When is my homestead exemption due?
There is no single national homestead exemption deadline.
In many states, the deadline is in the first half of the year. In others, the date is set by the county, city, parish, appraisal district, or local assessor. Some states do not use the phrase “homestead exemption” for property taxes at all.
The safest first step is simple: find your state below, then confirm the current filing date with the official local office that handles your property. That office may be called the county assessor, property appraiser, appraisal district, auditor, appraisal office, revenue office, or tax commission.
Important: HomesteadExemption.org is not a government agency, tax office, law firm, county assessor, property appraiser, tax collector, or filing service. This guide is for general information only. Always confirm dates and forms with the official office before you file.
What this deadline guide covers
This page focuses only on property-tax homestead exemptions or homestead-style primary residence rules. It does not try to list every property tax credit, rebate, postponement, deferral, rent program, or unrelated tax program.
Some states use a different official name. Examples include a principal residence exemption, homeowner’s exemption, homestead classification, homestead tax credit, primary residential exemption, or STAR. When a state uses a different name for the main owner-occupied home rule, this guide uses that official term.
Some states do not have a standard property-tax homestead exemption for ordinary owner-occupants. In those states, the word “homestead” may refer to bankruptcy or creditor protection instead. That is a different legal issue from a property-tax exemption.
Do not rely on this table alone if your situation is complicated. Deadlines can change by county, city, school district, exemption type, age, disability status, veteran status, ownership form, trust language, date of purchase, or date you moved into the home.
State-by-state homestead exemption deadline table
Use this table as a starting point. The official local office is usually the final source for your filing date.
| State or DC | Deadline to check | Official starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | County filing. Many counties use Dec. 31 after Oct. 1 residency. | Start with the Alabama DOR and your county revenue or tax assessor office. |
| Alaska | No single statewide date. Local governments set dates. Anchorage uses March 15 for residential exemption filing. | Check the Alaska exemption overview and your municipality, such as Anchorage exemptions. |
| Arizona | No standard property-tax homestead exemption for all homeowners. Some county personal exemptions have separate dates. | Check your county assessor. Maricopa County explains its limited valuation relief programs. |
| Arkansas | County assessor filing. Some county forms use Oct. 15 to qualify for the current tax bill. | Start with the Arkansas DFA homestead tax credit page and your county assessor. |
| California | File by Feb. 15 for the full homeowners’ exemption. Later filing may reduce the amount for that year. | Use the California BOE Homeowners’ Exemption page and your county assessor. |
| Colorado | Senior homestead applications are commonly due July 15. Disabled veteran and Gold Star spouse rules can differ. | Confirm with your county assessor. Boulder County explains the senior exemption process. |
| Connecticut | No single standard homestead exemption deadline. Local or state homeowner programs use their own filing calendars. | Start with the Connecticut OPM homeowners program guide and your town assessor. |
| Delaware | No standard statewide homestead exemption deadline. Some primary-residence school-tax credits have county deadlines. | Check your county. Sussex County lists tax assistance programs and deadlines for local credits. |
| District of Columbia | Applications may be filed any time. Oct. 1 through March 31 generally receives the full-year Homestead Deduction; April 1 through Sept. 30 may receive a half-year amount. | Use DC OTR’s real property deductions page or the DC Homestead Deduction portal. |
| Florida | March 1 is the regular homestead exemption filing deadline. Late filing rules are handled by the property appraiser and value adjustment process. | Use Florida’s official DR-501 application and your county property appraiser. |
| Georgia | File any time during the prior year up to the county property tax return deadline, usually April 1. | Start with Georgia DOR’s homestead exemptions page and your county tax office. |
| Hawaii | County filing. Honolulu and Kauai commonly use Sept. 30 for the next tax year. | Check your county real property office. Start with Honolulu’s exemption FAQ. |
| Idaho | County application. The homeowner’s exemption should be in place by the second Monday in July for current-year relief. | Use the Idaho State Tax Commission homeowner’s exemption page and your county assessor. |
| Illinois | County filing periods vary. Some homestead exemptions may appear automatically; others require a county application. | Start with Illinois DOR’s property tax exemption page and your county assessment office. |
| Indiana | File with the county auditor before the annual deduction deadline. State examples use Jan. 15 for the next tax bill cycle. | Use the Indiana DLGF deductions and credits page and your county auditor. |
| Iowa | July 1. Late applications usually apply to the next assessment year. | Use Iowa’s official homestead exemption filing page and your county assessor. |
