Amendment 3 and Florida's homestead exemption, explained
What Amendment 3 would change in Florida property taxes: the homestead exemption, the December 31, 2026 newcomer date, the 5% cap and what stays the same.
The short answer
Amendment 3 is on Florida's November 3, 2026 ballot and needs at least 60% of the votes cast on it76. If it passes, the homestead exemption from non-school taxes rises to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and the yearly assessment cap for homes without homestead falls from 10% to 5%1. New Florida residents after December 31, 2026 would get $50,000 for their first four years of exemption1.
- If Amendment 3 passes: the homestead exemption from non-school taxes from 2028, up from at most $51,411 in 2026111
- $250,000
- If Amendment 3 passes: without a permanent residence in Florida that day, you'd get $50,000 off non-school taxes for your first four years of exemption1
- December 31, 2026
- If Amendment 3 passes: the yearly cap on non-school assessment increases for property without homestead from 2027, down from 10%1
- 5%
On this page
Pending: On the ballot November 3, 2026. The result isn't known yet.
Amendment 3 needs at least 60% of the votes cast on it to pass6. If it passes, it takes effect on January 1, 20271. We'll update this guide with the result.
Florida's Legislature passed Amendment 3 in June 2026 as CS/HJR 1-F, a joint resolution2. It would amend sections 4, 6 and 9 of Article VII of the Florida Constitution: the homestead exemption, the cap on property without homestead, and what counties and cities may spend property taxes on1.
This guide follows the amendment's own text. Every rule links to its primary source, and the worked example comes from the code behind Comped's own tax estimates.
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What Amendment 3 would change
If it passes, these are its main changes1:
- A bigger homestead exemption for every tax except school taxes: $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjusted for inflation1.
- A smaller one for newcomers. Someone who had no permanent residence in Florida on December 31, 2026 would get $50,000 off those taxes for their first four years of exemption1.
- A lower cap for property without homestead, such as second homes, rentals and businesses. Its assessed value could rise at most 5% a year for non-school taxes, down from 10%1.
- Limits on spending. Counties and cities could use property taxes only for a list of purposes, such as public safety, schools, infrastructure and debt1.
They would start in stages, from January 1, 20271.
June 2, 2026
The Legislature passes CS/HJR 1-F
75 to 26 in the House and 30 to 9 in the Senate.
August 13, 2026
The ballot wording is rewritten
The Attorney General files a new title and summary after a court ruling.
November 3, 2026 (key date)
The vote
Approval takes at least 60% of the votes cast on it.
January 1, 2027 (key date)
If approved, it takes effect
$150,000 off non-school taxes for a homestead, $50,000 for a newcomer, and the 5% cap for property without homestead.
January 1, 2028
The exemption would reach $250,000
A newcomer's $50,000 would start rising with inflation.
January 1, 2029
The $250,000 would start rising with inflation
Each year, by the change in the Consumer Price Index when that change is positive.
January 1, 2030
Counties and cities could shorten a newcomer's five-year requirement
By a vote of two-thirds of the members of the governing body, for a critical local need.
Some rules would stay as they are, whatever the vote1:
| Rule | Under the 2026 law and under Amendment 3 | Constitution |
|---|---|---|
| Homestead exemption from school taxes | $25,000 | Art. VII §6(a) |
| Save Our Homes cap on a homestead's assessed value | 3% a year, or the change in the Consumer Price Index if lower | Art. VII §4(d)(1) |
| Portability from a former Florida homestead | Up to $500,000 of its Save Our Homes benefit | Art. VII §4(d)(8) |
| A homestead after a sale | Assessed at just value on the next January 1, unless portability applies | Art. VII §4(d)(3) |
| School taxes on property without homestead | No yearly cap | Art. VII §4(g), (h) |
From Article VII of the Florida Constitution as it stands in 2026, and the amendment's enrolled text, which leaves these rules as they are8110.
If it passes, the state's Revenue Estimating Conference estimates that local governments would collect about $4.95 billion less in non-school property taxes in the 2027-28 fiscal year, and $8.78 billion less in 2028-293.
On the ballot it's titled "Increased homestead exemption; lower cap on increases in non-homestead property assessments." The Attorney General rewrote that title and its summary in August 2026, after a court found the Legislature's wording deficient54.
Amendment 3's homestead exemption: $150,000, then $250,000
For every tax except school taxes, Amendment 3 would exempt the first $150,000 of a homestead's assessed value in 2027 and the first $250,000 from 202813. From January 1, 2029, the $250,000 would be adjusted each year by the change in the Consumer Price Index, when that change is positive1.
“Beginning on January 1, 2028, up to the assessed valuation of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
In 2026 that exemption comes in two pieces: $25,000 off the first dollars of value, and up to $26,411 more off the value above $50,000. That's $51,411 at most1011. How Florida property taxes work after you buy shows both pieces at work on a bill.
