Colorado Homestead Exemption for Seniors and Veterans: How to Apply

Colorado does not have a homestead property tax exemption for every homeowner. Its homestead exemption covers three groups: seniors 65 or older who have owned and lived in their home for at least 10 consecutive years, veterans with a 100% permanent service-connected disability rating (or individual unemployability status), and certain surviving and Gold Star spouses. For an eligible owner, 50% of the first $200,000 of the home's actual value is exempt from property tax under article X, section 3.5 of the Colorado Constitution and C.R.S. 39-3-203. You apply to your county assessor, by July 15 for the senior exemption and by July 1 for the veteran exemption in tax year 2026 (July 15 starting with tax year 2027). For other states, see 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 Colorado's senior property tax exemption and the exemption for veterans with a disability and Gold Star spouses (Colo. Const. art. X, sec. 3.5; C.R.S. 39-3-201 and following), the Qualified-Senior Primary Residence classification, statewide deferral and rebate programs, the creditor homestead exemption (C.R.S. 38-41-201 and following) and Colorado's probate rule on homestead allowances. It does not cover assessment rates, valuation appeals, business personal property, local programs beyond those named, or other states' laws.

Does Colorado have a homestead exemption?

Yes, but only for specific groups. Colorado has no homestead exemption that every owner-occupied home receives. The exemption that exists is written into the Colorado Constitution, which provides in article X, section 3.5(1) (Colo. Const. art. X, sec. 3.5):

"For property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2002, fifty percent of the first two hundred thousand dollars of actual value of residential real property ... that, as of the assessment date, is owner-occupied and is used as the primary residence of the owner-occupier shall be exempt from property taxation if:"

The conditions that follow cover an owner-occupier who is 65 or older, an owner-occupier who is a veteran with a disability, and an eligible spouse. The implementing statutes are in C.R.S. title 39, article 3, part 2, starting at section 39-3-201.

Colorado's Division of Property Taxation (DPT) runs the program statewide, but county assessors take the applications and decide them. Applications "must be submitted to the county assessor in the county where the property is located" (DPT, Senior Property Tax Exemption).

How much does the Colorado homestead exemption save?

The exemption removes part of the home's actual value from taxation. In the DPT's words, "The program exempts up to 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value of the home from taxation" (DPT). That is a reduction of up to $100,000 in actual value. The veteran exemption uses the same measure: "50% of the first $200,000 of actual value of the veteran's primary residence is exempt from taxation" (DPT, veterans with a disability).

Because the exemption lowers the value that taxes are computed on, the dollar saving depends on the tax rates where you live. Local governments do not absorb the cost. Article X, section 3.5(3) requires that "the general assembly shall compensate each local governmental entity that receives property tax revenues for the net amount of property tax revenues lost as a result of the property tax exemption provided for in this section" (Colo. Const. art. X, sec. 3.5).

You can hold only one of these at a time. The DPT answers the stacking question directly: "the laws that govern this program only allow a person or a married couple to have one exemption in total" (DPT FAQ).

Senior property tax exemption: who is eligible

The DPT lists three core requirements (DPT):

• "The applicant is at least 65 years old on January 1 of the year in which they apply."
• "The applicant or their spouse is the property owner of record and has owned the property for at least 10 consecutive years prior to January 1."
• "The applicant occupies the property as their primary residence, and has done so for at least 10 consecutive years prior to January 1."

Only the applicant has to meet the age test; a spouse does not. The 10 years must be at the home you are claiming. A senior who moves generally has to meet the 10-year ownership and occupancy test again at the new home.

Some seniors who do not fit the standard pattern can still apply. The DPT's Long Form "is intended for applicants that have a legally allowed exception to their ownership or occupancy or for Surviving Spouse applications" (DPT). The research behind this page identifies those exceptions as a home taken by eminent domain, a home lost to a natural disaster, and an owner confined to a hospital, nursing home or assisted living facility while a spouse or financial dependent lives in the home or it stays vacant. Homes held in a trust or LLC for estate planning also use the Long Form. The unremarried surviving spouse of a senior who previously received the exemption for the same property may also apply. Check the Long Form instructions with your assessor before relying on any exception.

