If you own a home in Florida, one vote this fall could lower your property tax bill for years, and you deserve to have Florida Amendment 3 explained in plain language before you mark your ballot. I have spent twenty years as a Florida real estate broker and twenty one years as an insurance broker, and property taxes now sit near the top of the true cost of owning a home here. This guide covers what the measure does, what it leaves alone, what the savings could look like, and the dates you cannot miss.
Florida Amendment 3 Explained in Plain Language
Amendment 3 sits on the November 3, 2026 ballot, and it needs 60 percent approval to pass, because every change to the Florida Constitution requires a supermajority. A yes vote raises the homestead exemption for non school property taxes in two steps. The exemption rises to $150,000 in 2027 and then to $250,000 in 2028, and after that it adjusts for inflation each year. The measure also lowers the annual cap on assessment increases for non homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent, covering rentals, second homes, and commercial property. It also requires the Legislature to prescribe a uniform procedure for counties and municipalities to increase the homestead exemption up to full assessed value. If approved, it takes effect on January 1, 2027.
I support this measure, and my position comes from a long public record. I have called for abolishing the property tax burden on homeowners since 2023, and I see Amendment 3 as the first real step on a Florida ballot toward that goal.
What Changes in 2027 and 2028
Today, the homestead exemption removes up to $51,411 of assessed value from taxation for a primary home in 2026, and the added portion above the first $25,000 applies only to non school taxes. Under Amendment 3, a homesteaded home would see $150,000 exempt from non school taxes in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. Rental and second home owners gain a different protection, because the lower 5 percent cap slows how fast non homestead taxable value can climb each year. This vote is only one part of the full picture, which is why our Florida Homeownership Costs hub tracks insurance, flood coverage, property taxes, and association fees in one place.
What Stays the Same: School Taxes
Here is the part every voter should hear plainly. Amendment 3 does not change school taxes at all. The exemption increase applies to non school taxes only, meaning county, city, and special district levies. School levies make up a large share of a typical Florida tax bill, so your bill will get smaller, not vanish. Anyone who tells you this measure wipes out your whole tax bill is skipping the fine print, and you should budget on the honest version. Honest math still favors a yes vote, because relief on the non school share is real money every year.
What the Savings Could Look Like
Run a simple example. Take a home with an assessed value of $400,000. Under the rules in place for 2026, the homestead exemption can remove up to $51,411 of value for non school taxes, leaving about $348,589 taxable. In 2028, with a $250,000 exemption, the taxable value for non school taxes falls to $150,000. That is a drop of about $198,589 in taxable value. Multiply that drop by your combined non school tax rate from your TRIM notice. At an illustrative rate of 10 mills, which means $10 of tax for every $1,000 of taxable value, the saving reaches about $1,986 a year. Your own rate in Broward County, Miami Dade County, Palm Beach County, or elsewhere in Florida will differ, so pull your TRIM notice and run your own numbers the same way. Homes assessed closer to $250,000 gain the most in percentage terms, because the exemption can remove nearly all of their non school taxable value.
The Rule for New Florida Residents
Timing matters if you plan to move here. Anyone who is not a Florida resident on December 31, 2026 receives the current exemption first, and the increased exemption begins with their fifth year of homestead. If you already live here and hold a homestead exemption, the increase applies on the schedule above with no new filing. If you plan a move, that December date belongs on your calendar beside your closing date, because residency timing now carries real dollar value. Buyers weighing that timing should also weigh the full cost of the purchase, including the rates in our guide to mortgage rates at 7.40 percent and whether to buy now or wait.
The Record: Saying It Since 2023
This position did not start with this election. My series on this fight ran on my Facebook page, and the same posts ran on X, word for word.
Thread: Why Property Taxes Should Be Abolished
November twenty fifth, two thousand twenty three
Why Property Taxes Should Be Abolished (Part 2)
May eleventh, two thousand twenty four
Why Property Taxes Should be Abolishing (Part 3)
October fifth, two thousand twenty four
Property Taxes is a Scam (Part 4)
November twenty ninth, two thousand twenty four
In 2025, we’re taking our fight to abolish property taxes to the state capital
November twenty ninth, two thousand twenty four
Three years ago I started this fight. November, Florida decides.
October nineteenth, two thousand twenty six
How and When to Vote
Florida makes this easy if you act on time. Requests for a mail ballot close on October 22, 2026, only days away, so request yours now if you want to vote by mail. Early voting runs from October 24 to October 31, 2026. Mail ballots must be received by 7 PM on Election Day, so mail yours early or deliver it in person under your county rules. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. However you cast it, cast it, because this measure needs 60 percent and every homeowner vote counts.
The Bottom Line and Your Next Move
Property taxes are rent you pay to keep a home you already bought, and they climb even when your income stands still. Amendment 3 will not end that burden in one election, and I will not pretend otherwise. It is a major exemption increase, it protects rental and second home owners with a tighter assessment cap, and it points the state toward full exemption in the years ahead. For Florida homeowners, existing and new owners alike, that is real relief worth showing up for. Vote yes on Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026. Then keep building your plan with our Real Estate Hub, where taxes sit beside insurance, flood risk, and every other cost of holding a Florida home.
Take Action Today
Want a clear plan for your money beyond one tax vote? Download Unlocked Vol 2, our free 18 page Financial Freedom Playbook, and get practical steps you can use this week. Better decisions start with clear numbers, and this free guide helps you make them.
