the dates, the documents and a fill-in estimate, sized to read on a phone or print.
Download the homestead checklist (PDF)
Sources
- Florida Division of Elections, 2026 general election amendment results: https://floridaelectionwatch.gov/Amendments
- Florida Department of Revenue, PTO Bulletin 26-21, Nov 5, 2026: https://floridarevenue.com/property/Documents/PTO_BUL_26-21.pdf
- Enrolled amendment text, CS/HJR 1-F: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026F/1F/BillText/er/PDF
- Pinellas County Property Appraiser, Amendment 3 FAQ (2026 exemption of $51,411; first applies to Aug 2027 TRIM and Nov 2027 bills): https://www.pcpao.gov/amendment3
- Florida Realtors, Nov 4, 2026: https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2026/11/florida-voters-approve-amendment-3
- Orange County Property Appraiser, 2026 chart of final millage rates: https://ocpaimages.ocpafl.org/api/Content/GetContentDynamicFile?contentFileID=418587
- Orange County Property Appraiser, exemption filing by email or mail: https://ocpaimages.ocpafl.org/api/Content/GetContentDynamicFile?contentFileID=400696
- Orange County Tax Collector, early payment discounts: https://www.octaxcol.com/taxes/about-property-tax/paying-your-property-taxes/
- Orange County, pre-election impact projections: https://orangecountyfl.net/OpenGovernment/PropertyTaxAmendment3.aspx
- Orange County FY 2026-27 budget, A Changing Property-Tax Landscape: https://www.orangecountyfl.net/Portals/0/resource%20library/open%20government/FY%202027%20Budget%20Public%20Hearing-CERT.pdf
- Enacted CS/SB 4-F, Chapter 2026-240: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026F/4F
- Online filing status (check status here): https://exemption.ocpafl.org/default.aspx
- DOR 2026 CPI certification: https://floridarevenue.com/property/Documents/cpi_homestead_exemption.pdf
- Final November ballot text: https://flelectionfiles.floridados.gov/enightfilespublic/20261103_Amendment_03_english.pdf
- F.S. 196.011 (renewal and application): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/196.011
- F.S. 193.155 (assessment and portability): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/193.155
- CFPB Regulation X, escrow analyses: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1024/17/
Educational information only, not tax or legal advice. Your county property appraiser decides homestead eligibility and the amount of any exemption. Estimates on this page use 2026 rates and the amounts in the amendment as approved; implementing laws, rules and future tax rates can change the results. Figures are examples, not a quote. On Target Mortgage, LLC, NMLS #2629561. Equal Housing Opportunity.
On Target Mortgage, LLC · NMLS #2629561 · Equal Housing Opportunity · Orlando, FL