Oregon Homestead Exemption: Veteran Exemption, Deferral and Creditors

Oregon has no general homestead property tax exemption. The Oregon Department of Revenue says it plainly: "At present Oregon has no statewide general homestead exemption or exemptions based solely on age and/or income." What Oregon does have is a property tax exemption for disabled veterans and their surviving spouses (ORS 307.250), a tax deferral loan for seniors and disabled homeowners (ORS 311.666 to 311.701), and the Measure 50 limit on assessed value growth (ORS 308.146). The Oregon "homestead exemption" that protects a home from creditors is a separate law, ORS 18.395, which protects up to $158,300 of a home's value for one judgment debtor from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. For other states, see our guide to homestead exemptions by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-07. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Oregon's disabled veteran and surviving spouse property tax exemption (ORS 307.250 to 307.280), the Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral program (ORS 311.666 to 311.701), the Measure 50 assessed value limit (ORS 308.146), the deployed National Guard and reserve exemption (ORS 307.286 and 307.289), the creditor homestead (ORS 18.395 to 18.406), and a short note on the probate rights in ORS 114.005 and 114.015. It does not cover Oregon's many other exemption programs for business, farm, nonprofit or special-use property, local programs, or any other state's law.

Does Oregon have a homestead property tax exemption?

No, not a general one. The Department of Revenue's exemptions page states: "At present Oregon has no statewide general homestead exemption or exemptions based solely on age and/or income. Disabled or senior homeowners may qualify for Oregon's tax deferral program."

A homeowner who moves to Oregon from a state with a broad homestead exemption will not find an equivalent here. The residence-based property tax relief that does exist statewide is narrower:

• Disabled veterans and surviving spouses can exempt part of their home's assessed value under ORS 307.250.
• Seniors and disabled homeowners can defer (postpone) their property taxes through a state loan under ORS 311.666 to 311.701. Deferral is not a reduction.
• Deployed members of the Oregon National Guard or a military reserve force may be entitled to exempt a portion of their home's assessed value under ORS 307.286.
• Every property owner is covered by the Measure 50 limit on assessed value growth, which is not tied to homestead status.

The Department of Revenue notes that "Oregon has over 100 exemption programs," most of them for specific property types or uses. This page covers the ones tied to a person's home.

Disabled veteran and surviving spouse exemption

ORS 307.250 lets a qualifying disabled veteran, or a qualifying surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, exempt part of the assessed value of the home they own and live in. The Department of Revenue calls the home the "homestead property" for this program.

How much it takes off

The Department of Revenue's publication on the program (Publication 150-310-676, dated January 2026) says you "may be entitled to exempt $27,092 or $32,512 of your homestead property's assessed value from property taxes. The exemption amount increases by 3 percent each year." The Clackamas County Assessor lists these as the 2026 amounts. Confirm the current amount with your county assessor.

The statute sets base amounts of $15,000 (ORS 307.250(2)) and $18,000 (ORS 307.250(3)), and each amount increases every year to 103 percent of the prior year's amount.

The exemption comes off assessed value, not off the tax bill. "The exemption is first applied to your home and then to your taxable personal property," according to the publication.

Who is eligible

The publication and the statute describe two tiers:

A veteran must also meet the service tests, including U.S. citizenship and an honorable discharge, and every claimant must own and live on the home. The publication says "you must own and live on your homestead property. Buyers with recorded contracts of purchase and life estate holders are considered owners for the purposes of this exemption."

How and when to apply

You file the Disabled Veteran or Surviving Spouse Exemption Claim, Form 150-303-086, with the county assessor where the home is located. The publication is direct about it: "This property tax exemption isn't 'automatic' and doesn't transfer from one property to another property."

The deadline is set in ORS 307.260(1)(a). The claim must be filed "on or before April 1 of the assessment year for which the exemption is claimed, except that when the property designated is acquired after March 1 but prior to July 1 the claim shall be filed within 30 days after the date of acquisition." Oregon's tax year begins July 1.

A veteran whose disability is certified by a physician, who received the exemption the previous year and who misses April 1 has a second chance if the assessor sends a notice: the claim can then be filed by May 1 with a $10 late fee (ORS 307.260(1)(c)(B)).

If the VA or a branch of the armed forces certifies a disability of 40 percent or more as of an earlier date, the veteran can claim the exemption for past tax years by filing within six months of the certification notice. The claim can reach back no more than three tax years before the tax year in which it is filed, and taxes collected on the exempt amount are refunded with interest (ORS 307.262).

Do you have to refile every year?

It depends on who certified the disability. The publication says: "You don't have to file a claim every year unless a licensed physician certified the disabilities of 40 percent or more. However, you must file a new claim by April 1 if there are changes in ownership or use of your homestead property."

Veterans in the physician-certified (income-limited) group file every year, with a physician's certificate dated within one year.

