Florida Amendment 3 Explained: What the November 2026 Property Tax Vote Would Do to Your Bill

The short answer

On November 3, 2026, Florida voters decide Amendment 3 — formally the Homestead Tax Exemptions, Property Assessments, and Spending Restrictions Amendment (CS/HJR 1F). It needs 60% approval to pass.

If it passes, the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes rises from about $50,000 today to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, indexed to inflation after that. School district taxes are untouched — that exemption stays at $25,000.

For a typical Space Coast homeowner, that is roughly $2,000 a year. For a modest home in Palm Bay or Titusville, it could zero out the non-school portion of the bill entirely.

There is also a deadline inside it that almost nobody is talking about, and it matters enormously if you are moving to Florida: establish residency on or after January 1, 2027, and you wait five years for the expanded exemption.

Two honest caveats before any of the numbers below mean anything. First, it is not law — it is a ballot question, and a July poll suggests it is genuinely close. Second, the ballot language itself is being challenged in court right now. Details on both further down.

What Amendment 3 actually does

Four separate changes ride on one vote.

1. A much larger homestead exemption — on non-school taxes only

Today a Florida homestead exempts roughly the first $50,000 of assessed value from non-school levies ($51,411 in 2026, since Amendment 5 indexed the second slice to inflation) and the first $25,000 from everything including schools.

Amendment 3 raises the non-school exemption to $150,000 in 2027, $250,000 in 2028, and CPI-adjusted amounts thereafter. It does not stack on top of the current exemption — it replaces it at the higher level. The $25,000 school exemption does not change.

That distinction is the whole ballgame. School levies are the single largest line on most Florida tax bills — 6.31 mills countywide in Brevard — and Amendment 3 does not touch them.

2. A tighter cap on non-homestead property

The annual assessment-increase cap on non-homesteaded property — second homes, rentals, commercial buildings — drops from 10% to 5% for non-school levies. Homesteaded property keeps its existing 3% Save Our Homes cap, which Amendment 3 leaves alone.

3. Spending restrictions on local government

Counties would be limited to spending property tax revenue within seven categories: public safety, education, infrastructure, natural resources, debt service, employee retirement, and the operation and administration of county offices.

4. A five-year waiting period for new residents

Anyone who establishes Florida residency on or after January 1, 2027 starts with the current ~$50,000 exemption and only becomes eligible for the expanded amount after maintaining a Florida homestead for four years — meaning it first applies in year five.

Establish residency on or before December 31, 2026, and you are on the full schedule from the start.

What it would actually save a Space Coast homeowner

Here is the part the statewide coverage skips. Brevard's non-school millage runs roughly 7 to 13 mills depending on your city and special districts, on top of the fixed 6.31-mill school levy. The table below uses 10 mills as a midpoint — scale up or down for your own address, which you can read off your TRIM notice.

Look at the right-hand column. Above roughly $250,000 of assessed value, the savings stop growing. You cannot exempt more than $250,000, so every homesteaded owner above that line saves the same flat dollar amount — about $1,986 a year at 10 mills.

That has a consequence nobody is stating plainly: Amendment 3 is worth proportionally far more to inexpensive homes than expensive ones. A $250,000 house in Palm Bay sees its entire non-school tax bill disappear — call it a 58% cut to the total bill once the school levy is accounted for. A $900,000 oceanfront home in Indialantic saves the identical $1,986, which is a rounding error against its bill.

On the Space Coast that maps almost exactly onto geography. Palm Bay, Titusville, and Cocoa would benefit most as a share of what they pay. Cocoa Beach, Indialantic, and the South Beaches would benefit least.

The 2027 deadline, if you are moving here

This is the provision with a clock on it, and it is the one worth acting on rather than watching.

If Amendment 3 passes, the exemption schedule you land on is fixed by when you establish Florida residency, not when you buy:

• Residency established on or before December 31, 2026 → full schedule. $150,000 exemption in 2027, $250,000 in 2028.
• Residency established on or after January 1, 2027 → roughly $50,000 for five years, then the expanded amount.

At 10 mills, that gap runs on the order of $1,000 in 2027 and $2,000 a year for the four years after — call it $9,000 in total, more in a high-millage city, less in a low one.

Practically, "establishing residency" means owning and occupying the home as your primary residence by December 31, 2026, then filing for homestead exemption with the Brevard County Property Appraiser by March 1, 2027. Our homestead exemption guide walks the filing itself.