Exemption for veterans with a disability and Gold Star spouses

A veteran applicant must meet each of these requirements, as the DPT lists them (DPT, veteran with a disability):

• "Served active duty in U.S. armed forces."
• "Was honorably discharged."
• "Has established a service-connected disability that has been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a one hundred percent permanent disability through disability retirement benefits or has been granted individual unemployability status."
• "The applicant or their spouse is the property owner of record as of January 1 in the year they apply."

The home must also be the veteran's primary residence as of January 1 of the application year. Unlike the senior exemption, the veteran exemption has no 10-year ownership requirement. The DPT states that the application "requires that the applicant provides a recent copy of their disability award letter."

There are three separate forms: the Veteran with a Disability Application, the Veteran with a Disability Surviving Spouse Application, and the Gold Star Spouse Application, each with instructions (DPT). The surviving spouse of a veteran who received the exemption files on the surviving spouse form. The Gold Star exemption is for the surviving spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty, if the spouse received the Department of Defense death gratuity, or of a veteran whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease, if the spouse is receiving VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (Colo. Const. art. X, sec. 3.5(1)(d) and (1.7)).

Veterans now file with the county assessor. A veteran who filed with the Division before the change keeps the exemption: under C.R.S. 39-3-205, an individual who filed "with the division rather than with the assessor ... and who qualified for and received an exemption for a property tax year commencing before January 1, 2024, retains the exemption and is not required to submit a new application" (C.R.S. title 39).

If your disability or unemployability status changes after you apply, "you must supply new documentation to your county assessor within 60 days" (DPT).

How and when to apply

Where: your county assessor, not the State. The DPT has a statewide help address, dola_dpt_senior-veteran@state.co.us, for questions (DPT FAQ).

Senior forms: "For senior citizens, there are two forms. The Short Form is the most commonly used form." The Long Form covers exceptions and surviving spouse applications (DPT). The DPT page names the forms but does not print form numbers; get the current version from the DPT page or your assessor.

Senior deadline: "Each year's application period begins on January 1 and ends July 15." Applications "returned between the timely deadline (July 15) and the late deadline (August 15) will not receive appeal rights if the application is denied by the county assessor" (DPT).

Veteran and Gold Star deadline: "Each year's application period begins on January 1 and ends July 1." Applications returned "between the timely deadline (July 1) and the late deadline (August 1) will not receive appeal rights if the application is denied by the county assessor" (DPT). Those are the tax year 2026 dates. Starting with the 2027 tax year, Senate Bill 26-046 moves the deadline for veterans with a disability and their surviving spouses to July 15, with late applications accepted until August 15 (C.R.S. 39-3-205(1)(b) and 39-3-206(2)(a.7); SB 26-046). Gold Star spouses should confirm their 2027 deadline on the DPT's Gold Star page.

No retroactive relief: "under 39-3-203(1)(b) C.R.S applicants may not receive an exemption for years before they were eligible or before they applied to the program after they reached eligibility" (DPT FAQ). Apply in the first year you are eligible.

When the saving shows up: Colorado taxes are billed a year behind. The DPT explains: "If you apply for and are approved for a tax exemption during the 2026 tax year, then you would receive the reduction in your taxes in early 2027 when you receive your 2026 property tax bill from the county treasurer's office" (DPT FAQ).

Renewal: "No, an applicant is not required to reapply annually for the program. However, if there are changes to your ownership, occupancy, primary residency or changes to who resides at your home as a primary resident, you must reapply with an updated application to your county assessor's office within 60 days of the change" (DPT FAQ).

If a timely application is denied, you can request a hearing before the county board of equalization no later than August 15 of that year; the board's decision is not subject to further administrative appeal (C.R.S. 39-3-206(2)(a)).

Qualified-Senior Primary Residence classification (ends after 2026)

The DPT describes it this way: "A property tax classification is available in 2025 and 2026 for qualifying senior citizens who received the senior exemption in 2020 or later, but are no longer eligible for that program" (DPT, Senior Primary Residence Classification). It was aimed at seniors who moved and lost the senior exemption.

To be eligible, "the applicant (or their spouse) must own and occupy their home as their primary residence as of January 1st in the year they are applying. Additionally they (or their spouse) must have received the senior exemption at a previous home in the year 2020 or later and are not currently able to receive the senior exemption" (DPT). An unremarried surviving spouse may apply. "There is only one application for the Senior Classification program that is used for all applicants," filed with the county assessor, and "Each year's application period begins on January 1 and ends March 15."

