Quick answer: Amendment 3 is on Florida's November 3, 2026 ballot and needs 60 percent to pass. If it does, the homestead exemption for everything except school taxes rises from today's $51,411 to $150,000 on January 1, 2027 and $250,000 on January 1, 2028, then grows with inflation. The amendment's own text puts people who had not maintained a permanent residence in this state as of December 31, 2026 on a slower track: a $50,000 non-school exemption at first, with the full amount beginning with the fifth year of exemption. At the 10.5-mill statewide average non-school rate, the gap between the two tracks is roughly $2,100 a year for four years; at St. Lucie County's 15.3-mill average it is about $3,060 a year. Nothing is certain until the votes are counted, and the five-year rule faces a constitutional question the ballot summary itself acknowledges, but the one thing entirely in your control is which side of December 31 you are on. That is 74 days from today. Message me now and we will build a closing calendar that lands before the line.
Every few years Florida puts a property tax question on the ballot. This one is different in size, and it is different in one other way that matters enormously to the people I talk to every week who are planning a move here for 2027 or 2028: it has a date written into it. If Amendment 3 passes, the Florida Constitution will treat someone who was a permanent Florida resident on December 31, 2026 differently from someone who arrived on January 2, 2027, and it will keep treating them differently for four years. I am going to show you the actual language, put real numbers on it, explain how property appraisers decide who is a resident, and lay out what has to happen between now and New Year's Eve for a purchase to close in time. I will also tell you plainly what is not settled, because a decision this size deserves the whole picture.
Message me now if Florida is in your plans for 2027. Seventy-four days is enough time to find a home, get it under contract and close on the Treasure Coast, in Palm Beach County or on the Space Coast, but only if we start this week. One free Zoom call, your timeline and budget, and you will leave with a calendar that works backward from December 31. Send me a message or text (772) 800-2274.
What Amendment 3 is, in plain terms
Amendment 3 appears on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot under the title "Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments." The Legislature placed it there as House Joint Resolution 1F during a special session called by Governor DeSantis. The House passed it 75 to 26 and the Senate 30 to 9, both on June 2, 2026. Like every Florida constitutional amendment, it needs at least 60 percent of the vote, not a simple majority. If approved it takes effect January 1, 2027.
Here is what it does. Today a Florida homestead gets a $25,000 exemption from all property taxes plus a second exemption on non-school taxes, applied to value above $50,000, that is indexed to inflation and stands at $26,411 for 2026, a total of $51,411. Amendment 3 keeps a $25,000 exemption against school taxes and sets the exemption against all non-school levies, meaning county, city, fire district, water management district and other special district taxes, at up to $150,000 of assessed value beginning January 1, 2027 and up to $250,000 beginning January 1, 2028, adjusted for inflation starting in 2029, compared with $51,411 today. It also lowers the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property, which includes second homes, rentals and commercial property, from 10 percent to 5 percent for non-school taxes. It directs the Legislature to create a procedure for counties and cities to raise the exemption further, up to the entire assessed value, and it lists what counties and cities may spend property tax dollars on: public safety, education, infrastructure, natural resources, debt, retirement obligations, government operations, and other expenditures their governing bodies approve unless state law prohibits them, a list Florida TaxWatch says "really does not restrict anything."
Two things it does not do. It does not touch school taxes, which in most of our counties are a large share of the bill, and it does not eliminate property taxes; the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, Dorothy Jacks, described it to CBS12 as a tax reduction, not an elimination. Save Our Homes, the cap that holds a homesteaded assessment's annual increase to 3 percent or inflation, whichever is lower, stays in place, and so does portability.
The sentence that creates the deadline
Most coverage focuses on the $250,000. For anyone not yet living here, the more important language is in the paragraph that follows it. The enrolled text of the amendment says the larger exemption applies to a homestead owner in the normal way, and then creates a second category: every person who, on or after January 1, 2027, takes title and makes the property a permanent residence, and "who had not maintained a permanent residence in this state as of December 31, 2026." That person gets the $25,000 school exemption and a non-school exemption of only $50,000 of assessed value, indexed from 2028, and receives the full amount "beginning with the fifth year of exemption under this subparagraph." The official ballot summary voters will read puts it this way: people who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 receive the existing homestead exemption when they qualify, with the increased exemption beginning in their fifth year, "to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution."
