Houston Property Tax Guide

Last updated: September 2026

Houston isn't appraised by one single office — its city limits cross county lines. Here's which appraisal district actually covers your address, what exemptions you can claim, and your protest deadline.

Which appraisal district covers your address

Houston is Texas's largest city, and the overwhelming majority of it sits in Harris County, appraised by the Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD). But Houston has annexed land in two neighboring counties over the years too: a slice of the city on the west side reaches into Fort Bend County, and a piece to the north reaches into Montgomery County. If your address falls in one of those areas, it's Fort Bend Central Appraisal District or Montgomery Central Appraisal District that appraises your home and hears your protest — not HCAD.

Not sure which one applies to you? Look up your address on HCAD's site first (hcad.org) — if your property doesn't show up there, try the appraisal district for whichever neighboring county your address is closest to. Your most recent tax bill will also say which appraisal district and which taxing units apply to your specific parcel.

Exemptions you can claim

Exemptions are set by state law, so they're the same everywhere in Texas — Houston included. The only thing that changes depending on which county your address falls in is which appraisal district you file with:

• General homestead exemption — $140,000 off your home's value for school taxes, if it's your primary residence as of January 1.
• Age 65+ or disabled — an additional $60,000 off school-tax value (raised from $10,000 after voters passed Proposition 11 in November 2025), plus a freeze on your school taxes from the year you qualify.
• 100% disabled veterans (or their unmarried surviving spouse) get a full exemption from property tax on their homestead — every taxing unit, not just schools.

File Form 50-114 (homestead) or Form 50-135 (disabled veteran) with whichever appraisal district covers your specific address — it's free, no company needs to be paid to do this for you, and you can still file up to two years late if you missed the window. See our full property tax exemptions guide for every dollar amount and edge case.

The protest deadline

You have until May 15, or 30 days after your appraisal district mails your Notice of Appraised Value — whichever is later — to file a protest, regardless of which of Houston's counties your address is in. Each appraisal district mails notices on its own schedule, so go by the date printed on your own notice rather than assuming May 15 applies to you. File Form 50-132, usually through your appraisal district's own online portal. There's no fee, and no attorney is required.

Doing it yourself, or getting help

Protesting in Houston costs nothing to do yourself — the process above is the same whether or not you hire anyone, no matter which county's appraisal district you're filing with.