- In 2026$51,411At most: $25,000, plus up to $26,411 on value above $50,000
- Amendment 3, 2027$150,000
- Amendment 3, 2028$250,000Adjusted for inflation from 2029
- Newcomer, 2027$50,000Until the fifth year of exemption
Under Amendment 3, counties and cities could go further. The Legislature would have to set a uniform way for them to raise the exemption for their own taxes, up to a home's full assessed value. Special districts could do the same by a referendum of their voters, held at most once in 12 months1.
Either way, a homestead exemption starts the same way. You must own the home and make it your permanent residence on January 1, then apply to your county's property appraiser by March 11012. How to file for homestead after you buy has the steps.
Who would count as a newcomer
Under Amendment 3, you'd count as a newcomer if you had no permanent residence in Florida on December 31, 2026. When you make a Florida home your homestead from 2027 on, you'd get $25,000 off school taxes, like everyone, and $50,000 off the rest1. That's $1,411 less than the most the 2026 law takes off non-school taxes, $51,4111011.
“who had not maintained a permanent residence in this state as of December 31, 2026”
The text asks only whether you had a permanent residence in Florida that day. It doesn't mention owning a home or having a homestead exemption then. The Legislature would have to set uniform procedures for the rule by law1.
The $50,000 would cover your first four years of exemption. The full exemption would come "beginning with the fifth year of exemption," in the text's words. Until then, the $50,000 would be adjusted for inflation each year from January 1, 20281.
From January 1, 2030, a county or city could shorten that period, which the text calls the "five-year requirement." Two-thirds of the members of its governing body would have to vote that a critical local need warrants it1.
The ballot summary adds that newcomers would get the increase from the fifth year "to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution"4.
| If Amendment 3 passes | Resident | Newcomer |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent residence in Florida on December 31, 2026 | Yes | No |
| Exemption from school taxes | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Exemption from other taxes, 2027 | $150,000 | $50,000 |
| Exemption from other taxes, 2028 | $250,000 | $50,000 plus inflation |
| The full exemption | From the first year | From the fifth year of exemption |
| Example home's tax, 2027 | About $5,200 | About $6,200 |
The exemptions are the amendment's1. Illustrative tax: calculated by the code behind Comped's estimates for a $500,000 homestead in tax district 00071 (most of Palm Beach County's unincorporated area has the same millage), at 2026 rates, rounded to $100, before non-ad valorem assessments1415. Under the 2026 law both pay about $6,200.
What it would mean for one home's tax bill
On a homestead, Amendment 3 would lower only the part of the bill that isn't school taxes1. How big that part is depends on your district's millage, its tax rate in mills. A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of taxable value13.
The 2026 millage of tax district 00071, at the rate most of Palm Beach County's unincorporated area pays, 16.2192 mills, split into school taxes and every other tax. All taxes 16.22 mills. School taxes, 6.29 mills, 39%. Every other tax, 9.93 mills, 61%.
| Segment | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| School taxes | 6.29 mills | 39% |
| Every other tax | 9.93 mills | 61% |
Take one home through it: $500,000, in tax district 00071, with homestead. A rough guide to the county's value is the price less Palm Beach's 15% cost-of-sale adjustment, about $425,00016. Palm Beach is the example because the code behind Comped's estimates holds its district rates; the steps are the same in every county.
Price$500,000
Just value (price less 15% for costs of sale)$425,000
SchoolOther taxes
Homestead exemption−$25,000−$250,000
Taxable value$400,000$175,000
Millage6.2879.9322
Tax$2,515$1,738
Tax for 2028, before non-ad valorem assessmentsAbout $4,300
Under the 2026 law the same home pays about $6,200 a year at 2026 rates. Under Amendment 3 an established resident would pay about $5,200 in 2027 and about $4,300 in 2028, at the same rates. The school taxes, about $2,515, would be the same in every case1415111.
Amendment 3 would start with 2027's taxes, so it wouldn't change the 2026 bill1. How property taxes are split at closing covers that one.
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Second homes and rentals: a proposed 5% cap
If the home won't be your homestead, Amendment 3's bigger exemption wouldn't apply, but its lower cap would. From January 1, 2027, the assessed value could rise at most 5% a year for non-school taxes, down from 10%1.
The cap would cover homes of nine units or fewer, such as a second home or a rental, and other property without homestead, such as businesses and larger buildings1. School taxes aren't capped and follow the full value each year, under the 2026 law and under Amendment 313.
A sale still resets the value. After a change of ownership, a home without homestead is assessed at just value on the next assessment date, and any cap counts from there18. In your first year the value is the just value; from then on, the cap limits how fast it can rise.
Limits on what counties and cities could spend property taxes on
Under Amendment 3, counties and cities could use the property taxes they levy only to pay for1:
- Public safety, including law enforcement, fire service and emergency medical service.
- Education and public schools.