In practice that means years one through four at roughly today's exemption, and the full amount in year five. The Senate President's office described it the same way the day it passed: new residents receive a $50,000 homestead exemption for four years, then become eligible for the $250,000 exemption. A county or city may vote, by a two-thirds majority and only beginning January 1, 2030, to shorten the waiting period for a critical local need, but nobody should plan around that.
Notice what the text keys on. It is not whether you owned a home on December 31. It is whether you had "maintained a permanent residence in this state" on that date. The Pinellas County Property Appraiser's published FAQ reads it that way: permanent Florida residents as of December 31, 2026 would qualify for the larger amounts starting in 2027, and people who establish residency by then but buy later would get the higher amount when they buy and apply for homestead. I would add a caution to that. Property appraisers will administer this under implementing legislation and Department of Revenue guidance on verifying December 31 residency that had not been issued as of this post, and CBS12's report on its interview with the Palm Beach County appraiser described the slower track as applying to residents who do not have a Florida homestead exemption in 2026, which is a narrower reading. There is exactly one way to be certain you are on the right side under either reading: own and occupy a Florida home as your permanent residence on or before December 31, 2026, and file for homestead by March 1, 2027.
What the two tracks are worth in dollars
Property tax math is simple once you know your millage rate. One mill is one dollar of tax per $1,000 of taxable value, so $100,000 of extra exemption at 10 mills is $1,000 a year. Florida TaxWatch calculates the statewide average non-school rate at 10.5 mills and notes that county averages range from 15.3 mills in St. Lucie County, the highest in the state, down to 4.9 mills in Walton County. Using those two figures, here is the difference between the full exemption and the new-resident exemption from 2028 through 2031, the four years the slower track lasts for someone who first qualifies for homestead in 2028. The table assumes an assessed value of at least $250,000, which describes most homes sold on this coast, an unchanged millage rate, and no inflation adjustments.
| Statewide average, 10.5 mills | St. Lucie County average, 15.3 mills | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-school exemption, resident as of Dec. 31, 2026 (2028 on) | $250,000 | $250,000 |
| Non-school exemption, new resident after Dec. 31, 2026 (years 1 to 4) | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Difference in exempt value | $200,000 | $200,000 |
| Difference in tax, per year | $2,100 | $3,060 |
| Difference over the four slower-track years | $8,400 | $12,240 |
That is the gap between two neighbors with identical houses who arrived a few weeks apart. For the full picture of what the amendment itself is worth, the Pinellas County Property Appraiser estimates that at that county's 12.2-mill average, a homeowner with the full exemption would save about $1,203 in 2027 and $2,423 in 2028 compared with today's $51,411 exemption, and TaxWatch's statewide figures are $1,035 and $2,085. Dorothy Jacks told CBS12 that in Palm Beach County the current exemption saves the average homeowner about $800 and that the figure could grow to roughly $1,500 to $2,000 in 2027 and $3,000 to $3,500 in 2028 depending on location. Your actual bill depends on your city, fire district and other levies, and the amendment does nothing to non-ad valorem assessments such as solid waste or stormwater fees, which appear on the same bill.
There is also the ordinary January 1 rule, which has nothing to do with Amendment 3 and applies whether it passes or fails. Florida grants homestead to the person who owns and occupies the home as their permanent residence on January 1, and the application deadline is March 1. Close and move in by December 31 and you can file for 2027. Close on January 3 and your first homestead year is 2028, which means a full year of taxes on the unprotected value and a one-year delay before the Save Our Homes cap starts protecting you. If Amendment 3 passes, closing and moving in by December 31 is also the only way for someone relocating here to receive the $150,000 non-school exemption for 2027, which at 10.5 mills is worth about $1,575 on its own.
How a property appraiser decides whether you are a Florida resident
Permanent residence in Florida is a factual question that the county property appraiser decides first, under section 196.015 of the Florida Statutes. The statute says no single factor is conclusive and lists what the appraiser may consider: a declaration of domicile recorded in the county's public records; where your dependent children are registered for school; where you work; whether you have given up a previous permanent residence outside Florida and when; Florida voter registration at the property address; a Florida driver license or ID card and surrender of any out-of-state license; Florida registration on vehicles you own; the address on your federal income tax return; where your bank accounts are registered; and proof of utility payments at the property. If you intend to be a Florida resident on December 31, 2026, the practical to-do list writes itself: close, move in, get the Florida license and plates, register to vote, record a declaration of domicile with the clerk of court, and change the address with your bank and the IRS. Do it before December 31, not during the first week of January, and keep copies of everything with its date.