To be clear about the size of this: it is a real consideration for someone already planning a 2027 move, not a reason to rush a purchase you are not ready for. It is also entirely contingent on the amendment passing. But if you were going to buy in the first half of 2027 anyway, closing before New Year's is worth pricing out.

What Amendment 3 does not do

Worth stating flatly, because the ballot title promises a lot:

• It does not eliminate property taxes. Earlier proposals in the 2026 session would have gone further; this is what actually reached the ballot.
• It does not touch school taxes, which are the largest single component of most bills.
• It does nothing directly for renters. There is no renter provision.
• It does not change Save Our Homes. The 3% homestead assessment cap works exactly as it does today.
• It does not lower your insurance, which on this coast is frequently the larger of the two lines anyway — see what Florida homeowners insurance actually costs.
• It does not apply to non-homesteaded property. Second homes and investment property get the tighter 5% assessment cap, not the exemption.

The other side of the ledger

A tax cut this size has to come from somewhere, and being straight about that is more useful than cheerleading.

Florida's Revenue Estimating Conference models the recurring cost at roughly $11.8 to $12 billion a year. That is money local governments currently collect and spend. Orange County alone projects a revenue reduction of about $165 million in 2027 and $275 million in 2028.

Where that lands is the open question. Local governments can respond by cutting services, raising millage rates on what remains taxable, leaning harder on fees, special assessments, and utility charges, or asking voters for referendums the amendment authorizes. Analysts have pointed out that some households — renters and owners of modest non-homestead property in particular — could end up paying more on net if the shortfall is recovered through fees and sales taxes rather than property tax.

None of that makes the amendment good or bad. It makes it a trade, and voters get to weigh it. We are a brokerage, not a campaign; our job here is to make sure you can read your own tax bill afterward either way.

Will it pass?

Genuinely uncertain, which is unusual this close to a vote.

A University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab poll conducted July 8–17 and released July 20 found 61% initial support — barely over the 60% threshold. But when respondents were told the measure would reduce local government revenue by about $11.86 billion, support fell to 45%, with 47% opposed. A 16-point swing on a single disclosure means the outcome may turn on what voters know when they mark the ballot.

Which is exactly what is being litigated. Three consolidated lawsuits before Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank challenge whether the ballot title — "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes" — and its summary are a neutral description or a sales pitch. Challengers include the nonprofit Save Our Voters From Misleading Ballot Language, several former mayors, former Republican state Senator Jeff Brandes, and former Democratic U.S. Representative Al Lawson Jr. The judge heard more than two hours of argument on July 29, did not rule from the bench, and gave attorneys until August 3 to submit final written arguments.

So the wording voters will actually see is not yet settled. We will update this post when the court rules and again after November 3.

What to actually do now

If you already own a homesteaded Florida home: nothing, except vote. Your exemption is unaffected until 2027 at the earliest, and only if it passes. Confirm your homestead is on file — a surprising number of owners never filed.

If you are planning a move to Florida in 2027: run the numbers on closing in 2026 instead. The five-year provision is the single largest dollar consequence in the amendment for you, and the deadline is December 31. Model it in our mortgage calculator with the real tax and insurance lines for a specific address.

If you are buying an investment property or second home: the tighter 5% assessment cap is a modest long-term positive for you. The exemption is not available on non-homestead property at all.

If you are selling: buyers will start asking about this in the fall. A listing where the seller's assessment is far below market — the Save Our Homes gap — still resets on sale, and Amendment 3 does not change that. Budget conversations should be based on the buyer's reset bill, not yours.

Everyone: do not build a purchase decision on a ballot measure passing. Build it on the numbers as they stand today, and treat any 2027 relief as upside.

Frequently asked questions about Florida Amendment 3

What is Florida Amendment 3?

It is a proposed constitutional amendment on Florida's November 3, 2026 ballot, formally titled the Homestead Tax Exemptions, Property Assessments, and Spending Restrictions Amendment (CS/HJR 1F). It would raise the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes from about $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 with inflation indexing thereafter, tighten the assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, restrict how counties may spend property tax revenue, and impose a five-year waiting period on new Florida residents. It requires 60% voter approval.

Does Amendment 3 eliminate property taxes in Florida?

