How do I apply for the homestead exemption in Miami-Dade?

Apply online at the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser's website (miamidade.gov/pa) or in person at an MDPA office. The application deadline is March 1 of the tax year you want the exemption to take effect. You need a Florida driver's license or ID showing the property address, vehicle registration, and evidence the property is your primary residence. [VERIFY: Current documentation requirements with the MDPA — requirements can change.]

I just bought my home. Do I need to re-apply for homestead?

Yes. The homestead exemption does not transfer when a property changes ownership. Every new owner must apply. Apply as soon as possible after closing, and before the March 1 deadline for the tax year you want it to take effect.

Does the Save Our Homes cap reset when I sell and buy a new home?

Yes, but Florida's portability rules let you transfer (port) the accumulated SOH benefit — up to $500,000 — from your old homestead to a new one in Florida. You must apply for portability within 3 years of selling your previous homesteaded property. [VERIFY: Current portability rules and limits with the MDPA — limits and timelines can be updated by the legislature.]

How much does the homestead exemption save me on my Miami-Dade taxes?

The $50,000 exemption reduces your taxable value by $50,000. The dollar savings depends on your total millage rate. In Miami-Dade, combined millage rates (county + school board + municipality + special districts) vary by location but can be [VERIFY: current millage range with the MDPA] — typically resulting in several hundred to over a thousand dollars in annual savings from the exemption alone.

Miami-Dade guides

Florida homestead exemption in Miami-Dade

If your Miami-Dade home is your primary residence, the Florida homestead exemption is one of the most valuable property-tax benefits available — and it's one that many new owners miss or fail to fully use. Here is what it covers, what it doesn't, and how to make sure you have it.

Also check whether you're over-assessed

Exemptions reduce your taxable value — but if the just value itself is too high, you may still be overpaying. The free check looks at both.

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What is the Florida homestead exemption?

Florida's homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of your primary residence by $50,000, lowering the amount your millage rates apply to. The exemption has two parts:

The first $25,000 applies to all millage rates — county, school board, municipality, and special districts.
The second $25,000 (for taxable values between $50,000 and $75,000) applies to all millage rates except school board millage. [VERIFY: This structure is the standard Florida law as historically enacted — confirm it remains current.]

The exemption is applied automatically each year once you have it on file — you do not need to re-apply annually. It stays in place until you sell the property, change your primary residence, or the exemption is administratively removed.

Save Our Homes — the assessment cap

The homestead exemption has a powerful companion benefit: the Save Our Homes (SOH) assessment cap. Once a property has been homesteaded for at least one full year, its assessed value — the basis for your tax bill — can only increase each year by the lesser of 3% or the CPI.

In a rising market like Miami-Dade, this can create a large gap between your just value (the market estimate) and your assessed value (what you're taxed on). Long-term homeowners who bought before prices rose sharply may have just values of $700,000 or more but assessed values of $350,000 or less — the cap holding the taxable basis far below the market value.

This benefit is significant but has a side effect: because the assessed value is already capped, a VAB appeal that reduces the just value may not lower the tax bill further — unless the appeal reduces just value to below the already-capped assessed value. See our over-assessment guide for details on when an appeal actually saves money for homesteaded owners.

What happens when you sell

When a homesteaded property changes hands, the SOH cap resets. The new owner's assessed value is set equal to the just value in their first year of ownership — which is why recently purchased homes sometimes see dramatically higher tax bills than previous owners paid on the same property.

The accumulated SOH benefit is not lost permanently, however — Florida's portability rules let you transfer up to $500,000 of the SOH benefit to a new homesteaded property in Florida (see the portability section below).

Who qualifies in Miami-Dade

To receive the Florida homestead exemption on your Miami-Dade property, you generally must:

Own the property — you must be the titled owner or beneficial interest holder.
Use it as your permanent primary residence — you must actually live there as your main home.
Be a Florida resident as of January 1 of the tax year — Florida residency, not just property ownership, is required.
Have a Florida driver's license or ID at the property address (or another qualifying form of evidence of primary residence).
Not be claiming a homestead exemption in another state or county.

[VERIFY: Confirm current qualification requirements with the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser — specific documentation and rules can change.]

Renters do not qualify. Second homes, vacation homes, and investment properties do not qualify for homestead. Only your permanent primary residence is eligible.

How to apply

Application deadline

The deadline to apply for the homestead exemption in Miami-Dade is March 1 of the tax year you want it to take effect. If you purchase a home in November 2025 and want the exemption on your 2026 taxes, you must apply by March 1, 2026.

Where to apply

You can apply online at miamidade.gov/pa or in person at any Miami-Dade Property Appraiser office. The online application is available 24 hours a day. [VERIFY: Current office locations and hours with the MDPA.]

