What is Florida Amendment 3 in 2026?

A proposed constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot that would raise the homestead exemption from non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with a $50,000 exemption for the first four years for people who are not permanent Florida residents as of December 31, 2026. It needs 60 percent of the vote.

Do I need to be a Florida resident by December 31, 2026?

Only if Amendment 3 passes does that date matter, and then it decides whether you receive the larger exemption starting in 2027 or receive $50,000 for your first four years of exemption. The homestead exemption itself still requires owning and living in the home on January 1.

Amendment 3 (2026): the homestead exemption and new Florida residents

Zacharia Frey PLLC. Updated November 2026.

Amendment 3 is on the November 3, 2026 ballot and needs 60 percent of the vote. If it passes, it would raise the homestead exemption from non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. People who are not permanent Florida residents as of December 31, 2026 would receive a $50,000 non-school exemption for their first four years of exemption, and the larger exemption from the fifth year.

What the amendment does

As enrolled, the joint resolution (CS/HJR 1F) would exempt the first $150,000 of a homestead's assessed value from non-school taxes in 2027, and the first $250,000 in 2028 and later, indexed to inflation beginning in 2029. School taxes keep the existing exemption.

It would also lower the cap on yearly assessment increases for non-homestead property, including second homes, from 10 percent to 5 percent for taxes other than school taxes, and limit how counties and cities may use property tax revenue. It takes effect January 1, 2027, if approved.

The December 31, 2026 line

A homeowner who had not maintained a permanent residence in Florida as of December 31, 2026 would receive a $50,000 exemption against non-school taxes (and the usual $25,000 against school taxes). The full exemption begins with the fifth year of exemption, so the reduced amount applies for four years. The $50,000 is itself indexed to inflation beginning in 2028, and beginning in 2030 a county or city may shorten the wait for its own levy by a two-thirds vote of its governing body for a critical local need. For someone moving to Florida, the difference over those four years can be substantial.

How property appraisers will document residency as of that date depends on implementing law that has not been spelled out. The evidence that exists today is the same evidence that proves residency for every other purpose: a Florida driver's license, voter registration, a recorded Declaration of Domicile, and a life centered here. The homestead exemption itself still requires that you own and live in the home on January 1 and apply by March 1.

Our view

If you were already planning to make Florida your permanent home soon, finishing the move before December 31, 2026 may be valuable if the amendment passes. Do not make a move you were not planning on the strength of a tax change. And make sure your estate plan says the same thing your driver's license does.

Common questions

What is Florida Amendment 3 in 2026?: A proposed constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot that would raise the homestead exemption from non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with a $50,000 exemption for the first four years for people who are not permanent Florida residents as of December 31, 2026. It needs 60 percent of the vote.
Do I need to be a Florida resident by December 31, 2026?: Only if Amendment 3 passes does that date matter, and then it decides whether you receive the larger exemption starting in 2027 or receive $50,000 for your first four years of exemption. The homestead exemption itself still requires owning and living in the home on January 1.

Law cited on this page

CS/HJR 1F (2026F), enrolled (Proposed constitutional amendment (joint resolution))
Florida House of Representatives, Final Bill Analysis, CS/HJR 1F (2026) (Legislative staff analysis)
Art. VII, § 6, Fla. Const. (Florida Constitution)
§ 222.17, Fla. Stat. (Florida Statutes)

Other sources

General information about Florida law, not legal advice for your situation. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.