California Homestead Exemption: $7,000 Amount, Deadline, How to Apply

California's property-tax homestead benefit is the Homeowners' Exemption, which reduces the taxable value of an owner-occupied principal residence by $7,000 (California Constitution, Article XIII, Section 3(k); Revenue and Taxation Code § 218). You claim it once, on form BOE-266, with the assessor in the county where the home is located, and a claim filed by February 15 receives the full exemption for that year. The home must be your principal place of residence on the January 1 lien date; a buyer after January 1 who moves in within 90 days can claim it against the supplemental assessment.

The $7,000 comes off taxable value, not off your tax bill. Most of the protection California homeowners feel comes instead from Proposition 13's limit on yearly assessment increases, which applies to all real property, and from Proposition 19 for owners 55 and older or severely disabled who move. Other states' rules are in our guide to homestead exemptions by state.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers California's Homeowners' Exemption (Cal. Const. art. XIII, § 3(k); Rev. & Tax. Code § 218), the Proposition 13 assessment limit, Proposition 19 base-value transfers, the Disabled Veterans' Exemption as published by the State Board of Equalization, and, briefly, the separate homestead exemption from judgment creditors under Code of Civil Procedure §§ 704.730 and 704.950. It does not cover the terms of the State Controller's property tax postponement program, county-specific filing procedures, business or rental property, or other states' laws.

How much the California homestead exemption saves

The State Board of Equalization (BOE) puts it this way: "The California Constitution provides a $7,000 reduction in the taxable value for a qualifying owner-occupied home." The exemption lowers the value your tax is calculated on; it does not subtract $7,000 from the bill. What it is worth in dollars depends on the tax rates that apply to your property.

The state, not your county or city, absorbs the cost. According to BOE Publication 29, "The state reimburses local agencies for the loss in property tax revenue."

Who is eligible for the Homeowners' Exemption

You must own the home and occupy it as your principal place of residence. The BOE states that "the home must have been the principal place of residence of the owner on the lien date, January 1st." If you buy the home after January 1, you can still claim the exemption against the supplemental assessment if you move in within 90 days of the purchase and the property is not already receiving the exemption.

Publication 29 adds that "rentals and vacation homes do not qualify." An owner who receives the Disabled Veterans' Exemption on the home cannot also receive the Homeowners' Exemption there; the veterans' exemption is the larger benefit for those who are eligible for it (see below).

How and when to apply

The BOE explains that "the homeowner must make a one-time filing with the county assessor where the property is located." The claim form is BOE-266, Claim for Homeowners' Property Tax Exemption, and you get it from your county assessor. The BOE's sample BOE-266 is revision REV. 14 (07-25).

A new owner must file a claim even if the previous owner already had the exemption on the property. The exemption follows the owner, not the house.

The February 15 deadline

The BOE states that "a person filing for the first time on a property may file anytime after the property or claimant becomes eligible, but no later than February 15 to receive the full exemption for that year." The form itself carries a second trigger for buyers who receive a supplemental assessment: "file this form with the Assessor on or before February 15 or on or before the 30th day following the date of notice of supplemental assessment, whichever comes first."

If you miss February 15, a late claim is not necessarily lost. A claim filed by December 10 still receives a partial exemption: the lesser of $5,600 or 80 percent of the dwelling's full value (Rev. & Tax. Code § 275).

Do you have to reapply every year?

No. The BOE describes the claim as "a simple one-time filing with the county assessor." Once granted, the exemption stays in place until title changes or you stop occupying the home as your principal residence; at that point a new claim is needed.

Losing the exemption and penalties

The duty to report runs to you. The BOE states: "Homeowners' Exemption claimants are responsible for notifying the assessor when they are no longer eligible for the exemption. December 10th is the last day to terminate the Homeowners' Exemption without penalty."

If an exemption was allowed when it should not have been, the assessor can issue an escape assessment for the exemption amount with interest. If you supplied information you knew was wrong or incomplete, or did not tell the assessor in time that the home was no longer eligible, a penalty is added as well; the BOE-266 form describes it as 25 percent of the escape assessment (Rev. & Tax. Code § 531.6). Moving out, renting the home or turning it into a second home are the situations to report.

Proposition 13: the assessment limit

Proposition 13 does much of the work people expect a homestead exemption to do. BOE Publication 29 states that it "generally limits annual increases in the base year value of real property to no more than 2 percent, except when property changes ownership or undergoes new construction."

Your taxable value is the lower of that factored base year value or current market value, and the yearly increase follows the change in the California Consumer Price Index, up to the 2 percent ceiling. This limit is not tied to the Homeowners' Exemption: it applies to all real property, including rentals and commercial property, and it resets when the property changes hands.

Proposition 19: moving your tax base

Proposition 19, operative April 1, 2021, lets eligible homeowners keep a lower taxable value when they move. BOE Publication 801 says it "allows homeowners who are age 55 or older, or severely and permanently disabled of any age, to transfer the taxable value of their principal residence to a replacement property up to three times anywhere in the state."

If the replacement home costs more than the original's value under the measure's percentage limits, the difference is added to the transferred taxable value. Claim forms and filing windows are on the BOE's Proposition 19 page; file with the assessor in the county where the replacement home is located.

Proposition 19 also limits the intergenerational transfer exclusion for property passing between generations. BOE Publication 801 states that "from February 16, 2025, through February 15, 2027, the adjusted amount is $1,044,586."

Disabled Veterans' Exemption

The BOE describes this exemption as reducing "the property tax liability on the principal place of residence of qualified veterans who, due to a service-connected injury or disease, have been rated 100% disabled or are being compensated at the 100% rate due to unemployability. An unmarried surviving spouse of a qualified veteran may also claim the exemption."