The calendar from today to December 31
Today is October 18, 2026. A financed purchase in Florida commonly takes 30 to 45 days from signed contract to closing once the lender has a complete file, and the standard Florida AS IS contract gives a buyer 15 days for inspections unless we negotiate something shorter. Working backward, a buyer who wants a safe cushion before the holidays should be under contract by the middle of November, which means looking at homes in the next two to three weeks. Cash buyers have more room; a clean cash closing can happen in two to three weeks, so a cash buyer could still be shopping in early December, though title companies and county recording offices thin out between Christmas and New Year's and I would not plan a December 30 closing on purpose.
Before any of that, if you are financing, talk to a lender this week so a pre-approval is in hand before you travel to look. If you are selling a home elsewhere, think about whether you can buy here first; a contract contingent on selling your northern home is hard to land in a 74-day window. If you plan to buy a condominium, remember that association approvals and estoppel letters add days. And if you cannot close by December 31 but can relocate, the residency route in the previous section is worth discussing with your property appraiser and attorney, understanding that how appraisers verify December 31 residency is not yet written down.
What is not settled, so you can weigh it
I want to be careful here, because people make large decisions around this and I would rather you hear the uncertainties from me. First, Amendment 3 has not passed. It needs 60 percent. A James Madison Institute survey reported by CBS Miami found 74 percent of registered voters in favor, falling to 55 percent when trade-offs such as service cuts or higher taxes elsewhere were described. Second, the five-year rule for new residents may not survive a court challenge. Florida TaxWatch points out that the Florida Supreme Court struck down a similar five-year waiting period for an increased homestead exemption in 1982, and the ballot summary's own phrase "to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution" signals that the question is open. If a court strikes the waiting period, newcomers would get the same exemption as everyone else and the December 31 line would matter only for the ordinary January 1 homestead rule. Third, the ballot language itself was rewritten after Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank ruled on August 3, 2026 that the original title, "Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes," and summary were misleading; Attorney General James Uthmeier issued the version now on the ballot.
Fourth, the money comes from somewhere. The state's Revenue Estimating Conference projects that local governments would collect $4.939 billion less in 2027, rising to $11.835 billion less by 2031, at current millage rates. The City of Port St. Lucie, where about 62 percent of residential parcels carry a homestead exemption compared with 47 percent statewide, projects a $26.3 million revenue loss in the first year and $22.1 million in the second, against a general fund of roughly $105 million, and has already frozen hiring and deferred capital projects. Counties and cities can respond by raising millage rates, adding fees, or cutting services, and the amendment provides no state money to replace what they lose. Florida Realtors, the Republican Party of Florida and the Governor support it. The Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida Professional Firefighters, the Florida Association of Counties, the Florida League of Cities and Florida TaxWatch, which recommends a no vote, are among those opposed or raising concerns. I sell houses; I am not going to tell you how to vote. I will tell you that if you are moving here anyway, the amendment's own text rewards getting here first, and that if it fails you will have lost nothing by closing in December.
If you are voting in Florida
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is 5 p.m. on October 22. Early voting runs statewide from October 24 through October 31, with some counties adding days on either end. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Your county supervisor of elections has your polling place and sample ballot; Amendment 3 is listed with the other two statewide amendments, a budget stabilization fund measure and an exemption for tangible personal property on agricultural land.
Questions buyers are asking about Amendment 3
Has Amendment 3 passed?
No. It is on the November 3, 2026 ballot and needs at least 60 percent of the vote. If approved it takes effect January 1, 2027 and would first show up on the August 2027 TRIM notices and the November 2027 tax bills.
Do I have to own a home by December 31, 2026, or just live in Florida?
The amendment's text keys on whether you had "maintained a permanent residence in this state as of December 31, 2026," not on ownership, and the Pinellas County Property Appraiser reads it that way. But implementing legislation and Department of Revenue guidance for verifying it had not been written as of October 2026, and at least one news report of a county appraiser's explanation described the rule in terms of having a 2026 homestead. Owning and occupying a Florida home as your permanent residence on December 31, 2026 and filing for homestead by March 1, 2027 is the only position that is safe under every reading.
What happens if I buy in January 2027 instead?
