If you own the home you live in in San Antonio, you may be paying property tax on more of your home’s value than the law requires. Filing for an exemption is free, you file once with the appraisal district in most cases, and for many families the savings come back every year. This guide covers the breaks our earlier over-65 post did not: the general homestead exemption for every homeowner, the extra break for disabled homeowners, the disabled veteran exemptions, and the deferral option that lets qualifying owners postpone taxes instead of falling behind.
The general homestead exemption: $140,000 off school taxes
Every Texas homeowner who owns and lives in their home as their main residence can apply for a residence homestead exemption. For school district taxes — usually the largest part of a San Antonio tax bill — the state requires school districts to exempt $140,000 of your home’s appraised value. That does not make your whole bill disappear, and it does not apply the same way to city, county, and other taxes, but it lowers the taxable value your school tax is figured on. Some taxing units also offer a local-option exemption of up to 20 percent of appraised value. You apply through the Bexar Central Appraisal District (BCAD), not through the school district. You generally need to have owned and lived in the home on January 1 of the tax year, and you cannot claim a homestead exemption on another home at the same time. BCAD will ask for a Texas driver’s license or state ID showing the same address as the home.
Age 65 or disabled: $200,000 off school taxes, plus a school tax ceiling
If you are 65 or older, or you are a homeowner with a disability who qualifies under Social Security disability rules, you get an additional $60,000 school exemption on top of the general one — $200,000 total off your home’s value for school taxes. You can receive the over-65 or the disabled-person exemption in addition to the general homestead exemption, but not both the over-65 and disabled exemptions from the same taxing unit in the same year. Qualifying 65+ and disabled homeowners also get a school tax ceiling: your school taxes are frozen at the level from the year you qualified, as long as you continue to own and live in the home (with adjustments the law allows, for example for improvements). Our separate guide to the Texas over-65 homestead exemption in San Antonio walks through that senior-specific piece in more detail.
Disabled veterans: partial breaks, and a full exemption at 100%
A Texas veteran with a service-connected disability rating from the VA can get an exemption based on the rating: $5,000 for 10–29 percent, $7,500 for 30–49 percent, $10,000 for 50–69 percent, and $12,000 for 70–99 percent. A veteran rated 100 percent disabled, or determined unemployable by the VA, qualifies for an exemption of the total appraised value of their residence homestead — in plain terms, no property tax on that home. A surviving spouse who has not remarried may be able to continue a 100 percent disabled veteran exemption if the home remains their homestead. Bring your VA rating letter when you apply. See also our VA benefits guide for San Antonio.
Can’t pay right now? A deferral postpones — it does not cancel
Homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or qualified disabled veterans (and certain surviving spouses) may file a tax deferral affidavit with the appraisal district to postpone paying property taxes on their homestead. While a deferral is in place, a taxing unit cannot sue to collect the deferred taxes and a pending foreclosure sale on the tax lien stops. Interest continues to build while taxes are deferred, and the full amount becomes due when you no longer own and live in the home. A deferral can protect a home in a hard year, but it is a loan against the home, not forgiveness — talk with BCAD and, if you have a mortgage, your mortgage company before filing, because a deferral can affect loan terms. If the bill itself is the problem this month, our guide to utility bill help in San Antonio covers other bills you may be able to lower at the same time.
How to apply in Bexar County — step by step
1. Get Form 50-114, the Residence Homestead Exemption Application, from the Texas Comptroller or BCAD. 2. Gather ID that matches the home’s address, plus any proof for the category you are claiming: birth/age proof for 65+, disability documentation, or your VA rating letter for a veteran exemption. 3. File with BCAD online, by mail, or in person at 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207. Filing is free — never pay a company to file a homestead exemption for you. 4. File by April 30 so the exemption is processed in time for that year’s fall tax bill. If you miss the deadline, ask BCAD about late filing — Texas law allows late homestead filings in many cases, and over-65/disabled and disabled veteran filings have their own late windows. 5. Check your property record on bcad.org after processing and look for the exemption listed on your account before your tax bill arrives.
Watch out for paid filing offers
Letters that look official and ask for a fee to file your homestead exemption are common in Bexar County. Filing directly with BCAD is free. If a letter does not come from BCAD or the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector, call BCAD first before paying anyone.
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Helpful links & phone numbers
- Texas Comptroller — Property Tax Exemptions — official state list of exemptions and amounts. Comptroller Property Tax Assistance: check the Comptroller site for current contact options.
- Bexar Central Appraisal District (BCAD) — file exemptions, search your property record, and check exemption status. Phone: 210-224-8511 — for exemption applications and property records. Address: 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207.
- Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector — pays/collects property taxes, payment plans, and tax bill questions. Phone: 210-335-2251 — for tax bills and payments.
- Related on this site: Free tax filing help in San Antonio
Frequently asked questions
Is filing for a homestead exemption really free?
Yes. Filing with BCAD is free. Companies that mail letters offering to file for a fee are not BCAD and are not required.
Do I have to reapply every year?
In most cases, no. A homestead exemption stays in place while you own and live in the same home. Reapply if you move, or if BCAD asks you to confirm you still qualify.
What if I turned 65 this year or just got a VA rating?
Apply as soon as you qualify and ask BCAD about retroactive application for that year. Bring age or VA documentation with Form 50-114. Call BCAD at 210-224-8511 if you are unsure which documents count.
Does an exemption lower my appraised value for every tax?
No. The $140,000 and $200,000 amounts described above are for school district taxes. City, county, and other taxing units set their own exemptions, including local-option percentages, so your total savings will be less than taxing the full exemption amount at your total rate.
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