- Infrastructure, including roads, bridges and stormwater control.
- Natural resource projects, including flood control.
- Local bonds for these uses, and payments on existing debt.
- Retirement benefits for local government employees.
- The operations and administration of county officers, county commissioners and cities, and spending that county officers or county or city governing bodies approve, unless a general law prohibits it.
As it stands in 2026, the Constitution lets counties and cities levy property taxes for their own purposes9. The new list would name counties and cities only, so school districts and special districts wouldn't be in it1.
If it passes, and if it fails
If at least 60% of those voting on it vote yes, Amendment 3 takes effect on January 1, 202761. The first tax roll it would change is 2027's, and 2027's taxes come due from November 1, 202717. The Legislature must then pass the laws it calls for, such as the procedures for newcomers and for counties and cities that raise the exemption1.
If it gets less than 60%, none of it takes effect and the 2026 law stays. The homestead exemption remains $25,000 for every tax plus up to $26,411 (2026) for non-school taxes, adjusted for inflation each year1011. The cap on property without homestead stays at 10%, and counties and cities keep levying for their own purposes89.
Either way, Comped's tax estimates follow the law in force once the result is known.
Questions buyers ask
A change to Florida's Constitution that the Legislature proposed in June 2026 as CS/HJR 1-F. It would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, give newcomers $50,000 for their first four years of exemption, lower the cap for property without homestead from 10% to 5%, and limit what counties and cities spend property taxes on.
No. School taxes would keep the $25,000 homestead exemption they have in 2026, and the 5% cap for homes without homestead wouldn't cover school taxes either. In tax district 00071, at the rate most of Palm Beach County's unincorporated area pays, school taxes are 6.287 of the 16.2192 mills in 2026, and that part of a homestead's bill would stay as it is.
If Amendment 3 passes and you had no permanent residence in Florida on December 31, 2026, you'd get $25,000 off school taxes and $50,000 off the rest, adjusted for inflation from 2028, for your first four years of homestead exemption. From the fifth year you'd get the full amount. From 2030, a county or city could shorten that period for a critical local need, by a vote of two-thirds of the members of its governing body.
Not through the exemption, which is for homesteads only. If it passes, it lowers the cap on yearly assessment increases for homes without homestead from 10% to 5% for non-school taxes, from January 1, 2027. A purchase still resets the value to just value, and from then on the cap limits how fast it can rise.
On January 1, 2027, if at least 60% of those voting on it approve it. The first tax roll it would change is 2027's, and those taxes come due from November 2027. The exemption from non-school taxes would be $150,000 for 2027 and $250,000 from 2028. It doesn't change 2026 taxes.
The 2026 law stays. The homestead exemption remains $25,000 for every tax, plus up to $26,411 more (2026) for non-school taxes on value above $50,000, adjusted for inflation each year. The cap on property without homestead stays at 10%, and counties and cities keep levying property taxes for their own purposes.
Sources
Primary sources only: the statutes, rules and agency documents each figure comes from.
- 1.CS/HJR 1-F (2026), enrolled text
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
- 2.CS/HJR 1-F (2026), Save our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes: bill history
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
- 3.CS/HJR 1-F final bill analysis, June 16, 2026
Florida House of Representatives · flsenate.gov · checked
- 4.Amendment 3, Increased homestead exemption; lower cap on increases in non-homestead property assessments
Florida Division of Elections · constitutionalinitiatives.dos.fl.gov · checked
- 5.Revised ballot statement for Amendment 3, August 13, 2026
Florida Attorney General, filed with the Division of Elections · initiativepetitions.dos.fl.gov · checked
- 6.Fla. Const. Art. XI §5, Amendment or revision election
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
- 7.Fla. Stat. §100.031, General election
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
- 8.Fla. Const. Art. VII §4, Taxation; assessments
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
- 9.Fla. Const. Art. VII §9, Local taxes
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
- 10.Fla. Stat. §196.031, Exemption of homesteads
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
- 11.Additional homestead exemption adjustment, revised January 2026
Florida Department of Revenue · floridarevenue.com · checked
- 12.Fla. Stat. §196.011, Annual application required for exemption
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
- 13.Fla. Stat. §192.001, Definitions
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
- 14.Palm Beach County taxing authority codes and millage, 2026
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser · pbcpao.gov · checked
- 15.2026 final vs proposed millage rates
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser · pbcpao.gov · checked
- 16.Form DR-493 for the 2026 roll, all counties: adjustments for costs of sale
Florida Department of Revenue · floridarevenue.com · checked
- 17.Fla. Stat. §197.333, When taxes due; delinquency
The Florida Senate · flsenate.gov · checked
General information about Florida law, not legal or tax advice. For your home, ask your county's property appraiser, a tax professional or your Comped agent.
What changed
When a law, a rule or a county's figures change, we update the guide and note it here.
Published.
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