Under today's law and under Amendment 3, your first homestead year would be 2028, because homestead goes to the owner who occupies the home on January 1. If the amendment passes and you were not a Florida resident on December 31, 2026, you would then receive a $50,000 non-school exemption for 2028 through 2031 and the full $250,000 exemption, adjusted for inflation, beginning in 2032. At 10.5 mills that gap is about $2,100 a year; at St. Lucie County's 15.3-mill average it is about $3,060 a year.
Does Amendment 3 lower school taxes?
No. School district levies keep the existing $25,000 exemption and are not affected by the new amounts. In most of our counties the school levy is one of the largest lines on the bill, which is one reason the amendment reduces rather than eliminates property taxes.
I am buying a second home or a rental, not a homestead. Does it help me?
Not through the exemption, which is for permanent residences only. It would lower the cap on annual assessment increases for non-homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent for non-school taxes beginning January 1, 2027, which slows how fast your assessed value can climb but does not by itself cut the bill. Florida TaxWatch and others also note that local governments facing lower homestead collections may raise millage rates, which would fall on non-homestead owners too.
Could the five-year waiting period be thrown out?
It could. The ballot summary applies the rule only "to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution," and Florida TaxWatch notes that the Florida Supreme Court struck down a similar five-year waiting period for an increased homestead exemption in 1982. If a court strikes it, new residents would get the same exemption as everyone else. Nobody can promise that outcome, so I plan around the text as written.
Does it change Save Our Homes or portability?
No. The Save Our Homes cap, which limits increases in a homestead's assessed value to 3 percent or the change in CPI, whichever is lower, stays in place, and portability of that benefit to a new Florida homestead is unchanged. Remember that when you buy, the assessed value resets to market value on the following January 1, and the cap starts protecting you the year after you establish homestead, which is another reason a December closing is worth more than a January one.
Talk with William. If Florida is in your plans for 2027, make it 2026. Message me now and we will build a closing calendar that works backward from December 31, with a lender introduction this week, showings on the Treasure Coast, in Palm Beach County or on the Space Coast within the next two, and a contract by mid-November. One free Zoom call, no obligation. Call or text (772) 800-2274 or send a message.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Amendment 3 is a proposal until Florida voters decide on November 3, 2026, and county property appraisers will administer it under implementing legislation and Florida Department of Revenue guidance on residency verification that had not been issued as of this writing. Confirm your own situation with your county property appraiser, a Florida real estate attorney and a tax professional. Figures are as of October 18, 2026 and sourced below. William Merchant, REALTOR®, RE/MAX Gold. Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Sources
- Florida Legislature: CS/HJR 1F (2026 Special Session F), enrolled text, including the "December 31, 2026" and "fifth year of exemption" language
- Florida Senate: CS/HJR 1F bill history (House 75-26 and Senate 30-9 on June 2, 2026; filed with Secretary of State June 16, 2026)
- Florida House final bill analysis, CS/HJR 1F (current exemption, two tiers, fiscal estimates)
- Official list of proposed constitutional amendments, November 3, 2026 general election (Amendment 3 ballot title and summary as rewritten)
- Florida Senate President: Senate passes property tax amendment, June 2, 2026 (new residents receive $50,000 for four years)
- Pinellas County Property Appraiser: Proposed 2026 Florida Property Tax Amendment 3 FAQs (residency as of December 31, 2026; 2027 TRIM and tax bill timing; savings illustration)
- Florida TaxWatch: The Florida Taxpayer's Guide for the 2026 Constitutional Amendments (current $51,411 exemption, 10.5-mill average, St. Lucie 15.3 mills, Revenue Estimating Conference figures, 1982 precedent, recommendation)
- CBS12: What are you actually voting on? Florida's Amendment 3 explained, with Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks (Aug. 10, 2026)
- CBS12: Judge orders Florida property tax ballot language rewritten (Aug. 4, 2026)
- CBS Miami: New draft of property tax ballot summary released after judge orders rewrite (Aug. 14, 2026; James Madison Institute poll)
- Florida Phoenix voter guide: 2026 Amendment 3 (supporters, opponents, election dates)
- City of Port St. Lucie: Amendment 3, What Florida Voters Should Know (city revenue projections, homestead share)
- Orange County Government: Property Tax Amendment 3 (county revenue projections)
- Florida Statutes 196.015: Permanent residency, factual determination by property appraiser
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser: Homestead exemption (January 1 ownership and occupancy, March 1 filing deadline, Save Our Homes)
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser: Assessment caps and reassessment after a sale