No. It substantially increases the homestead exemption on non-school levies but does not eliminate property taxes. School district taxes — the largest component of most Florida tax bills, and 6.31 mills countywide in Brevard — are explicitly excluded and would continue unchanged. Broader elimination proposals were introduced during the 2026 session but are not what reached the ballot.

How much would Amendment 3 save me?

The savings equal your non-school millage applied to the additional exempted value, capped at $250,000 of assessed value. At a 10-mill non-school rate, that is roughly $1,986 a year once fully phased in for any homesteaded property assessed above $250,000, and proportionally less below it. Because the benefit is a flat dollar amount above that threshold, it is worth far more as a share of the bill on an inexpensive home than an expensive one. Brevard non-school millage runs roughly 7 to 13 mills depending on city, so check your own TRIM notice.

Do new Florida residents get the full homestead exemption under Amendment 3?

Not immediately. Anyone establishing Florida residency on or after January 1, 2027 would receive only the existing ~$50,000 exemption and must maintain a Florida homestead for four years, with the expanded exemption first applying in the fifth year. Establishing residency on or before December 31, 2026 puts you on the full schedule from the start. Practically that means owning and occupying the home as your primary residence by December 31, 2026 and filing for homestead by March 1, 2027.

Does Amendment 3 help renters?

Not directly — there is no renter provision. The tighter 5% assessment cap on non-homestead property could moderate the growth of landlords' tax bills over time, but nothing requires that to be passed through as lower rent. Some analysts have argued renters could end up worse off on net if local governments recover the roughly $11.8 billion revenue reduction through fees, special assessments, or sales taxes.

When would Amendment 3 take effect?

If it receives 60% approval on November 3, 2026, the first expanded exemption of $150,000 would apply to the 2027 tax year, rising to $250,000 for 2028 and adjusting for inflation in later years. The non-homestead assessment cap change and spending restrictions would phase in on the schedule set by the amendment and implementing legislation.

Is the Amendment 3 ballot language being challenged?

Yes. Three consolidated lawsuits before Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank argue that the ballot title "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes" and the accompanying summary are biased rather than neutral. Plaintiffs include former state Senator Jeff Brandes, former U.S. Representative Al Lawson Jr., several former mayors, and the nonprofit Save Our Voters From Misleading Ballot Language. The judge heard arguments on July 29, 2026 without ruling and set an August 3 deadline for final written submissions.

Will Amendment 3 pass?

It is close. A University of North Florida poll conducted July 8–17, 2026 found 61% initial support against a 60% threshold, but support dropped to 45% with 47% opposed once respondents were told the measure would reduce local government revenue by roughly $11.86 billion a year. Because that swing is so large, the final ballot wording — currently in litigation — may materially affect the result. Treat passage as genuinely uncertain.

Does Amendment 3 change Save Our Homes?

No. The 3% annual cap on assessed-value increases for homesteaded property, and portability of the accrued benefit when you move within Florida, work exactly as they do today. Amendment 3 changes the exemption amount, not the assessment cap. Your assessment also still resets to market value when you buy, which Amendment 3 does not alter.

Get the real number for your address

An amendment analysis is only useful when it lands on a specific parcel. Millage varies by city and special district, assessed value is not market value, and the exemption you qualify for depends on when you establish residency.

We pull the actual TRIM data and the tax reset for any Space Coast address, model it against both outcomes on November 3, and put the real number into your payment math alongside insurance and association dues — which on this coast frequently matter more than the tax line does.

Start with the homestead exemption guide, model a purchase in the mortgage calculator, or see the full carrying-cost picture in what it actually costs to live in Florida. Browsing? See current Space Coast listings.

If a 2026 closing date suddenly matters to your plans, get in touch — we will tell you honestly whether it does.

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Updated August 1, 2026. Amendment 3 is a proposed constitutional amendment that has not been adopted; nothing described here is current law, and it takes effect only on 60% voter approval on November 3, 2026. Ballot title and summary language is the subject of pending litigation and may change. Tax savings figures are illustrative estimates using a 10-mill non-school rate applied to assessed value; Brevard non-school millage varies by city and special district, assessed value differs from market value, and your actual bill depends on your parcel, exemptions, and the millage set annually by each taxing authority. Consult the Brevard County Property Appraiser and a licensed tax professional or attorney before acting — nothing here is tax or legal advice, and 7 Waves Real Estate takes no position on how anyone should vote. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.