| Kansas | Kansas does not use a standard county-filed property-tax homestead exemption for ordinary homeowners. | The Kansas Homestead Claim is a state tax claim, not the same as a county homestead exemption. |
| Kentucky | File with the property valuation administrator by Dec. 31 of the eligible tax year. | Use the Kentucky DOR Homestead Exemption page and your county PVA. |
| Louisiana | Parish assessor filing. File as soon as you own and occupy the home as your primary residence. | Check your parish assessor, such as the Orleans homestead application or Jefferson Parish Assessor. |
| Maine | April 1 with the municipality where the property is located. | Use Maine Revenue Services’ homestead exemption FAQ and your local assessor. |
| Maryland | The Homestead Tax Credit is a one-time application. There is no normal annual refiling deadline for most approved homeowners. | Use Maryland SDAT’s Homestead Tax Credit page and application status tool. |
| Massachusetts | No statewide homestead deadline. Residential exemption deadlines are local; Boston and Cambridge commonly use April 1. | Check your city or town assessor. Start with Boston or Cambridge examples. |
| Michigan | The Principal Residence Exemption commonly uses June 1 for a full-year exemption and Nov. 1 for a winter-tax exemption. | Use Michigan Treasury’s Principal Residence Exemption page and your local assessor. |
| Minnesota | Apply by Dec. 31 for homestead classification for that assessment year. | Use Minnesota Revenue’s homestead classification page and your county, such as Hennepin County. |
| Mississippi | File between Jan. 1 and April 1 with the county tax assessor. | Start with Mississippi DOR’s homestead exemption page and your county assessor. |
| Missouri | No standard statewide property-tax homestead exemption deadline for ordinary homeowners. | Ask your county assessor whether any local owner-occupied rule applies. Do not assume the word “homestead” means a property-tax exemption. |
| Montana | Montana’s homestead and long-term rental reduced-rate program has year-specific enrollment dates. | Use Montana DOR’s homesteads and long-term rentals page for the current application window. |
| Nebraska | Homestead exemption applications are generally filed from early February through June 30. | Use Nebraska DOR’s Homestead Exemption page and your county assessor. |
| Nevada | No standard property-tax homestead exemption deadline. Nevada’s homestead declaration is mainly creditor protection. | For property taxes, check your county assessor. Clark County explains the separate tax cap process. |
| New Hampshire | No standard property-tax homestead exemption deadline. New Hampshire’s homestead statute is creditor protection. | For the legal homestead right, see the New Hampshire homestead statute. For taxes, ask your municipality. |
| New Jersey | No county-filed homestead exemption for new property-tax purposes. The former Homestead Benefit was replaced by ANCHOR. | Use New Jersey Treasury’s ANCHOR page if you are looking for that state program. |
| New Mexico | New Mexico uses a Head of Family Exemption. Filing timing is handled through the county assessor. | Check your county assessor. Chaves County explains the Head of Family Exemption. |
| New York | New homeowners generally register for STAR credit, not a new STAR exemption. Many local exemption deadlines are March 1. | Use New York Taxation’s STAR page and your local assessor. |
| North Carolina | June 1 for the main permanent-residence property tax exclusion applications. Late filing may be possible for good cause through Dec. 31. | Use the North Carolina property tax relief program guide and your county assessor. |
| North Dakota | April 1 for the Homestead Property Tax Credit application. | Use the North Dakota Tax Department Homestead Property Tax Credit page. |
| Ohio | Real-property homestead exemption applications are generally due by Dec. 31. Manufactured or mobile home timing can differ. | Use Ohio’s homestead FAQ and your county auditor. |
| Oklahoma | March 15, or within 30 days after a valuation increase notice, for current-year treatment. | Use Oklahoma Tax Commission Form 921 and your county assessor. |
| Oregon | No standard property-tax homestead exemption for ordinary homeowners. | Oregon DOR lists separate property tax exemptions, such as veteran and active-duty military exemptions. |
| Pennsylvania | March 1 for Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion applications. | Use Pennsylvania DCED’s Homestead Exclusion page and your county assessment office. |
| Rhode Island | Local filing only. Homestead-style exemptions vary by city or town. | Check your municipal assessor. Cranston’s exemption page shows why local rules matter. |
| South Carolina | Apply through the county auditor. Many offices advise filing by July 15. | Check your county auditor. Union County describes the homestead exemption process. |
| South Dakota | March 15 for owner-occupied status applications. | Use the South Dakota DOR owner-occupied filing reminder and your county director of equalization. |
| Tennessee | No standard property-tax homestead exemption deadline. Tennessee’s homestead exemption is mainly creditor protection. | For the legal homestead protection, see Tennessee homestead law. For taxes, ask your trustee or assessor. |
| Texas | File with the appraisal district by April 30. Late application rules may apply. | Use the Texas Comptroller property tax exemption page and Form 50-114. |
| Utah | Utah uses a Primary Residential Exemption. County filing and declaration timing can vary. | Start with the Utah Tax Commission primary residential exemption page and your county assessor. |
