Dallas County Senior Property Tax Relief 2026–27: The Over-65 Exemption, the School Tax Ceiling, Ceiling Transfers and Tax Deferral
Updated: 1 day ago
Texas has no state income tax, so local property taxes carry much of the load. For Dallas-area homeowners who've turned 65, that bill can feel heavier every year as home values rise. Texas law offers older homeowners some of the strongest protections in the country, but most of them only kick in after you file an application with the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD).
This guide covers the four big pieces: the over-65 homestead exemption, the school tax "ceiling" that limits future school taxes, the ceiling transfer if you move, and the option to defer taxes while you live in your home.
Last reviewed: October 2026. How we research and correct guides like this one is explained in our Editorial Standards.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Local option exemptions vary by taxing unit, so check your own account.
Quick answers on Dallas County exemptions
Over-65 exemption: school districts must give an extra $60,000 off your home's value, on top of the $140,000 general homestead exemption, according to the Texas Comptroller.
School tax ceiling: once you qualify, your school taxes are capped at the amount you paid in the year you qualified, unless you make improvements.
Moving? You can transfer the ceiling's percentage to a new Texas home.
Surviving spouses 55 or older may keep the exemption and the ceiling.
Tax deferral: you can postpone property taxes while you own and live in the home. Deferred taxes build up 5% interest a year, according to DCAD.
Missed it? DCAD says you can file a late application up to two years after the delinquency date.
DCAD Customer Service: 214-631-0910.
Step One: The General Homestead Exemption
Every senior benefit below builds on the residence homestead exemption. DCAD says that to qualify you must own and live in your home on January 1 of the year you apply, and you can't claim a homestead exemption on any other property.
The Texas Comptroller says school districts must provide a $140,000 homestead exemption (Tax Code section 11.13(b)). The Comptroller's example: if your home is appraised at $300,000 and you get the $140,000 exemption, you pay school taxes as if the home were worth $160,000. Any taxing unit may also offer an optional exemption of up to 20% of the home's value.
Temporary moves. DCAD says you can still qualify if you move away temporarily, as long as you don't set up another principal residence and plan to return within two years. That limit can be exceeded if you're in military service overseas or living in a facility that provides health, infirmity or aging services.
The Age 65 or Older Exemption
Who qualifies
According to the Comptroller, you must:
be 65 or older;
have an ownership interest in the property; and
live in the home as your principal residence.
DCAD adds that you may qualify on the date you turn 65. You don't have to wait until the following January 1.
What it's worth
Tax Code section 11.13(c) requires school districts to provide an additional $60,000 homestead exemption for homeowners 65 or older or disabled, the Comptroller says. Any taxing unit, such as a city or county, may also adopt its own local option exemption for seniors. If it does, the exemption can't be less than $3,000.
Here's how the school district exemptions combine, based on the Comptroller's figures:
Item | Amount |
Example appraised value | $300,000 |
General homestead exemption (school) | minus $140,000 |
Over-65 exemption (school) | minus $60,000 |
Value taxed for school purposes | $100,000 |
City, county and other local exemptions depend on each taxing unit's choices. Check your DCAD account to see which exemptions apply to your home.
A note on DCAD's figures. DCAD's exemptions page still lists older school exemption amounts ($25,000 general and a $10,000 minimum for over-65). The Comptroller's page reflects the current $140,000 and $60,000 amounts, so we've used those. Your appraisal notice and account show the amounts applied to your property.
Over 65 and disabled?
You can't get both the over-65 and disabled person exemptions from the same taxing unit in the same year, but you can get them from different taxing units, according to both DCAD and the Comptroller.
The School Tax Ceiling
This is often the most valuable senior benefit in Texas, and many homeowners don't know it's there.
DCAD explains that once you qualify for the over-65 exemption, a tax "ceiling" automatically limits your school taxes to the amount you paid in the year you qualified for the homestead and over-65 exemptions. Even if your home's value rises sharply, your school tax bill shouldn't go above that ceiling.
Key points from DCAD:
School taxes are capped automatically once you qualify.
Counties, cities and junior colleges may also cap taxes for seniors, but only if they adopt a ceiling.
Improvements can raise the ceiling. Adding a garage, a room or a pool can increase it.
Moving? Take Your Ceiling With You
According to DCAD, homeowners 65 or older who buy or move into a different Texas home can transfer the percentage of school taxes paid, based on the former home's school tax ceiling. This is called a ceiling transfer.
For school taxes, the new home can be anywhere in Texas.
For county, city or junior college taxes, you must move within the same taxing unit.
Paperwork: request a certificate from the appraisal district for your former home, and take it to the appraisal district for the new home if it's in a different district.
Surviving Spouses
DCAD says a surviving spouse may keep the over-65 exemption and the tax ceiling if:
the deceased spouse was receiving the over-65 exemption on the home, or would have applied and qualified before death;
the surviving spouse was 55 or older on the date of death; and
the surviving spouse has an ownership interest in the home and can provide proof of the spouse's death.
The Comptroller's page adds that the surviving spouse must live in the home as a primary residence.
The Disabled Person Exemption
If you're under 65 and disabled, the Comptroller says the same additional $60,000 school exemption applies. To qualify, you must meet the Social Security Administration's definition of disability. Disability benefits from other programs don't automatically qualify you.
DCAD says you can get this exemption as soon as you qualify. To verify eligibility, you'll need a current dated statement from Social Security showing you're disabled and when your disability began. You don't have to receive Social Security disability benefits to qualify, but DCAD may ask for other documentation.
Tax Deferral for Homeowners 65 or Older or Disabled
If paying property taxes is a real hardship, DCAD says homeowners and heir property owners who qualify for the over-65 or disability exemption can defer, or postpone, paying property taxes on their home for as long as they own and live in it.
Understand the tradeoffs before signing up:
It postpones taxes. It doesn't cancel them.
Interest builds up at 5% a year until the deferral ends.
When the home is sold or passes to your estate or heirs, the deferred taxes and interest come due.
Mortgage escrow: a deferral doesn't stop your mortgage company from paying delinquent taxes. It only applies to tax collection.
To start, file a Tax Deferral Affidavit, available on DCAD's website, or call DCAD Customer Service at 214-631-0910.
How to Apply in Dallas County
DCAD says the application process works like this:
Check the exemptions you're applying for, such as the over-65 exemption.
Answer every question.
Attach the required documents. All applicants need a copy of a Texas driver's license or Texas ID card, and its address must match your homestead address. There are limited exceptions, such as for people living in a care facility and participants in the state's Address Confidentiality Program.
Each owner files separately, except married couples, who can file together.
Single homeowners and married couples filing together may be able to apply online on DCAD's website. You can't file before the date you qualify.
Your ID address must match. If your driver's license still shows an old address, update it with the Texas Department of Public Safety first. DCAD lists Dallas County driver license offices on its exemptions page.
Heir property. If you inherited the home and aren't named on the deed, DCAD says you'll need an ownership affidavit, the owner's death certificate, a recent utility bill and any related court record.
Missed the Exemption? File Late
DCAD says you can file a late application for residence homestead exemptions, including the over-65 and disabled person exemptions, up to two years after the delinquency date. If you turned 65 in the past couple of years and never applied, contact DCAD now.
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