Watch HCAD fill out the application, then follow the steps
The Harris Central Appraisal District recorded a six minute, screen by screen walkthrough of its online exemption application. Press play here; the CC button gives English, Spanish and Vietnamese captions, and the settings button slows it down. The written steps below follow the same order.
Video by the Harris Central Appraisal District, shown here from HCAD's own player.
Before you start: the address on your Texas driver's license has to match the property. That single mismatch is the reason HCAD rejects most online applications. Fix it at dps.texas.gov first, then file.
Step by step
1. Update your Texas driver's license first
The address on your license or state ID has to match the property. Change it online at dps.texas.gov before you start; the online filing rejects a mismatch.
2. Find your HCAD account number
Search your address at hcad.org. The 13 digit account number is on the property record and on any HCAD notice you have received.
3. Open HCAD's online exemption filing
Go to portal.hcad.org/mobile/Exemptions, HCAD's online filing for the general homestead and over 65 exemptions. For a disability, veteran or heir property claim, or any ID exception, use the full Form 11.13 from HCAD's All Forms page instead.
4. Enter the owner and property information
Your name as it appears on the deed, the account number, the date you bought the home and the date you moved in. HCAD's FAQ says sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the application apply to most homeowners.
5. Upload the front and back of your license
HCAD asks for photographs or scans of both sides. Both the name and the address are checked against the account.
6. Affirm and submit
Check the statement that this is your only homestead and that you live there, sign electronically and submit. Save the confirmation.
7. Check the status after a few weeks
HCAD posts a lookup at portal.hcad.org/mobile/Exemptions/Lookup, and the exemption appears on your property record at hcad.org once approved. No processing time is published, so check the record rather than waiting for a letter.
Prefer paper? HCAD Form 11.13, or the Comptroller's Form 50-114, can be mailed or brought to the customer service counter on the third floor at 13013 Northwest Freeway, Houston, Texas 77040. HCAD also has an iPhone and Android app, HCAD Info and Exemptions, that files the same application from your phone.
What the exemption is worth in Harris County, 2026
Two things happen when the exemption is approved. Each taxing unit takes its exemption off the value before it applies its rate, and starting the following January 1 your appraised value cannot rise more than 10 percent a year no matter what the market does.
| Taxing unit | General homestead | Additional, 65 or older or disabled |
|---|---|---|
| Your school district (state minimum) | $140,000 | $60,000 more |
| Harris County | 20% | $336,000 |
| Harris County Flood Control District | 20% | $336,000 |
| Harris County Hospital District | 20% | $336,000 |
| Port of Houston Authority | 20% | $320,000 |
| City of Houston | 20% | $260,000 |
| Houston Community College | 17% | $135,000 |
The school figures are the statewide amounts on the Comptroller's property tax exemptions page; the local ones are what HCAD currently posts on its jurisdiction list. Only the units that actually tax your address apply, and a school district or city can add more on its own. Some units in the county, and every MUD, publish their own figures.
On a $350,000 home taxed by HISD, Harris County and the City of Houston, the school exemption alone removes $140,000 from the value the district taxes, and the county and city each tax $280,000 instead of $350,000. Run your own address through our Houston mortgage calculator to see the monthly difference with the exemption on.
The rules that trip people up
You can file the year you buy. Since 2022 a buyer who closes after January 1 gets the general exemption for the rest of that year, provided the seller did not already have it on the home for that year. There is no reason to wait for the next January.
Nobody files it for you. HCAD's own FAQ says the ownership record usually does not update by itself after closing. Your lender, your title company and your agent do not file the exemption. You do.
One homestead. The home has to be your principal residence, and you affirm that you are not claiming a homestead anywhere else. A rental, a second home or a relative's house does not qualify.
Missed April 30? File anyway. Texas Tax Code 11.431 allows a late application up to two years after the delinquency date for that year's taxes, and the exemption applies to that late year. The 10 percent cap, though, only starts the January after the exemption is in place, so every year without it is a year of cap protection you cannot get back.
It does not expire. The exemption stays on the property while you own and occupy it. HCAD verifies exemptions at least every five years and mails you when it needs a confirmation. It is free to file and free to keep; any letter offering to file it for a fee is a solicitation, not a bill.
Turning 65 or becoming disabled? That is a separate application for the additional exemptions, and HCAD gives you until the first anniversary of qualifying to file for that year.
If you just closed
File the exemption the week you move in, then check the property record at hcad.org a few weeks later. If your loan has an escrow account, the lower tax bill shows up as a lower payment at your next escrow analysis. Owners in Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria or Galveston County follow the same rules through their own appraisal district; the county by county details are in our Houston homestead exemption guide. If you are thinking about the appraised value itself, our property tax protest guide covers the spring notice and the protest deadline.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Texas homestead exemption in 2026?
The school district exemption is $140,000 off your home's taxable value, raised from $100,000 when voters approved Proposition 13 on November 4, 2025. Homeowners 65 or older or disabled get a further $60,000 off school taxes. In Harris County the county, flood control district, hospital district, Port of Houston and City of Houston each take 20 percent off, and HCC takes 17 percent, on top of the school exemption.
When is the Harris County homestead exemption deadline?
April 30 for the tax year you are claiming. HCAD's regular filing window runs January 1 to April 30. If you miss it, Texas Tax Code 11.431 lets you file a late application up to two years after the delinquency date for that year's taxes, and you still get the exemption for the late year.
Can I file a homestead exemption the same year I buy the house?
Yes. Since 2022, a buyer who closes after January 1 can receive the general homestead exemption for the rest of that year, as long as the previous owner did not already have the same exemption on the home for that year. You do not have to wait for January 1.
Does my driver's license address have to match the property?
Yes for the online filing. HCAD checks that the name and address on your Texas driver's license or state ID match the owner name and property address on the account. Update your license at dps.texas.gov first. HCAD lists exceptions for active duty military and spouses, residents of care facilities and participants in the Attorney General's address confidentiality program, and those use the full paper application.
Do I have to renew my homestead exemption every year?
No. Once granted it stays on the property while you own and live in it. HCAD does verify exemptions at least every five years and mails a request when it needs you to confirm. Filing and keeping the exemption is free, so ignore any company that charges to file it for you.
Does the title company or my lender file it for me?
No. HCAD's own FAQ says the ownership record usually does not update automatically at closing, and nobody files the exemption on your behalf. You file it, and you can do it the week you move in.