Changes in the Homestead Exemption Law

Starting on September 1, 2011 applicants applying for the homestead exemption will be required to provide documentation to prove that they live in the house they claim as their primary residence. The new law (House Bill 252) requires that a copy of the homeowner’s Texas driver’s license or state identification card and the owner’s vehicle registration receipt be sent with the homestead exemption application. If a homeowner does not own a vehicle they can send a current utility bill showing name and address. All required documents must match the physical address of the residence for which a homeowner is applying.
The new law affects only new applicants, not homeowners who already have exemptions. And it is not only for the general homestead exemption, but for the over-65 exemption, the disability exemption, the disabled veteran’s exemption, the extended exemption for a homeowner’s surviving spouse and the manufactured (mobile) home exemption.
Reminder: you should never pay someone to file your homestead exemption. Filing is free and you can download the application at the Travis County Appraisal District website: http://www.traviscad.org/pdf/Forms/Exemptions/50-114_ResidentialHomestead.pdf