Amendment 3 Passed: What It Means for Seminole County Homeowners

Seminole County Homestead Exemption Jumps to $250,000 by 2028

Florida voters just handed homeowners a big property tax break. Amendment 3 needed 60% to pass Tuesday and got about 62%, according to the state's unofficial count.

Your 2026 tax bill is unchanged. Pay it in November for the 4% discount, the one sure thing in this post.

What Homeowners Get

For non-school taxes, the homestead exemption was $51,411 this year. It becomes $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then rises with inflation starting in 2029, per the Seminole County Property Appraiser. It replaces the old exemption instead of stacking on top, so the new tax-free value is $98,589 in 2027 and $198,589 in 2028.

School taxes do not move. They keep the old $25,000 exemption and make up about 40% of the average Seminole County bill. Your bill shrinks. It does not vanish, whatever your uncle says at Thanksgiving.

When It Shows Up

• Jan. 1, 2027: The amendment takes effect.
• March 1, 2027: Homestead filing deadline. You must own the home and live in it as your permanent home on Jan. 1. File here.
• August 2027: TRIM notices, the "here is what we plan to charge you" mailing, show the first effect.
• November 2027: The first tax bills with the bigger exemption.
• Jan. 1, 2028: The exemption reaches $250,000.

A Typical Seminole County Example

The Property Appraiser ran a sample: a homesteaded house in unincorporated Seminole County worth $500,000 on the market and assessed at $350,000. Under current law the bill is $4,223. In 2027 it drops to $3,392, saving $831. In 2028 it drops to $2,549, saving $1,674. The $1,706 school portion stays put.

That assumes values and rates stay frozen, which they will not, and it leaves out fire, trash and stormwater fees. Inside a city the rates differ. Lower assessed values save less, since you cannot exempt value that is not there.

New Residents and Buyers

The dividing line is the day you became a Florida resident, not your closing date. If you were a permanent Florida resident by Dec. 31, 2026, you get the full amounts even if you have not bought yet, per the Pinellas Property Appraiser's FAQ. Rent in Seminole County now and buy in 2027? You still qualify, starting the first Jan. 1 you own and live in the home.

Move here on or after Jan. 1, 2027 and you start with a $50,000 exemption, adjusted for inflation from 2028. The bigger one arrives Jan. 1 of your fifth year of homestead. That rule is already drawing legal questions, and the ballot language applies it only "to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution." I have not seen a court challenge yet.

Buyers should never guess taxes from the seller's bill; our property tax guide for buyers explains why. Sellers, a lower bill helps your listing, but do not promise a buyer a number.

Save Our Homes and Portability Stay Put

Save Our Homes still caps yearly assessment increases at 3% or inflation, whichever is lower, and portability is unchanged. Our homestead and portability explainer still holds, with new exemption numbers.

Rentals and Second Homes

The cap on yearly assessment increases for non-homestead property drops from 10% to 5% for non-school taxes. That covers rentals, second homes, commercial property and vacant land, about 40% of Seminole County parcels. It caps assessed value, not your bill.

Who Covers the Gap?

Seminole County estimates it would lose about 20% of its revenue once fully in place. The Property Appraiser estimates Oviedo loses $5.2 million in 2027-28 and $9.2 million in 2028-29 if rates hold. Mayor Megan Sladek told Oviedo Community News, "I did not expect that." The city's possible responses include shorter facility hours, fewer recreation programs, no Santa Run, and higher fees or millage. Our Oviedo breakdown and Oviedo guide have the current rates.

The exemption does not touch non-ad valorem fees, so a fire assessment could still land on your bill. I found no new rates or fees adopted yet by the county or Oviedo.

Still Pending

The Legislature convenes March 2, 2027. It must write a uniform process for local governments to raise exemptions further, up to full assessed value. Exact savings wait on that law and next year's rates. Our pre-election explainer said "if." Read it as "when."

Frequently Asked Questions About Amendment 3

Do I need to file anything for the bigger exemption?

If you already have homestead, other Florida offices say the larger exemption applies automatically, but confirm with the Seminole County Property Appraiser. If you own and live in a home as of Jan. 1, 2027 and never filed, the deadline is March 1, 2027.

I'm moving to Seminole County in 2027. When do I get the full exemption?

If you become a Florida resident on or after Jan. 1, 2027, you start at $50,000 and move to the larger exemption in your fifth year of homestead. If you were a Florida resident by Dec. 31, 2026, you qualify for the full amount.

Will Seminole County or my city raise taxes to make up the loss?

Nobody knows yet. The county commission, each city council and the school board set their own rates every year, so watch the budget hearings next summer and your August 2027 TRIM notice. The county kept its 2026-27 rates unchanged in September.

Does this help landlords and second-home owners?

A little. The 5% cap slows assessed value growth for non-school taxes. There is no new exemption.

Talk to Twinhaven Team

Buying, selling or curious what your 2028 bill might look like? Contact Twinhaven Team and we will run the numbers.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Check with the Seminole County Property Appraiser or a tax professional about your situation.