The DPT says the classification lets the owner "have 50 percent of the first $200,000 in actual value of their primary residence real property not be subject to property taxes, unless it causes the assessed value to drop below $1,000" (DPT, rebates, exemptions and deferrals). The program is ending. Senate Bill 26-116 "ends the qualified-senior primary residence real property classification for property tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027" (SB 26-116). Tax year 2026 is its last year, and its last application window closed July 15, 2026.

Other statewide property tax help for seniors and people with disabilities

These programs are not homestead exemptions, but a homeowner who does not meet the senior or veteran tests may still be able to use them (DPT, rebates, exemptions and deferrals).

• Property tax deferral. "Colorado residents who are 65 years of age or older and persons called into active military service may defer (postpone) the payment of property taxes on their residences." The State pays the taxes as a loan that accrues interest and is recorded as a lien on the home. It must be repaid when the owner dies, sells or transfers the home, moves for reasons other than poor health, or rents the home out, among other events, and all prior years' taxes must be paid before you apply (DPT). Applications "should be submitted to the county treasurer in the county where the property is located between January 1 and April 1. Application must be made annually to obtain a current deferral" (DPT FAQ).
• Property Tax/Rent/Heat Rebate. "Full-year Colorado residents who are 65 years of age or older, surviving spouses who are 58 years of age or older, or persons with disabilities may qualify." The rebate is administered by the Colorado Department of Revenue on Form 104PTC. Income limits and rebate amounts change and are not stated here; check the Department of Revenue's Form 104PTC instructions.
• Property tax work-off programs (local option). "Any taxing entity that levies and collects taxes may establish a property tax work-off program for Colorado citizens who are 60 years of age or older, is a first responder with a permanent occupational disability, or who is otherwise a person with a disability" (C.R.S. 39-3.7-101). These exist only where a local taxing entity has created one; ask your county treasurer.

Losing the exemption and penalties for false claims

The exemption ends when the home stops meeting the requirements, for example after a sale or a move. You must file an updated application within 60 days of a change in ownership, occupancy or primary residence, and a veteran must report a change in disability status within 60 days.

False claims are costly. Under C.R.S. 39-3-205(3)(a), "an applicant who knowingly provides false information on an exemption application or files more than one exemption application in any property tax year: (I) Shall not be entitled to an exemption; (II) Shall be required to pay ... an amount equal to the amount of property taxes not paid as a result of the exemption being improperly allowed; and (III) Shall, upon conviction of perjury, be required to pay ... an additional amount equal to twice the amount of the property taxes ... plus interest" (C.R.S. title 39).

An owner who fails to tell the assessor about a change within 60 days loses the exemption and must repay the tax plus interest (C.R.S. 39-3-205(3)(b)). If someone claims the exemption on more than one property, the Property Tax Administrator denies all of the exemptions.

Is a homestead measure on the November 3, 2026 ballot?

No measure among the statewide questions certified for the November 3, 2026 ballot changes the senior or veteran exemption, based on a search of the Legislative Council's 2026 Blue Book. One measure touches it indirectly. Proposition NN would let the State keep revenue above its constitutional limit, and the Blue Book says that revenue "must first be used to reimburse local governments for the lost tax revenue from property tax exemptions for seniors, veterans with a disability, and Gold Star surviving spouses, as is already required as a TABOR refund mechanism under current law" (2026 Blue Book).

Colorado's creditor homestead exemption (a different law)

Colorado has a second "homestead exemption" that has nothing to do with property tax. It protects part of your home equity from creditors, and it is set by C.R.S. 38-41-201, not by the tax statutes. The exempt amount is (C.R.S. title 38):

"(a) The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars if the homestead is occupied as a home by an owner or an owner's family; or (b) The sum of three hundred fifty thousand dollars if the homestead is occupied as a home by an owner who is elderly or disabled, an owner's spouse who is elderly or disabled, or an owner's dependent who is elderly or disabled."

For this purpose "elderly" means 60 or older. The protection applies to equity above existing liens, and there is no acreage limit: under C.R.S. 38-41-205 the homestead may be a dwelling, "A house and lot or lots, including manufactured homes, mobile homes, trailers, and trailer coaches," or "A farm consisting of any number of acres."