| Vermont | Homestead Declarations are tied to the state income tax filing date. Late filing may be allowed with penalty until the fall deadline. | Use the Vermont Department of Taxes homestead declaration information and current-year forms. |
| Virginia | No standard property-tax homestead exemption deadline. Virginia’s homestead exemption is creditor protection. | See Virginia’s homestead exemption law. For property taxes, ask your locality. |
| Washington | No standard property-tax homestead exemption deadline. Washington’s homestead exemption is not the same as senior or disabled property tax programs. | For property taxes, use Washington DOR’s exemptions and deferrals page and your county assessor. |
| West Virginia | Dec. 1 with the county assessor for the Homestead Exemption. | Check your county assessor, such as the Kanawha County Homestead Exemption page. |
| Wisconsin | No standard county-filed homestead exemption. Wisconsin uses other terms, including Homestead Credit and Lottery and Gaming Credit. | Use Wisconsin DOR’s Homestead Credit and Lottery Credit pages to avoid confusing programs. |
| Wyoming | Wyoming property-tax programs have changed recently. Deadlines can depend on the specific owner-occupied program and county process. | Check your county assessor and current state law. Start with Wyoming’s homestead legislation and local notices. |
Where homeowners usually start
For most homeowners, the right starting point is not the tax collector. It is the office that values or assesses the property.
That office may be called the assessor, property appraiser, appraisal district, auditor, PVA, parish assessor, or appraisal office. The name depends on the state. If the local website has a search box, search for the official term your state uses, such as “homestead exemption,” “homeowner’s exemption,” “principal residence exemption,” “homestead classification,” or “primary residential exemption.”
A simple filing check
- Confirm the property is your primary residence under your state’s rule.
- Confirm the correct filing office for your county, city, parish, or appraisal district.
- Use the official form or online application, not a paid filing ad.
- Save proof of submission, including confirmation numbers, emails, receipts, or stamped copies.
- Check your next assessment notice or tax bill to make sure the exemption was applied.
Documents or facts you may need
The exact list varies. A basic homestead filing may ask for your parcel number, property address, mailing address, ownership date, occupancy date, driver’s license or state ID, vehicle registration, voter registration, or other proof that the home is your primary residence.
Special homestead rules may ask for more. Seniors may need proof of age. Disabled homeowners may need official disability documentation. Disabled veterans or surviving spouses may need military or VA documents. A trust, life estate, inherited home, divorce, or recently recorded deed may require extra review by the local office.
If you are late, denied, or unsure
Do not assume you are out of options just because a date passed. Some states allow late applications. Some allow a partial-year exemption. Some allow late filing only through an appeal board or only when the homeowner had good cause. Others make the application wait until the next tax year.
If you missed the deadline, contact the official office quickly. Ask whether there is a late application, correction, petition, appeal, or next-year filing option. Write down the name of the person you spoke with and the date of the call.
If your application was denied, read the denial letter closely. The problem may be proof of residency, ownership records, a mismatch between your ID and property address, a missing signature, a trust issue, or a missed local deadline. Ask the office what appeal deadline applies before you gather more documents.
Recent move, death, divorce, trust, or inherited home? Call the local office before the deadline if you can. These situations often turn on title records and primary residence proof. Do not guess whether the exemption follows the home, the owner, the spouse, the trust, or the estate.
Filing-service warning: Many homestead applications are free to submit directly through the official county, city, parish, or state office. Be careful with ads or mailers that make the process sound official. Use the government office’s own form or portal whenever possible.
Property-tax homestead exemption is not bankruptcy homestead protection
The same word can mean two very different things. A property-tax homestead exemption reduces or limits the taxable value of a primary residence under state or local tax rules. Bankruptcy or creditor homestead protection is a legal protection for home equity. It does not automatically mean you have a property-tax exemption.
This distinction matters in states such as Nevada, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, where “homestead” is often used in the creditor-protection sense. If you are trying to lower or limit your property tax, ask for the property-tax rule that applies to owner-occupied homes.
Independent editorial note
This guide was prepared using official state, county, city, assessor, property appraiser, appraisal district, revenue department, tax department, and official-form sources where available. Some high-trust local examples are included when the state rule depends on local filing.
Rules, forms, deadlines, and office procedures can change. Before you act, confirm the current deadline and form with the official office that handles your property. Last reviewed: May 18, 2026.