--- title: "Florida Senior Property Tax Exemption (65+): 2026 Guide" url: https://www.petekaterealestate.com/florida-senior-property-tax-exemption description: "Who qualifies for Florida's senior property tax exemption, the 2026 income limit, how to apply by March 1, and where it's offered on the Treasure Coast." lang: en --- Skip to main content Image: Illustrative Florida lagoon waterfront with a boardwalk, palms and coastal homes (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/__l5e/assets-v1/e7cdbd0a-e208-44a4-ae02-f286bafb3566/waterfront-1536-optimized.webp) All Guides: https://www.petekaterealestate.com/guides Florida property taxes # Florida Senior Property Tax Exemption: What Homeowners 65+ Should Know Florida offers extra property tax breaks for homeowners 65 and older, but they come with income limits, and not every county or city offers them. Here's how they work and where you can get them on the Treasure Coast. ## Start With the Regular Homestead Exemption Every Florida homeowner who lives in their home full time can get the homestead exemption (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/guides/property-taxes). For 2026 it's worth up to $51,411 off your home's taxable value, and Save Our Homes (https://www.petekaterealestate.com/save-our-homes-florida) caps how fast your assessed value can rise. The senior exemptions below are on top of this. ## Senior Exemption #1: Low-Income Senior Exemption - **Age:** 65 or older on January 1 - **Income:** total household income of $38,686 or less (2026 limit, adjusted each year) - **Home:** you own it and it's your homestead - **Benefit:** up to $50,000 more off your taxable value - **Catch:** it only applies to the taxes of a county or city that has adopted it. It doesn't reduce school taxes. ## Senior Exemption #2: Long-Term Resident Senior Exemption - **Age:** 65 or older - **Residency:** you've lived in the home for at least 25 years - **Income:** same income limit as above - **Home value:** market value under $250,000 when you first qualify - **Benefit:** can wipe out that county's or city's portion of your property tax entirely, if it's been adopted locally ## Where It's Offered on the Treasure Coast ### Indian River County The county has adopted the low-income senior exemption. ### Martin County The county offers the low-income senior exemption ($25,000 off county taxes) and the long-term resident exemption (the county portion of taxes fully exempt). The Village of Indiantown offers both as well. Rules change, so always check with your county Property Appraiser. ## Other Exemptions Seniors Often Qualify For - **Widow or widower:** $5,000 - **Blind or totally and permanently disabled:** $5,000 - **Veterans with a service-connected disability:** $5,000 or more, up to full exemption for total and permanent disability - **Veterans 65+ with a combat-related disability:** a discount equal to the disability percentage ## How to Apply - **Deadline:** March 1 - **Where:** your county Property Appraiser's office - **Form:** DR-501SC for the senior exemption, plus proof of household income from the prior year - Most counties ask you to confirm your income every year to keep the exemption ## Frequently Asked Questions Do seniors stop paying property taxes in Florida? No. Florida doesn't freeze or end property taxes at a certain age. Low-income seniors can get extra exemptions where their county or city offers them. What is the income limit for the Florida senior exemption in 2026? $38,686 in total household income from the prior year. It's adjusted every year. Does the senior exemption lower school taxes? No. It only reduces the taxes of the county or city that adopted it. Can I get the senior exemption if I just moved to Florida? Yes, if you meet the age and income limits and qualify for homestead. The 25-year long-term resident exemption requires 25 years in the home. General information, not tax advice. Confirm current amounts and eligibility with your county Property Appraiser. ## Talk to Peter and Kate. Peter White & Kate Ward | REMAX Gold Peter White 772-284-1419: +17722841419 Kate Ward 772-342-4006: +17723424006 ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "RealEstateAgent", "@id": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/#real-estate-agent", "name": "Peter White & Kate Ward, The McKinney Team | REMAX Gold", "url": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com", "telephone": "772-284-1419", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "140 NW California Blvd", "addressLocality": "Port St. Lucie", "addressRegion": "FL", "postalCode": "34986", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": [ { "@type": "City", "name": "Vero Beach" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Sebastian" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Fort Pierce" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Port St. Lucie" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Stuart" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Jensen Beach" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Palm City" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Hobe Sound" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Indiantown" } ], "employee": [ { "@id": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/#peter-white" }, { "@id": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/#kate-ward" } ] }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/#peter-white", "name": "Peter White", "jobTitle": "Realtor", "telephone": "772-284-1419", "worksFor": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "REMAX Gold" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/#kate-ward", "name": "Kate Ward", "jobTitle": "Broker Associate", "telephone": "772-342-4006", "worksFor": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "REMAX Gold" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Peter White & Kate Ward, The McKinney Team | REMAX Gold", "url": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Guides", "item": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/guides" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Florida Senior Property Tax Exemption", "item": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/florida-senior-property-tax-exemption" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Florida Senior Property Tax Exemption: What Homeowners 65+ Should Know", "description": "Who qualifies for Florida's senior property tax exemption, the 2026 income limit, how to apply by March 1, and where it's offered on the Treasure Coast.", "datePublished": "2026-11-07", "dateModified": "2026-11-07", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Peter White & Kate Ward, The McKinney Team | REMAX Gold", "url": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Peter White & Kate Ward, The McKinney Team | REMAX Gold", "url": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.petekaterealestate.com/florida-senior-property-tax-exemption" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do seniors stop paying property taxes in Florida?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Florida doesn't freeze or end property taxes at a certain age. Low-income seniors can get extra exemptions where their county or city offers them." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the income limit for the Florida senior exemption in 2026?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "$38,686 in total household income from the prior year. It's adjusted every year." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does the senior exemption lower school taxes?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. It only reduces the taxes of the county or city that adopted it." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I get the senior exemption if I just moved to Florida?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, if you meet the age and income limits and qualify for homestead. The 25-year long-term resident exemption requires 25 years in the home." } } ] } ] ```