In popular usage, a homestead is a family home. In law, the term refers to the special protection given to the home of a family or a single adult from the owner’s creditors, the right of occupancy given to a surviving spouse, minor children, and unmarried children of a deceased owner, and favorable tax treatment accorded to the owner. These concepts, however, developed independently. The homestead exemption, as a protection from creditors is termed, is the most important aspect of homestead law. Many Americans who settled in Texas in the early nineteenth century were pursued by their creditors, and for their protection, Stephen F. Austin recommended a moratorium on the collection of the colonists’ foreign debts.
General Homestead Exemptions Information: Click here to find if you qualify for Homestead Exemptions and what kind of exemptions are available to all homeowners.
Homestead Exemptions for Homeowners Age 65 and Over or with Disabilities: Click here to read about exemptions, limitations and special instructions for homeowners age 65 and over and for homeowners with disabilities
Homestead Exemptions for Disabled Veteran Homeowners: Click here to read about exemptions, limitations and special instructions for disabled veteran homeowners
In order to qualify for a residential homestead exemption you must provide:
1. A Homestead Exemption application
2. A copy of the applicants Texas driver’s license or Texas ID Card
Below are the links or phone numbers to download or request the Homestead Exemption forms that apply to all homeowners, those over 65, the disabled, disabled veterans, and surviving spouses.
Travis County • Williamson County • Hays County • Bastrop County
Call 512-303-1930
Williamson County residents have the option of submitting an online exemption form. Click here.
Travis County residents can submit a signed pdf form via email at tax_info@tcadcentral.org.