Losing the exemption

You sign the claim form under penalty of false swearing. The form warns: "You will become disqualified and lose your exemption if you enter into a new marriage or partnership." It also lists a sale of the home before July 1 and the home no longer being your primary residence as events that end the exemption, and it tells claimants to contact the assessor when their conditions change.

This page does not cover back taxes or penalties after an exemption is granted in error. Ask your county assessor about that situation.

Property tax deferral for seniors and disabled homeowners

The Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral program does not reduce your taxes. In the Department of Revenue's words, "you can borrow from the State of Oregon to pay your property taxes to the county." The state pays your county property taxes on November 15 each year, and the loan is secured by a lien on your home.

The loan carries interest: "Deferral accounts accrue 6 percent interest yearly. Interest accrues on the tax amount that is paid by the Department of Revenue and is not compounded." The deferred taxes and interest must be repaid when you are disqualified or cancel, sell the home, or die.

Who is eligible for the 2026 program year

The Department of Revenue's Publication OR-PTD lists these conditions for the 2026 program year:

• Age or disability. Age 62 or older, or disabled and receiving or eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
• Ownership. You own the home with a recorded deed. A home held in an irrevocable trust or a life estate is not eligible.
• Time in the home. You have owned and lived in the home for the last five full years, with an exception for downsizing.
• Insurance. You carry homeowners insurance.
• Income. "Your 2025 household income must not exceed the annual limit $70,000."
• Net worth. Your net worth is under $500,000.
• Home value. The home's real market value must be under the limit that applies to it. The minimum cap is $301,000 for 2026. The Department of Revenue says "House Bill 3712 relaxed the Real Market Value (RMV) limit for homeowners that owned and lived in their home less than 17 years."
• Reverse mortgages. Restrictions apply to homes with a reverse mortgage; the publication explains them.

How and when to apply

You apply on Form OR-PTDA (150-490-014), with Publication OR-PTD (150-490-015) as the instructions. The Department of Revenue says: "Send your completed application to your county assessor's office and they will then forward it on to the Department of Revenue."

The deadline is April 15. The department explains: "To participate, you must file an application with the county assessor either by April 15, or file late from April 16 to December 1 and pay a fee." For 2026, the late fee is a minimum of $20 and a maximum of $180.

After approval, "You are required to recertify for the deferral program every two years after initial approval to the program." The department sends recertification notices in February.

Watch out: "A lien will be placed on your property and the Department of Revenue will become a security interest holder," according to the department. Deferral postpones taxes; it does not forgive them, and interest accrues on the amount the state pays.

Is there a cap on assessment increases?

Yes, for all property. Measure 50, codified at ORS 308.146, limits how fast a property's maximum assessed value can grow:

"The maximum assessed value of property equals 103 percent of the property's assessed value from the prior year or 100 percent of the property's maximum assessed value from the prior year, whichever is greater."

Your assessed value, the figure taxes are levied on, is the lesser of the maximum assessed value or the real market value. The limit is not tied to homestead status, and it has exceptions, such as new construction, rezoning and subdivision.

The veteran exemption "doesn't transfer from one property to another property." If you buy a new home, you file a new veteran claim for it.

Exemption for deployed National Guard and Reserve members

The Department of Revenue states that "Members of the Oregon National Guard or Reserve who are deployed may be entitled to exempt a portion of the assessed value of their primary residence from property taxes." The claim form is the Oregon Active Military Service Member's Exemption Claim.

Under ORS 307.286, the exemption covers an Oregon resident serving in the Oregon National Guard, a military reserve force, or another state's organized militia who performs service under Title 10 of the U.S. Code or an Emergency Management Assistance Compact deployment for more than 178 consecutive days, with at least one of those days in the tax year claimed. The home must be one the member owns and would live in but for the military service. The statute sets the exemption at up to $60,000 of assessed value, increased to 103 percent of the prior year's amount for each tax year since July 1, 2006, so ask your county assessor for the current figure.

The claim is due to the county assessor on or before August 1 following the end of the tax year for which the exemption is claimed (ORS 307.289).

The creditor homestead: a different law

Oregon's homestead exemption from creditors, ORS 18.395, has nothing to do with property tax. It limits how much of your home's value a judgment creditor can reach through execution.

How much. From July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, the Oregon Judicial Department lists the homestead exemption as $158,300 for a single judgment debtor and $316,700 for two or more judgment debtors in the same household. The statute sets base amounts of $150,000 and $300,000, and the State Court Administrator adjusts them each July 1 for inflation. For July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, the single-debtor amount was $154,200.

The 2025 increase. 2024 Oregon Laws chapter 100 (SB 1595) raised the creditor homestead from $40,000 to $150,000 starting January 1, 2025, with annual indexing. The Oregon Judicial Department's notice describes it: "Beginning January 1, 2025, the measure requires OSCA to increase the base amounts for several exemptions from execution and garnishment annually."

