Last updated September 4, 2026
Florida’s 2026 Property Tax Ballot Measures: What South Florida Homeowners Should Know
Short answer: two of the three constitutional amendments on Florida’s November 3, 2026 general election ballot deal with property taxation, and the one that matters to most homeowners is Amendment 3.
It would replace today’s second homestead exemption with a much larger exemption that applies to non-school taxes only — $150,000 of assessed value in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, indexed to inflation from 2029 — and would lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent. None of it is law. It needs 60 percent voter approval, and if approved it takes effect January 1, 2027, so the earliest tax roll affected is 2027.
What is actually on the ballot
The Florida Division of Elections lists three legislatively referred amendments for the 2026 general election. Only two touch property taxation, and they are very different in scope.
| Measure | Subject | Placed on the ballot | Effective if approved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | State budget stabilization fund. Not a property tax measure. | June 17, 2025 | Per its own text |
| Amendment 2 | Exempts tangible personal property used on land classified as agricultural from ad valorem taxation. | June 18, 2025 | Tax years beginning January 1, 2027 |
| Amendment 3 | Increases the homestead exemption for non-school taxes, lowers the non-homestead assessment cap from 10% to 5%, and limits how counties and municipalities may use property tax revenue. | June 16, 2026 | January 1, 2027 |
Amendment 3 began as CS/HJR 1F, “Save our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes,” in the June 2026 special session. It passed the House 75–26 and the Senate 30–9 and was filed with the Secretary of State on June 16, 2026. A joint resolution is not subject to the Governor’s veto. The Attorney General rewrote the ballot title and summary, so the language voters will read is titled “Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments,” not the legislative short title.
Why the ballot language changed in August
The statement the Legislature wrote was challenged in court. On August 3, 2026 the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Circuit in and for Leon County entered a final order granting summary judgment and declaratory and injunctive relief as to House Joint Resolution 1F, holding the proposed ballot statement legally insufficient, and the Attorney General filed a revised ballot title and summary on August 13, 2026. The summary now published by the Division of Elections is the operative one: it states that the amendment increases the homestead exemption for all non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 and adjusts for inflation thereafter, that persons who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 receive the existing exemption until the fifth year of exemption, that the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property drops from 10 percent to 5 percent, and that counties and municipalities must use property taxes solely for listed purposes. The earlier “Save our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” wording, including the phrase about a schedule for full elimination, is not what appears on the ballot. If you have read a summary of this measure written before mid-August, read it again.
What Amendment 3 would change
These are the operative changes as described in the House final bill analysis of CS/HJR 1F and the Revenue Estimating Conference review of the same measure.
- A new homestead exemption for non-school levies only, covering the first $150,000 of assessed value in 2027 and the first $250,000 in 2028 and after, with the $250,000 indexed to inflation beginning in 2029.
- The existing structure is reworked: the Revenue Estimating Conference describes the current first $25,000 exemption applying to school assessed value and the existing second exemption being removed and replaced.
- Owners who were not permanent Florida residents on December 31, 2026 get a smaller exemption — $50,000 of assessed value, $25,000 of it against school levies — and reach the larger exemption in the fifth year of exemption.
- The annual assessment increase cap on non-homestead, non-agricultural property drops from 10 percent to 5 percent.
- Counties and municipalities would be limited to using property tax revenue for specified purposes, including public safety, education, infrastructure, natural resources, debt service, retirement benefits, and operations.
- The Legislature would have to set a uniform procedure for local governments to raise the exempt amount further, and special districts could do the same subject to referendum.
One piece of implementing legislation is already enacted. CS/SB 4F became chapter law 2026-240 on July 1, 2026, effective June 24, 2026; among other things it revises millage limitations and authorizes the ballot summary of the proposed amendment to exceed the normal word limit. Enacted implementing legislation is not the same thing as an adopted amendment; the amendment still has to clear 60 percent at the polls.
