Broward County owners who are totally and permanently disabled have a second property tax break to consider this winter, and it comes with its own income test. For the 2027 tax year, the Broward County Property Appraiser says the full disability exemption is open to owners who use a wheelchair or are legally blind, with household gross income capped at $37,712. Applications are due by March 1, 2027.
Who the full disability exemption covers
The Broward County Property Appraiser’s homestead page describes the full exemption for owners who are quadriplegic, or who are paraplegic, hemiplegic or otherwise totally and permanently disabled and use a wheelchair for mobility. It also covers owners who are legally blind.
The income rule is stricter than many people expect. The prior year’s gross income of “all persons residing in or upon the homestead” must not exceed $37,712, according to the page, and the prior year here is 2026. That means a spouse’s pay, a relative’s pension or an adult child’s wages count if they live in the home.
Which Broward households fit the disability exemption?
For a Broward homeowner who uses a wheelchair or is legally blind, the questions are concrete. Does the homestead exemption already sit on the property? Does everyone living there, added together, stay at or under $37,712 in gross income for 2026? Are two doctors’ certificates, or a VA certificate, in hand? A household that can answer yes to all three has a path to the full exemption.
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Paperwork that comes with this exemption
Disability must be certified, and the page names who can do it. An applicant needs certificates from two licensed doctors of Florida, or a certificate from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A statement of gross income has to accompany the application.
Owners who are blind need a different certificate. The appraiser’s page says it must come from the Division of Blind Services or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Getting two doctors to sign takes time, which is a practical reason to start well before the filing window closes.
The $5,000 disability exemption works differently
Broward’s page lists a separate $5,000 disability exemption. For that one, the applicant certifies total and permanent disability and must be a bona fide Florida resident. A Florida-licensed physician, the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Social Security Administration can supply the certification. The page states no income cap for it.
Owners who think they fit both descriptions should ask the appraiser’s office which applies to their situation. The Customer Service and Exemptions line is 954-357-6830, and homebound residents can request a visit at 954-357-5579.
When to file
The appraiser’s page says the timely filing period for 2027 runs from March 3, 2026, through March 1, 2027. The Florida Department of Revenue’s taxpayer page names March 1 as the deadline for owners to file with the county property appraiser, and the Orange County Property Appraiser’s filing guide gives March 1, 2027, for that county. Broward also notes that state law does not allow late filing for exemptions after September 20, 2027.
Applicants can file online through Homestead Online, in person, or at a Mobile Exemption Education Team event. Proof of ownership, a Florida driver’s license or ID, and a voter registration or utility bill for the property are among the documents the page lists.
The amount saved is the part no public page spells out for this exemption. The appraiser’s page says only that the basic homestead exemption saved Broward owners about $659 to $1,009 in 2025, so the disability exemption’s dollar value for a given home is a question for the appraiser’s office.
Gathering the doctors’ certificates for the March 1 filing?
A Broward household that misses one piece, such as the second doctor’s certificate or the gross-income statement for everyone in the home, can reach March 1, 2027, with an application that is not complete. Disability exemptions also carry different rules from the senior and basic homestead breaks.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit explains the 5 kinds of property-tax relief and includes an application log and renewal calendar for tracking each certificate, date and filing. Part 8 collects the worksheets, contacts and sources in one place.
Get the relief kit’s application log for the Broward disability exemption →
More Financial Reading
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
- 15 Places to Find Your Share of the $4.25 Billion States Give Back
- 17 Medicare Money Moves Now That Part D Caps at $2,400
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