The amounts are adjusted each year by the change in the California Consumer Price Index. BOE Letter To Assessors 2026/019 applied a factor of 1.02888 to set the January 1, 2027 figures:

Claims are filed with the county assessor on form BOE-261-G. Form BOE-261-GNT is the notice used to tell the assessor you no longer qualify. The BOE says both forms "have been updated and will be available to Assessors for the January 1, 2027, lien date."

To receive the full exemption for the first year, file by the January 1 after you become eligible or within 90 days of becoming eligible, whichever is later; a later claim receives 85 percent for that first year. The basic exemption does not need to be refiled. The low-income exemption must be claimed every year between January 1 and February 15; a claim filed after February 15 but by December 10 receives 90 percent, and one filed after December 10 receives 85 percent. Details are on the BOE's Disabled Veterans' Exemption page.

Help for seniors who cannot pay: postponement

The State Controller, not the county assessor, runs California's Property Tax Postponement program for some seniors and blind or disabled homeowners. It postpones current-year taxes rather than exempting them. Its current income limit, equity rules and application window were not verified for this page; contact the State Controller's Office for the current terms.

November 2026 ballot

The research for this page did not identify a measure on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot that changes the $7,000 Homeowners' Exemption or Proposition 13's limits for homeowners, though not every measure was reviewed in full. The closest is Proposition 43, which, according to the Secretary of State's voter guide, "limits voters' ability to pass voter-proposed local special taxes by increasing percentage of votes needed to approve such ballot measures from a majority (over 50%) to two-thirds, beginning January 1, 2027." It is not law unless voters approve it.

California homestead protection from creditors (CCP 704.730)

The creditor homestead is a different law from the $7,000 tax exemption, with much larger amounts. It limits what a judgment creditor can take from the equity in the home you live in, and none of the property-tax figures above apply to it.

Under Code of Civil Procedure § 704.730, the homestead amount is the greater of two figures: the countywide median sale price for a single-family home in the calendar year before the claim, up to a statutory ceiling of $600,000, or a statutory floor of $300,000. Both figures adjust each year for inflation, starting January 1, 2022, based on the California Consumer Price Index, so the current dollar amounts are higher than those base numbers. We did not find an official state publication of the current adjusted amounts, so ask the court or a lawyer for the figure that applies to your claim.

You can also record a homestead declaration. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 704.950, if a declaration naming you or your spouse as an owner is recorded before a creditor records its judgment, that judgment lien does not attach to the home, except for any equity above existing liens and encumbrances plus the homestead amount. The rule does not apply to a judgment for child, family or spousal support.

The amount that applies is the home's protected equity, not a promise that a home is safe from every creditor. For how a California home is treated in a bankruptcy case, including the choice between exemption systems, see our guide to bankruptcy in California.

After an owner dies

California probate law has its own homestead rules after an owner dies, separate from both the tax exemption and the creditor homestead. See our guide to probate in California. To find your parcel and deed records before contacting the assessor, see our guide to California property records.

Related

• Homestead exemptions by state
• California bankruptcy guide
• California probate guide
• California property records

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about California's Homeowners' Exemption under the California Constitution and the Revenue and Taxation Code, related assessment rules, and the creditor homestead under the Code of Civil Procedure, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not tax or legal advice. Indexed amounts change each year. For your specific situation, contact your county assessor, the State Board of Equalization, or a lawyer licensed in California.

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the homestead exemption in California?

The Homeowners' Exemption reduces the taxable value of an owner-occupied principal residence by $7,000 (Cal. Const. art. XIII, § 3(k); Rev. & Tax. Code § 218). It lowers the value your tax is based on, not the bill itself by $7,000.

When is the deadline to file for homestead exemption in California?

File form BOE-266 with your county assessor by February 15 to receive the full exemption for that year. If you receive a notice of supplemental assessment, the form must be filed by February 15 or the 30th day after that notice, whichever comes first.

Can I file for the homeowners' exemption after February 15?

Yes, by December 10. A late claim receives the lesser of $5,600 or 80 percent of the dwelling's full value instead of the full $7,000 (Rev. & Tax. Code § 275).

Do I have to reapply for homestead exemption every year in California?

No. The BOE describes it as a one-time filing with the county assessor. It stays in place until title changes or you stop living in the home as your principal residence, and you must notify the assessor when you are no longer eligible (December 10 is the last day to end it without penalty).

I just bought a home that already had the exemption. Do I need to file?

Yes. A new owner must file a BOE-266 claim even if the previous owner received the exemption on the property.

Can I get the homeowners' exemption on a rental or vacation home?

No. BOE Publication 29 states that rentals and vacation homes do not qualify; the home must be the owner's principal place of residence on January 1.

Can seniors transfer their property tax base to a new home in California?

Under Proposition 19, homeowners 55 or older, or severely and permanently disabled of any age, can transfer the taxable value of their principal residence to a replacement home anywhere in California up to three times (BOE Publication 801).

How much is the disabled veterans property tax exemption in California?

For the 2026 lien date it is $180,671, or $271,009 for low-income claimants with household income up to $81,131. For the January 1, 2027 lien date the amounts are $185,889 and $278,836, with an $83,474 income limit (BOE Letter To Assessors 2026/019).

Does the California homestead exemption protect my house from creditors?

The $7,000 tax exemption does not. A separate law, Code of Civil Procedure § 704.730, sets a creditor homestead equal to the greater of the county median single-family sale price (with a $600,000 statutory ceiling) or $300,000, both adjusted annually for inflation. Recording a homestead declaration before a creditor records its judgment also keeps that judgment lien off the home, except for equity above existing liens and the homestead amount and except for support judgments (Code of Civil Procedure § 704.950).