What has not changed for the 2026 tax year
Whatever happens in November, the rules on your current bill are the ones already in force.
| Today’s homestead rules | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| First homestead exemption | $25,000, on the first $50,000 of assessed value | All levies, including school district levies |
| Additional homestead exemption, 2026 | Up to $26,411, on assessed value above $50,000 | Non-school levies only; inflation-adjusted each year since the 2025 tax year |
| Save Our Homes cap | 3% a year or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower | Annual increase in assessed value once homesteaded |
| Filing deadline | 1 March | Apply with your county property appraiser; the additional exemption is applied automatically |
Sources, all primary: Florida Division of Elections, Initiatives / Amendments database (ballot numbers and made-ballot dates); the enrolled text and House final bill analysis of CS/HJR 1F, 2026 special session, at flsenate.gov; the Revenue Estimating Conference impact analysis at edr.state.fl.us; chapter law 2026-240 (CS/SB 4F); the Florida Department of Revenue additional homestead exemption CPI table, revised January 2026; and the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser homestead exemption page. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
How to think about it if you are buying or selling here
Two honest observations, and no prediction about the vote.
First, the arithmetic is not uniform. The proposed exemption applies to non-school levies, and school district taxes are a substantial part of a South Florida tax bill, so the change to any individual bill depends on assessed value and on the specific county, municipal and special district levies attached to the property. Anyone quoting you a single percentage saving for “Florida homeowners” is guessing.
Second, the fiscal estimates are large and public. The Revenue Estimating Conference estimated the cash impact on local non-school property tax revenue at roughly -$4.95 billion in fiscal year 2027-28 with the $150,000 exemption in place and -$8.78 billion in 2028-29 with the $250,000 exemption in place. Whether that is a benefit or a problem is a political judgment, and it is not ours to make for you. It is, however, the reason the measure is being argued about, and the reason it is worth reading the actual ballot summary before you vote.
If you are relocating and weighing Florida carrying costs, our South Florida relocation guide covers what the tax picture, insurance, and association costs look like today. If you are weighing a sale, start with what your home is worth in the current market rather than a forecast about a tax change that has not happened.
Real-estate information only. This is not legal, tax, or voting advice, and it is neither an endorsement nor an opposition to any ballot measure. We do not calculate individual tax outcomes. For your own numbers, contact your county property appraiser and a CPA; for the official ballot language, read the materials published by the Florida Division of Elections.
Written by Gia Freer, Broker of Record at PBP Real Estate, LLC, licensed in Florida since 2000 (BK689801), brokerage license CQ1064615. Every figure above is cited to the body that issued it, and we have linked or named the source document in each case so you can read it yourself. This page was researched with AI assistance and reviewed by a licensed human before publication.
See what your home is worth
Gia Freer prepares a written opinion of value by hand from our own BeachesMLS data, with the comparable sales attached. No automated estimate is published on this site.
Florida 2026 property tax ballot questions
Is the Florida property tax amendment already law?
No. Amendment 3 is a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that the Legislature placed on the ballot on June 16, 2026. It has not been voted on, it is not law, and nothing about your 2026 tax bill changes because of it. If voters approve it at the general election on November 3, 2026, the amendment takes effect on January 1, 2027, which means the 2027 tax roll is the first one it could touch.
How many votes does it need to pass?
Sixty percent of votes cast on the measure. Florida requires a 60 percent supermajority to adopt a constitutional amendment, so a simple majority is not enough. The House final bill analysis for CS/HJR 1F states the same threshold.
Which measures on the 2026 Florida ballot involve property taxes?
Two of the three. Amendment 2 would exempt tangible personal property used on land classified as agricultural from ad valorem taxation, first applying to tax years beginning January 1, 2027. Amendment 3 is the homestead measure. Amendment 1 concerns the state budget stabilization fund and is not a property tax measure. All three are legislatively referred amendments listed in the Florida Division of Elections database.
What is the Florida homestead exemption right now, in 2026?
Unchanged by anything on the ballot. A $25,000 exemption applies to the first $50,000 of assessed value and covers all levies, including school district levies. A second exemption applies to assessed value above $50,000 and covers non-school levies only; the Florida Department of Revenue set its 2026 maximum at $26,411 after a 2.7 percent inflation adjustment, so the two together reach $51,411 for an owner whose assessed value is high enough to use both. Save Our Homes separately caps annual assessment increases at 3 percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. Apply with your county property appraiser by 1 March.
Would the amendment cut my school taxes too?
No. The new exemption in Amendment 3 applies to non-school levies only, and the analysis of CS/HJR 1F describes the current first $25,000 exemption being narrowed to school levies. School district taxes are a large share of a Florida tax bill, so any household arithmetic has to separate the two. What a specific bill would look like depends on your assessed value and the levies of your county, city and special districts. That is a question for your county property appraiser and your CPA, not for a real estate company.