Support and restitution judgments. A lower cap still applies when the judgment is for child support, spousal support or restitution: $40,000, or $50,000 for two or more debtors, and those amounts are not indexed (ORS 18.395(1)(b)). In a sale proceeding on a child support judgment that is not brought by or for the state, the court may also decline to allow the homestead exemption in whole or in part (ORS 18.398).

Land limits. The homestead may not exceed 160 acres outside a town or city, and, inside a town or city, "any quantity of land not exceeding one block." The dollar cap applies too.

No filing needed. ORS 18.395(1)(a) provides: "The exemption is effective without the necessity of a claim thereof by the judgment debtor." The home must be the actual abode of the owner or of the owner's spouse, parent or child.

Debts it does not stop. Under ORS 18.406, the homestead provisions "do not apply to construction liens for work, labor or material done or furnished exclusively for the improvement of the homestead property, to purchase money liens, to mortgages lawfully executed," and they also do not block a land sale contract seller's enforcement.

Sale and proceeds. ORS 18.395(5) bars an execution sale of a homestead occupied by the debtor (or the debtor's spouse, dependent parent or dependent child) to satisfy a judgment of $3,000 or less at entry. The judgment remains a lien on the home, and the home can be sold once the debtor sells it or once neither the debtor nor the debtor's spouse, dependent parent or dependent child lives there. The bar does not apply when several judgments owed to one creditor total more than $3,000. Proceeds from a homestead sale stay exempt for up to one year if you hold them to buy another homestead.

In bankruptcy. Oregon lets residents choose. ORS 18.300(1) provides that "a resident of this state may use the federal exemptions provided in section 522(d) of the Bankruptcy Code of 1978 (11 U.S.C. 522(d)) or the exemptions given to residents of this state under state law, but may not use both." For how the homestead plays out in a case, see our Oregon bankruptcy guide.

The probate homestead rights

Oregon has no fixed-dollar probate homestead allowance. Under ORS 114.005, "the spouse and dependent children of a decedent occupying the principal dwelling of the decedent at the time of the decedent's death, or any of them, may continue to occupy the dwelling" until one year after the death, or until a lease or other lesser interest the decedent held ends, if that comes first. The occupants must keep the home insured and pay its taxes and improvement liens, and the court can waive or alter the occupancy right for good cause. ORS 114.015 lets the court order reasonable support for them from the estate. See our Oregon probate guide.

Related

• Homestead exemptions by state
• Oregon bankruptcy exemptions and process
• Oregon probate
• Oregon property records

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Oregon law, including ORS 307.250 to 307.280, ORS 311.666 to 311.701, ORS 308.146, ORS 18.300 to 18.406 and ORS 114.005 and 114.015, as verified on 2026-10-07. It is not tax or legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your county assessor, the Oregon Department of Revenue, or a lawyer licensed in Oregon.

Last updated: 2026-10-07.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Oregon have a homestead property tax exemption?

Not a general one. The Oregon Department of Revenue says Oregon has no statewide general homestead exemption and no exemption based solely on age or income; the residence-based relief is the disabled veteran and surviving spouse exemption (ORS 307.250), the senior and disabled tax deferral (ORS 311.666 to 311.701), and an exemption for deployed National Guard and military reserve members (ORS 307.286).

How much is the Oregon disabled veteran property tax exemption?

The Department of Revenue's January 2026 publication lists $27,092 or $32,512 of the home's assessed value, depending on the tier, rising 3 percent each year; the Clackamas County Assessor lists them as the 2026 amounts. The statutory base amounts are $15,000 and $18,000 (ORS 307.250), so confirm the current figure with your county assessor.

When is the deadline to file for the Oregon veteran property tax exemption?

On or before April 1 of the assessment year, or within 30 days after acquiring the home if you acquire it after March 1 but before July 1 (ORS 307.260(1)(a)). Physician-certified veterans who are notified by the assessor may file by May 1 with a $10 late fee.

Do I have to reapply for the Oregon veteran exemption every year?

Not if the VA or armed forces certified your disability and your ownership and use of the home are unchanged. Veterans whose disability was certified by a licensed physician file every year, and anyone must file a new claim by April 1 after a change in ownership or use.

Does Oregon have a property tax break for seniors?

Oregon has no exemption based on age alone. Homeowners age 62 or older, or disabled and receiving or eligible for SSDI, can defer property taxes as a 6 percent simple-interest state loan (ORS 311.666 to 311.701); for the 2026 program year the 2025 household income limit is $70,000, and applications are due to the county assessor by April 15.

Does the Oregon homestead exemption protect my house from creditors?

The creditor homestead under ORS 18.395 protects $158,300 for one judgment debtor, or $316,700 for two or more in the same household, from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, without any claim. It does not stop mortgages, purchase money liens or construction liens for improving the home (ORS 18.406), and lower caps of $40,000 or $50,000 apply to support and restitution judgments.

Can I use the federal bankruptcy exemptions in Oregon?

Yes. Under ORS 18.300(1), an Oregon resident may use either the federal exemptions in 11 U.S.C. 522(d) or the Oregon exemptions, but not both.