Florida · Property tax exemptions for people with disabilities · Updated Oct 2026
Florida property tax exemptions for people with disabilities (2026)
Every statewide property tax break in Florida that our guide lists for homeowners with a disability, including senior breaks that also cover people with disabilities. What each is worth, who qualifies, the deadline and how to apply.
Short answer
The main property tax break for people with disabilities in Florida is the Total and Permanent Disability Exemptions (quadriplegic; wheelchair-bound or legally blind; $5,000 blind/disabled). Full exemption of your homestead if you are quadriplegic (no income limit), or if you are paraplegic, hemiplegic or otherwise totally and permanently disabled and must use a wheelchair, or are legally blind, and your household income is under the limit.
Property tax breaks for people with disabilities in Florida
Disability
Total and Permanent Disability Exemptions (quadriplegic; wheelchair-bound or legally blind; $5,000 blind/disabled)
Full exemption of your homestead if you are quadriplegic (no income limit), or if you are paraplegic, hemiplegic or otherwise totally and permanently disabled and must use a wheelchair, or are legally blind, and your household income is under the limit. Anyone totally and permanently disabled or blind also gets $5,000 off the assessed value.
Who qualifies
Florida resident who owns and lives in the homestead and is totally and permanently disabled. Full exemption (except quadriplegics) requires gross household income, including Social Security and VA benefits of everyone living there, at or below the limit.
Income limit
$37,712 gross household income for 2026 (full exemption for wheelchair users and the legally blind; no limit for quadriplegics and none for the $5,000 exemption).
How to apply
File Form DR-501 with the property appraiser. First-time filers bring a certificate of total and permanent disability (Form DR-416) from two Florida-licensed doctors or the VA; for blindness, one may be a Florida optometrist (Form DR-416B). Bring proof of household income for the full exemption.
Exemption for Totally and Permanently Disabled First Responders
Your homestead is fully exempt from property tax (100% of the value).
Who qualifies
A first responder (law enforcement or correctional officer, firefighter, EMT or paramedic) who is totally and permanently disabled because of an injury sustained in the line of duty in Florida (or in an operation elsewhere authorized by Florida or a Florida local government), who owns and lives in the homestead and is a permanent Florida resident on January 1. No income limit. The statute also lets an unremarried surviving spouse keep the exemption.
How to apply
Apply with your county property appraiser using Form DR-501. Bring the employer's certificate that the disability came from a line-of-duty injury, plus either the disability certificate used for the general total and permanent disability exemption or documentation from the Social Security Administration that you are totally and permanently disabled (s. 196.102(4)-(5), F.S.).
First-time filers bring a certificate of total and permanent disability (Form DR-416) from two Florida-licensed doctors or the VA; for blindness, one may be a Florida optometrist (Form DR-416B).
Bring proof of household income for the full exemption.
Apply with your county property appraiser using Form DR-501.
Bring the employer's certificate that the disability came from a line-of-duty injury, plus either the disability certificate used for the general total and permanent disability exemption or documentation from the Social Security Administration that you are totally and permanently disabled (s. 196.102(4)-(5), F.S.).
Deadline: March 1 of the tax year (s. 196.102(3), F.S.).
Renewal: Renews with your homestead; tell the property appraiser if your status changes.
Savings estimate for Florida
None of these breaks is one fixed dollar amount taken off your home's value, so we can't estimate the savings here. What each one is worth is on its card above.
Eligibility finder for Florida
Answer a few questions to see which property tax breaks may fit you. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.
Pre-set for people with disabilities: you own and live in the home and have a permanent disability. Change any answer.
Document checklist for Florida
Pick the breaks you plan to apply for. You get a checklist of forms, documents, steps and deadlines to print or keep on your phone.
Questions about people with disabilities property tax breaks in Florida
Who qualifies for property tax breaks for people with disabilities in Florida?
Total and Permanent Disability Exemptions (quadriplegic; wheelchair-bound or legally blind; $5,000 blind/disabled): Florida resident who owns and lives in the homestead and is totally and permanently disabled. Full exemption (except quadriplegics) requires gross household income, including Social Security and VA benefits of everyone living there, at or below the limit. Exemption for Totally and Permanently Disabled First Responders: A first responder (law enforcement or correctional officer, firefighter, EMT or paramedic) who is totally and permanently disabled because of an injury sustained in the line of duty in Florida (or in an operation elsewhere authorized by Florida or a Florida local government), who owns and lives in the homestead and is a permanent Florida resident on January 1. No income limit.
Is there an income limit for people with disabilities' property tax breaks in Florida?
Total and Permanent Disability Exemptions (quadriplegic; wheelchair-bound or legally blind; $5,000 blind/disabled): $37,712 gross household income for 2026 (full exemption for wheelchair users and the legally blind; no limit for quadriplegics and none for the $5,000 exemption). Exemption for Totally and Permanently Disabled First Responders: no income limit is listed in our sources.
When is the deadline for people with disabilities to apply in Florida?
Total and Permanent Disability Exemptions (quadriplegic; wheelchair-bound or legally blind; $5,000 blind/disabled): March 1 of the tax year. Exemption for Totally and Permanently Disabled First Responders: March 1 of the tax year (s. 196.102(3), F.S.).
Do people with disabilities have to reapply every year in Florida?
Total and Permanent Disability Exemptions (quadriplegic; wheelchair-bound or legally blind; $5,000 blind/disabled): Income-tested exemption: you must keep meeting the income limit each year; report changes to the property appraiser. Exemption for Totally and Permanently Disabled First Responders: Renews with your homestead; tell the property appraiser if your status changes.
Where do people with disabilities apply for property tax breaks in Florida?
Your county property appraiser decides all exemptions. You apply with the property appraiser in the county where the home is, often online; the Florida Department of Revenue writes the forms and rules. For the Total and Permanent Disability Exemptions (quadriplegic; wheelchair-bound or legally blind; $5,000 blind/disabled): File Form DR-501 with the property appraiser.