You do not need to record a declaration for an owner-occupied home. The statute says the exemptions "shall be deemed created and may be claimed if the occupancy requirement of section 38-41-203 and the requirement of section 38-41-205 relating to the type of property which may be homesteaded are met." Recording a declaration is optional, but if one is recorded, both spouses must then sign to sell or mortgage the home.

Before a creditor may proceed against the home, C.R.S. 38-41-206 requires it to file an affidavit showing "That the fair market value of said property less any prior liens or encumbrances thereon exceeds the amount of the homestead exemption." Sale and insurance proceeds stay exempt for three years if kept separate. It does not stop a foreclosure under a mortgage or deed of trust that contains a waiver of homestead rights (C.R.S. 38-41-212), and a seller under a contract of sale has rights superior to the homestead (C.R.S. 38-41-210). Other exceptions exist, so the exemption does not mean a home is safe from every creditor.

In bankruptcy, Colorado residents must use the state exemptions. Under C.R.S. 13-54-107, "The exemptions provided in section 522 (d) of the federal bankruptcy code of 1978 ... are denied to residents of this state" (C.R.S. title 13). For how the homestead works in a bankruptcy case, see our guide to Colorado bankruptcy.

Homestead rights when an owner dies

Colorado does not give a surviving family a cash homestead allowance. C.R.S. 15-11-402 states that the homestead exemption statutes "provide for a homestead exemption but shall not create an allowance for the surviving spouse or minor children" (C.R.S. title 15). The surviving spouse or minor children keep the creditor homestead exemption, and separate exempt property and family allowances apply; see our Colorado probate guide.

Related

• Homestead exemptions by state
• Colorado bankruptcy exemptions and process
• Colorado probate
• Colorado property records and assessor searches

This article is general legal information about Colorado law, including Colo. Const. art. X, sec. 3.5, C.R.S. title 39, article 3, and C.R.S. 38-41-201, as verified on October 7, 2026. It is not tax or legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your county assessor, the Colorado Division of Property Taxation, or a lawyer licensed in Colorado.

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the homestead exemption in Colorado?

For eligible seniors and veterans, 50% of the first $200,000 of the home's actual value is exempt from property tax, a reduction of up to $100,000 in actual value (Colo. Const. art. X, sec. 3.5). The dollar saving depends on local tax rates.

Does Colorado have a homestead exemption for all homeowners?

No. Colorado's homestead exemption is limited to seniors 65 and older who have owned and occupied the home for at least 10 consecutive years, veterans with a 100% permanent service-connected disability or individual unemployability, and certain surviving and Gold Star spouses.

When is the deadline to file for the senior homestead exemption in Colorado?

The application period runs January 1 to July 15. The county assessor accepts applications until August 15, but a late application has no appeal rights if it is denied.

When is the deadline for the Colorado disabled veteran property tax exemption?

For tax year 2026, veteran, surviving spouse and Gold Star spouse applications were due July 1, with a late deadline of August 1 that carries no appeal rights if the application is denied. Starting with tax year 2027, Senate Bill 26-046 moves the deadline for veterans with a disability and their surviving spouses to July 15, with late applications accepted until August 15; Gold Star spouses should confirm their 2027 deadline on the DPT's Gold Star page. File with your county assessor and include a recent VA disability award letter.

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

No. The DPT says you do not reapply annually, but you must file an updated application with the county assessor within 60 days of a change in ownership, occupancy, primary residence or who lives in the home.

Is the Colorado senior exemption automatic?

No. You must apply to your county assessor, and under C.R.S. 39-3-203(1)(b) you cannot receive the exemption for years before you applied.

Can I get both the senior and the veteran exemption in Colorado?

No. A person or married couple can have only one exemption in total, even if both sets of requirements are met.

What happens to the senior exemption if I move in Colorado?

The 10-year ownership and occupancy test applies to the home you claim, so moving generally ends the exemption. The Qualified-Senior Primary Residence classification helped some movers in tax years 2025 and 2026, but SB 26-116 ends it from tax year 2027.

Does the Colorado homestead exemption protect my house from creditors?

A separate law, C.R.S. 38-41-201, protects up to $250,000 of home equity from creditors, or $350,000 if the owner, spouse or dependent is elderly or disabled. It has exceptions, so it does not make a home safe from every debt, and Colorado bankruptcy filers must use the state exemptions.