Florida homestead exemption: the January 1 and March 1 dates
Updated . Not tax or legal advice.
Two dates decide whether you get the Florida homestead exemption for a year: January 1 and March 1. Miss either and you wait a full year.
The two dates
| Date | What must be true |
|---|---|
| Jan 1 | You own the home, live in it as your permanent residence, and are a permanent Florida resident |
| Mar 1 | Your application is in. A late application waives the exemption for that year |
Source: Palm Beach County Property Appraiser. You apply with the property appraiser in your own county, so check your county's page too.
Example: you move in November 2026
Live in the home by January 1, 2027 and apply by March 1, 2027. Get your Florida driver license first (new residents have 30 days), because the application asks for it. FLHSMV
What the application asks for
- Social Security numbers of the owners applying and their spouses
- Florida driver license or Florida ID
- One more record, such as Florida vehicle registration, Florida voter registration at the same address, a Declaration of Domicile, a federal tax return, or a utility bill for the home
Source: Palm Beach County Property Appraiser
Stop New York STAR first
You must not get a residency-based benefit somewhere else, such as New York's STAR. PBCPAO How you stop STAR depends on whether you get the exemption or the credit; after the tentative roll is filed you may need form RP-496. NY Tax Department
How much it saves
$25,000 off the first $50,000 of assessed value for all taxes, plus an additional exemption (not for school taxes) when the assessed value is at least $50,000. The 2025 maximum for the additional part was $25,722. PBCPAO
The homestead filing also becomes one more record for your move. It is a good piece of evidence, but on its own it does not prove a change of domicile.
Questions people ask
When is the Florida homestead exemption deadline?
You must own and live in the home as your permanent residence on January 1, and apply by March 1 of that year. A late application waives the exemption for that year. PBCPAO
I moved to Florida in the fall. When can I get homestead?
If you live in the home by January 1 of next year, apply by March 1 of next year. You cannot get it for the year you moved in unless you lived there on January 1 of that year.
Do I need to give up New York STAR first?
Yes. Florida homestead requires that you get no residency-based benefit elsewhere, such as STAR. PBCPAO, NY Tax Department