Do seniors get a property tax break in Florida at 65?

Florida counties and cities may grant up to $50,000 more to homeowners 65 or older whose household income is $38,686 or less for 2026, per the Florida Department of Revenue. It applies only where the local government adopted it by ordinance.

What is the deadline to apply for the senior exemption in Okaloosa County?

Florida law sets March 1 for all property tax exemptions, including the senior exemption under F.S. 196.075. You must own and live in the home on Jan. 1. File with the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser in Shalimar or Crestview.

Do I have to reapply for the senior exemption every year?

Yes. The senior exemption depends on household income, so it must be renewed every year. The Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser says income-based exemptions are renewed after Jan. 1 each year.

Does the Florida senior exemption lower school taxes?

No. Under F.S. 196.075, the senior exemption reduces only the taxes of the county or city that adopted it. School district taxes are not reduced.

Is there a property tax exemption for widows in Florida?

Yes. A permanent Florida resident who is a widow or widower can claim a $5,000 exemption under F.S. 196.202. It ends if the person remarries.

Homestead and senior exemptions for Emerald Coast retirees: how to apply by county

Florida homeowners who are 65 or older can stack several property tax exemptions on top of the regular homestead exemption, but each one has to be filed with the county property appraiser by March 1 of the tax year. As of Oct. 30, 2026, the Florida Department of Revenue sets the household income limit for the senior exemption at $38,686 for 2026, and that exemption only applies where a county or city has adopted it by ordinance. On the Emerald Coast, you file with the property appraiser in Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa or Bay County, depending on where your home is.

What exemptions can a retiree claim on a Florida home?

The basic homestead exemption comes first, and every other exemption on this list is added to it. The Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser’s exemptions page, current as of Oct. 7, 2026, lists these amounts under Florida law:

Exemption	Amount	Who qualifies	Florida law
Homestead	$25,000 off all taxes, plus up to $26,411 more off non-school taxes (2026)	Owns and lives in the home as a permanent residence on Jan. 1	F.S. 196.031
Senior exemption (local option)	Up to $50,000 off the taxes of the county or city that adopted it	Age 65 by Jan. 1; household income of $38,686 or less (2026)	F.S. 196.075
Long-term resident senior	The home’s full assessed value, for the adopting government’s taxes	Age 65; home just value under $250,000; lived there 25 years or more; same income limit	F.S. 196.075
Widow or widower	$5,000	Permanent Florida resident; ends with remarriage	F.S. 196.202
Disability	$5,000	Totally and permanently disabled or blind, certified by a Florida doctor, the VA or Social Security	F.S. 196.202
Disabled veteran	$5,000	Honorably discharged; at least 10% service-connected disability	F.S. 196.24
Combat-disabled veteran discount	A percentage discount equal to the disability rating	Veteran 65 or older with a combat-related disability	F.S. 196.082

Save Our Homes, the cap in F.S. 193.155, then limits how much the assessed value of a homesteaded home can rise each year: 3% or the change in the consumer price index, whichever is lower.

How does the senior exemption work in Florida?

The senior exemption is a local option, not a statewide benefit. Under Florida Statutes s. 196.075, a county commission or a city council may adopt an ordinance granting up to $50,000 to homeowners 65 or older whose household income is under the yearly limit. The exemption reduces only the taxes of the government that adopted it, never school taxes.

That means two neighbors can get different results. A retiree inside a city may get a city senior exemption, a county senior exemption, both or neither, depending on what each government adopted.

The Florida Department of Revenue’s guide to additional homestead exemptions, revised in January 2026, puts the 2026 income limit at $38,686 for both senior options. Household income means the adjusted gross income of everyone living in the home, and the limit is adjusted every Jan. 1 for inflation.

One local example: the City of Mexico Beach, in Bay County, grants a $25,000 senior exemption against city taxes under its Ordinance 430, with applications filed with the Bay County Property Appraiser.

When and how do you apply?

All exemptions are due to the county property appraiser by March 1, and you must own and live in the home on Jan. 1 of that year. For the 2027 tax year, that means owning the home by Jan. 1, 2027, and filing by March 1, 2027.

First time: File Form DR-501 for homestead and Form DR-501SC, the sworn statement of household income, for the senior exemption. The appraiser can ask for your federal tax return, W-2s or Social Security statements.
Every year after: The senior exemption is income-based, so it must be renewed each year. Santa Rosa County says renewal notices are mailed in January.
Documents for homestead: A Florida driver license or ID at the home’s address, Social Security numbers for each owner, Florida vehicle registration and voter registration.

The Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser’s home page lists a filing period of Jan. 1 to June 1, 2027, for its Persons 65 or Over exemption; the statute’s March 1 date still applies to the sworn income statement, so file early.

Which property appraiser handles my home?

You file in the county where the home sits. Offices and public phones as of Oct. 30, 2026:

County	Office	Phone
Okaloosa	1250 Eglin Parkway N., Suite 201, Shalimar; 302 Wilson St., Suite 201, Crestview	(850) 651-7240 (Shalimar), (850) 689-5900 (Crestview)
Walton	571 U.S. Highway 90 East, DeFuniak Springs	(850) 892-8123
Santa Rosa	6495 Caroline St., Suite K, Milton; 5841 Gulf Breeze Pkwy., Gulf Breeze	(850) 983-1880
Bay	860 W. 11th St., Panama City	(850) 248-8401

Sources: Okaloosa County Property Appraiser, Walton County Property Appraiser, Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser and Bay County Property Appraiser.

Ask the office one question when you call: which governments in your tax district have adopted the senior exemption, and for how much.

What could change after Nov. 3, 2026?

Florida voters decide a property tax amendment, CS/HJR 1-F, on Nov. 3, 2026. If it passes with 60% of the vote, the Florida Senate’s bill page says the non-school homestead exemption would rise to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 from 2028, while new residents who homestead after Dec. 31, 2026, would get $50,000 for their first five years. The senior and veteran exemptions above are separate laws and are not repealed by the amendment.

This story is information, not tax, legal or medical advice. For your own case, call your county property appraiser.

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