Florida Amendment 3 Passed: What It Means for South Florida Homeowners

On November 3, 2026, Florida voters approved Amendment 3, the property tax measure the Legislature placed on the ballot in a June special session. With 99% of the vote counted, it had about 62% support, above the 60% a constitutional amendment needs to pass. Those results are unofficial until the state certifies them. The other two amendments on the ballot did not pass.

If you own a home in Broward or Miami-Dade, or you are planning to buy one, here is what changes, who benefits and what to do now.

What Amendment 3 changes

The amendment takes effect on January 1, 2027. Its main changes, based on the ballot summary and the Florida House's final bill analysis:

• A much larger homestead exemption for non-school taxes. Non-school property taxes are the ones levied by your county, your city and special districts. The exemption from those taxes rises to the first $150,000 of assessed value in 2027 and the first $250,000 in 2028. From 2029 it is adjusted for inflation. Today it is about $50,000.
• School taxes do not change. The $25,000 homestead exemption that applies to school district taxes stays as it is.
• A different start for new Florida residents. People who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 receive the current homestead exemption when they first qualify. The larger exemption begins in their fifth year.
• A lower cap for non-homestead property. For second homes, rentals and commercial property, the yearly limit on assessment increases drops from 10% to 5% for non-school taxes.
• Limits on how counties and cities use property tax revenue. The amendment lists the purposes that revenue can fund, such as public safety, schools, roads, stormwater and flood control, debt payments and employee retirement obligations.

What stays the same

• Save Our Homes. Once a home has the homestead exemption, its assessed value still cannot rise more than 3% a year or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower.
• Portability. You can still transfer your Save Our Homes benefit, up to $500,000, when you move from one Florida homestead to another. The Broward County Property Appraiser has said portability and other exemptions, such as senior and veterans' exemptions, stay in place.
• How your home is assessed. The larger exemption is applied to your assessed value. It does not change how that value is calculated.
• The calendar. You must own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1, and file by March 1 of that year.

Our guide to filing for the Florida homestead exemption in Broward covers these rules step by step.

A simple illustration

Take a homestead with an assessed value of $400,000 and no other exemptions. To keep it simple, assume the assessed value stays the same:

• 2026: about $350,000 is taxable for county and city taxes, and $375,000 for school taxes.
• 2027: $250,000 is taxable for county and city taxes, and still $375,000 for school taxes.
• 2028: $150,000 is taxable for county and city taxes, and still $375,000 for school taxes.

Your real savings depend on your local tax rates, and those rates are set each year by your county, your city and other local taxing authorities. State economists estimate local governments will collect about $4.95 billion less in the first year and close to $12 billion less per year once the change is fully in place. Some local governments are already planning budget cuts or new fees, so watch your TRIM notice each August.

If you already own your home

If your home already has the homestead exemption, you do not need to file anything. The Broward and Miami-Dade property appraisers have both said they will apply the larger exemption automatically, and Broward expects to mail homeowners a letter in January explaining the change.

The first place you will see it is the TRIM notice of proposed taxes in August 2027. The lower bill itself arrives in November 2027.

If you live in your home but never filed for homestead, now is the time. To get the $150,000 exemption for 2027, the home must be your permanent residence on January 1, 2027, and your application must be in by March 1, 2027.

If you are buying a home

Already living in Florida? The five-year rule applies to people who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026. If you already live here permanently, for example if you rent in Pembroke Pines or Miramar today, buying later does not by itself start a five-year wait. Once you own the home, live in it and file, you would qualify for the exemption in effect that year.

Moving from another state or country? Your timing matters more than usual. Under the amendment, if you are not a Florida resident on December 31, 2026, you would start with the current exemption and reach the larger one in your fifth year. How residency on that date will be documented and reviewed has not been spelled out yet. If you are relocating, talk to the property appraiser's office before you set your moving date.

Budget from your own numbers. When a home sells, it loses the seller's Save Our Homes benefit and is reassessed at market value the following January 1. The seller's tax bill is still a poor guide to what you will pay. Ask the property appraiser's office or your lender for an estimate based on your purchase price. If your taxes are paid through escrow, ask your lender how the new bill will change your monthly payment.

If you are selling and buying again

Amendment 3 does not take away portability. If you sell a Florida homestead and buy another, you can still carry your Save Our Homes benefit to the new home. File Form DR-501T together with your homestead application by March 1, and establish the new homestead within three years of January 1 of the year you gave up the old one. Our guide to selling your home in Pembroke Pines covers the sale side, and you can request a home valuation to see where your current home stands.

If you own a second home or rental

The homestead exemption does not apply to second homes or rentals. What helps is the lower cap: from 2027, the assessed value used for county and city taxes can rise no more than 5% a year instead of 10%. School taxes are still based on full market value. The property is still reassessed at market value after a sale, so a purchase price sets the starting point. If you are buying to rent, see our investment properties page.

What is still being decided

• Implementing laws. The Legislature is expected to pass laws to carry out the amendment. The amendment also requires it to set up a uniform procedure for counties, cities and school districts that want to raise the exemption further. No dates have been set, and those details could affect how the changes apply.
• The five-year rule for new residents. Several property appraisers expect a court challenge. In 1983, the Florida Supreme Court struck down a similar waiting period for new residents. Until that question is settled, newcomers should plan for the rule as written.
• Local budgets. Each county and city will decide its tax rates and fees for 2027 next summer.

To look up your home or file, use the Broward County Property Appraiser or the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser.

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change as the Legislature acts. Check with your county property appraiser or a tax professional about your own situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Florida's Amendment 3 pass?

Yes. Based on unofficial results, Amendment 3 received about 62% of the vote on November 3, 2026, above the 60% required. It takes effect on January 1, 2027.

Do I need to reapply for homestead because of Amendment 3?

No. If your home already has the homestead exemption, the Broward and Miami-Dade property appraisers say the larger exemption will be applied automatically. If you have never filed, apply by March 1.

Does Amendment 3 lower school taxes?

No. The larger exemption applies only to non-school taxes, such as county, city and special district taxes. The $25,000 homestead exemption for school taxes does not change.

When will I see lower property taxes?

The change starts with 2027 taxes. You should see it on your TRIM notice in August 2027 and on the tax bill mailed in November 2027.

I am moving to Florida in 2027. Do I get the larger exemption?

Under the amendment, people who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 receive the current exemption when they first qualify and the larger exemption starting in their fifth year. This rule may be challenged in court, so check with the property appraiser before you plan around it.

Can I still use portability?

Yes. Amendment 3 does not change portability. You can still transfer up to $500,000 of your Save Our Homes benefit when you move from one Florida homestead to another.

Planning a purchase or a move with Amendment 3 in mind? Contact Leslie and she will help you plan the timing.

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