Most Florida homeowners claim the homestead exemption and stop. The statutes list a dozen more, several of which stack, and the county will not apply them unless you ask.
- Widow, widower, blind and disability exemptions each remove $5,000 from taxable value and stack with homestead.
- Disabled veterans get $5,000 at 10% or more disability; total and permanent service-connected disability removes the entire assessment.
- The senior exemption for 65+ is a county and city option, up to $50,000 more, with an income limit that changes yearly.
- All of them require an application by March 1 and proof, and most renew automatically once granted.
Start with homestead, then stack
Every exemption below sits on top of the standard homestead exemption, and most require that you already have it. Homestead removes $25,000 of assessed value from every levy and a second $25,000 from the non-school levies. The additional exemptions remove more, and several can be claimed at the same time. A 70-year-old widow with a service-connected disability rating can hold homestead, widow, disability and veteran exemptions on one property, plus the senior exemption if her county adopted it and her income qualifies. None of it is automatic. The property appraiser applies what you apply for, by March 1, with the documents the statute requires. The base application is covered in our homestead exemption guide.
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Widow, widower, blind and disability: $5,000 each
Section 196.202 of the Florida Statutes grants a $5,000 exemption to any Florida resident who is a widow or widower, blind, or totally and permanently disabled. The figure was $500 for decades and was raised to $5,000 effective with the 2023 tax roll. The widow and widower exemption ends on remarriage. The blind and disability exemptions require a physician's certificate on the state form or a Social Security disability letter. At 18 mills each exemption is worth about $90 a year, which is small, but they stack, and they never expire while you qualify.
A larger exemption exists under section 196.101 for people who are quadriplegic, or who are paraplegic, hemiplegic, legally blind or use a wheelchair for mobility and meet a household income limit adjusted each January. That exemption removes the entire ad valorem assessment, not $5,000. The income limit changes annually and is published by the Department of Revenue; check the current figure with your county appraiser before assuming you are over it.
Veteran exemptions and the combat discount
Florida has four separate benefits for veterans and they are frequently confused. Under section 196.24, a veteran with a service-connected disability of 10% or more receives a $5,000 exemption; the surviving spouse can keep it. Under section 196.081, a veteran who is totally and permanently disabled from a service-connected cause, or who is confined to a wheelchair, is exempt from all ad valorem taxes on the homestead, and the exemption passes to a surviving spouse who does not remarry. The same section covers surviving spouses of service members who died from service-connected causes.
The fourth is a discount rather than an exemption. Under section 196.082, a veteran aged 65 or older with a combat-related disability receives a percentage discount on the homestead tax bill equal to the disability rating. A 60% combat-related rating cuts the bill by 60%. It requires proof of honorable discharge, a VA letter stating the disability is combat-related, and evidence of age. Deployed active-duty members also receive a partial exemption under section 196.173 proportional to days deployed in the prior year in a qualifying operation.
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The senior exemption for 65 and older
Section 196.075 lets each county and each city adopt an additional homestead exemption of up to $50,000 for owners 65 and older whose household adjusted gross income is below a limit that the Department of Revenue adjusts every January for inflation. The limit sits in the high $30,000s in recent years; the current figure is on your county appraiser's site. Because it is a local option, it applies only to the levies of the governments that adopted it. Most counties have. Not every city has, so two neighbors on opposite sides of a city line can get different results.
The same section allows a second local-option exemption for long-term residents: 65 or older, 25 years or more in the same home, and a just value under $250,000. Where adopted, it removes the entire assessment for that government's levy. Income proof is required annually for both senior exemptions in most counties, usually a signed statement plus your federal return if asked.
First responders and other categories
Under section 196.102, a first responder totally and permanently disabled in the line of duty, or the surviving spouse of one killed in the line of duty, is exempt from ad valorem tax on the homestead. Section 196.081 extends a similar exemption to the surviving spouse of a first responder. Separately, section 196.1975 gives an exemption to certain non-profit homes for the aged, and section 193.703 provides an assessment reduction for living quarters built for a parent or grandparent aged 62 or older, the so-called granny flat reduction, which is also a county option.
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Submit a Contract →How the exemptions interact with the cap and with a sale
Exemptions reduce taxable value. The Save Our Homes cap limits assessed value. They work together: assessed value is capped first, then exemptions are subtracted. All of them end with a change of ownership, and the buyer must apply fresh, which is one reason a buyer's first bill can be so different from the seller's, as explained in why Florida property taxes rise after you buy. If an exemption you qualified for was denied, the denial is appealable within 30 days of the denial notice, or through the TRIM petition window described in how to appeal your assessment. To see what any combination is worth on your own bill, use the Florida property tax estimator.
Related Reading
Florida Homestead Exemption (2026): What It Is & How to File
Florida's homestead exemption cuts up to $50,000 off taxable value and caps increases at 3%.
Why Florida Property Taxes Jump the Year After You Buy
The bill prorated at closing belongs to the seller's assessment and exemptions.
How to Read Your Florida TRIM Notice (2026 Guide)
The August notice is not a bill, but it is the only look you get at next year's taxes while you can still do something about them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What property tax exemptions are available in Florida besides homestead?
Widow and widower, blind, total and permanent disability, disabled veteran, combat-related veteran discount for 65+, deployed military, senior 65+ with income limit, long-term resident senior, first responder disability, and the granny flat reduction. Most stack on top of homestead.
How much is the widow exemption in Florida?
$5,000 of assessed value, raised from $500 effective with the 2023 tax roll. It ends if the widow or widower remarries.
Do disabled veterans pay property tax in Florida?
A veteran with a total and permanent service-connected disability is exempt from all ad valorem tax on the homestead. A veteran rated 10% or more receives a $5,000 exemption. A veteran 65 or older with a combat-related disability receives a discount equal to the disability percentage.
What is the senior property tax exemption in Florida?
A local-option additional homestead exemption of up to $50,000 for owners 65 and older whose household income is under an annually adjusted limit. It applies only to the levies of counties and cities that adopted it.
When is the deadline to apply for Florida property tax exemptions?
March 1 of the tax year, filed with the county property appraiser. Most exemptions renew automatically once granted, though senior income exemptions usually require an annual statement.
Can I have more than one property tax exemption in Florida?
Yes. Homestead, widow or widower, disability, veteran and senior exemptions can all apply to the same property if you qualify for each.