What you'll need

Florida driver's license or Florida ID card showing the property address
Florida vehicle registration (if applicable) showing the property address
Social Security numbers for all owners on the deed (and spouses)
The property's folio number or address
[VERIFY: Any additional documentation currently required by the MDPA]

Late applications

If you miss the March 1 deadline, Florida law provides a late-filing process through September 18 of the same year [VERIFY: current late-filing deadline with MDPA], but the late exemption may not take effect until the following tax year depending on timing. File as early as possible after closing on a home.

Portability — taking your SOH benefit to a new home

When you sell a homesteaded property and buy a new one in Florida, you can transfer (port) your accumulated Save Our Homes benefit — the difference between your old home's just value and its capped assessed value — to your new property.

The amount you can port is capped at $500,000. [VERIFY: Current portability cap — this has been updated by the Florida Legislature and the current limit should be confirmed.]

To receive the portability benefit, you must:

Apply for the homestead exemption on your new property
Also file a Portability application (Form DR-501T) [VERIFY form number with MDPA]
Do so within 3 years of selling or abandoning your previous Florida homestead [VERIFY: current deadline]

Portability can substantially reduce the tax impact of moving to a more expensive home. If you sold a home with $400,000 of accumulated SOH benefit and applied it to a new home with a $700,000 just value, your starting assessed value on the new property could be as low as $300,000 instead of $700,000.

[VERIFY: All portability calculations with the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser or a licensed Florida appraiser — the actual benefit depends on the relative values of the old and new properties, and the calculation rules should be confirmed.]

Common mistakes that cost homeowners money

1. Not applying after purchase

The homestead exemption does not transfer automatically. Every new buyer must apply. Many new homeowners assume the prior owner's exemption carries over, or that their closing attorney handles it — typically neither is true. Apply by March 1 after closing.

2. Missing the March 1 deadline

If you buy in October 2025, you need to apply by March 1, 2026. Miss it and you lose the exemption for the entire 2026 tax year — potentially hundreds to thousands of dollars in lost savings.

3. Forgetting to apply for portability

Portability doesn't happen automatically even if you apply for the homestead exemption. You must file a separate Portability form. Many homeowners who moved within Florida and had substantial SOH accumulation leave significant savings on the table by not knowing this step exists.

4. Assuming the exemption means the assessment is correct

The homestead exemption and the SOH cap reduce what you're taxed on — but they don't guarantee your just value is set correctly. If you're a recently purchased homesteaded owner (cap not yet built up) or a non-homesteaded owner, your assessment may still be too high. Run the free check to separate the exemption question from the valuation question.

5. Not checking whether the senior exemption also applies

If you or a co-owner is 65 or older and the household income is below Florida's threshold, an additional senior exemption may be available on top of the standard homestead. See our senior exemption guide.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for the homestead exemption in Miami-Dade?: Apply online at the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser's website (miamidade.gov/pa) or in person at an MDPA office. The application deadline is March 1 of the tax year you want the exemption to take effect. You need a Florida driver's license or ID showing the property address, vehicle registration, and evidence the property is your primary residence. [VERIFY: Current documentation requirements with the MDPA — requirements can change.]
What is the deadline to apply for the homestead exemption in Miami-Dade?: March 1 of the tax year for which you want the exemption. If you miss the March 1 deadline, you can apply late — there is a late application process [VERIFY with MDPA] — but you will not receive the exemption for the current year.
I just bought my home. Do I need to re-apply for homestead?: Yes. The homestead exemption does not transfer when a property changes ownership. Every new owner must apply. Apply as soon as possible after closing, and before the March 1 deadline for the tax year you want it to take effect.
Does the Save Our Homes cap reset when I sell and buy a new home?: Yes, but Florida's portability rules let you transfer (port) the accumulated SOH benefit — up to $500,000 — from your old homestead to a new one in Florida. You must apply for portability within 3 years of selling your previous homesteaded property. [VERIFY: Current portability rules and limits with the MDPA — limits and timelines can be updated by the legislature.]
How much does the homestead exemption save me on my Miami-Dade taxes?: The $50,000 exemption reduces your taxable value by $50,000. The dollar savings depends on your total millage rate. In Miami-Dade, combined millage rates (county + school board + municipality + special districts) vary by location but can be [VERIFY: current millage range with the MDPA] — typically resulting in several hundred to over a thousand dollars in annual savings from the exemption alone.

Related guides

Exemptions plus a lower assessment — the full picture

The free check confirms whether your homestead exemption is in place and whether your just value itself is too high — because you may be owed savings on both fronts.

Abatero is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

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