Texas Property Tax Deadlines 2026: The Complete Calendar by Month

If you own land in Texas, missing a property tax deadline can cost you thousands in penalties, lost exemptions, or the right to protest your appraisal. The state sets firm deadlines throughout the year, but county appraisal districts vary on timing. Large metro districts like Harris and Travis mail notices on time while smaller rural districts sometimes lag by weeks.

This calendar covers every date you must remember in 2026, organized by month with county-specific operational variations. All dates are verified against the Texas Comptroller's official Property Tax Law Deadlines and Texas Property Tax Code sections cited where available.

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Quick Reference: The Three Deadlines That Hit Landowners Hardest

April 30: Homestead exemption, ag exemption, and wildlife management applications due
May 15: Property tax protest deadline (or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later)
January 31: Property tax payment due. Penalties start February 1.

What Is the Appraisal Date and Why Does It Matter?

January 1 is the appraisal date for all Texas real estate. Every parcel is valued as of this date for the entire tax year, regardless of when you bought it or what happened to the property afterward. This is also the date your eligibility for certain exemptions is determined. If you acquired property after January 1, you may still qualify for a partial-year homestead exemption through Tax Code Section 11.42(f).

January 31 is the last day to file several critical applications with your county appraisal district:

Agricultural exemption applications (Tax Code Section 23.43(e))
Homestead exemption applications for property acquired after January 1
Notice that property is no longer entitled to an exemption not requiring annual application (Section 11.43(g))

WARNING

If you own land and did not file an ag exemption application by January 31, you can still apply later in the year. But you will owe rollback taxes on any previous years the land should have been exempt. The penalty covers three years preceding your change of use application.

When Do Property Taxes Become Delinquent?

January 31 is the property tax payment deadline for taxes imposed the previous year. Taxes become delinquent on February 1 if your bill was mailed by January 10 (Tax Code Section 31.02). Once delinquent, a 6 percent penalty applies immediately, plus interest accrues monthly.

For landowners who changed land use during the previous year, February 1 is also the date rollback taxes and interest become due if your appraisal district delivered a bill at least 20 days in advance (Tax Code Sections 23.46(c), 23.55(e)). Rollback penalties apply when you convert ag-exempt land to non-agricultural use. You owe back taxes for three years, plus penalty and interest. Our rollback penalty calculator can help estimate what you might owe.

When Must Appraisal Districts Mail Notice of Value?

April 1 is the deadline for chief appraisers to mail notices of appraised value for single-family residence homestead properties (Tax Code Section 25.19(a)). If your property qualifies for a homestead exemption, you should receive your notice by this date or as soon as practicable thereafter.

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Fact Check: Notice Mailing Deadlines The Comptroller's official calendar states that CADs must begin mailing homestead notices by April 1 and non-homestead notices by May 1. Some county websites say notices are mailed "by May 1" for all properties. This is incorrect for homesteads. The state deadline is April 1 for homesteads, May 1 for everything else.

May 1 is the deadline for chief appraisers to mail notices for non-homestead properties (Tax Code Section 25.19(a)). This includes agricultural and timberland properties, vacation homes, rental properties, commercial land, and industrial property. Large appraisal districts like HCAD, TCAD, and DCAD typically meet this deadline. Smaller rural districts sometimes lag into early May. If you own ag land and have not received your notice by May 5, contact your county appraisal district directly. The protest clock starts when you receive the notice, not on a fixed date.

What Are the April 30 Deadlines for Exemptions?

April 30 is the most important deadline for ag-exempt landowners. This is the last day to file applications for:

Homestead exemptions (Tax Code Section 11.43(d))
Agricultural, timberland, and restricted-use timberland designations (Sections 23.43(b), 23.54(d), 23.75(d))
Requests for separate listing of standing timber and land (Section 25.10(c))

If you miss April 30, you can still file later in the year, but you will owe rollback taxes for previous years. Read our complete guide to Texas agricultural exemptions and step-by-step application instructions before this deadline.

How Do I File a Property Tax Protest?

May 15 is the absolute deadline to file most protests with the ARB (Tax Code Section 41.44(a)(1)). However, if your notice arrived after April 1 or May 1, you have until 30 days after the notice date to protest, whichever is later. A landowner in a small county who receives their non-homestead notice on May 5 has until June 4 to file their protest.

May 15 is also the final deadline for rendition statements and property reports if you requested an extension (Tax Code Section 22.23(b)). The standard deadline is April 15, but the chief appraiser must grant a written extension to May 15. For good cause, they may extend an additional 15 days.

When Are ARB Hearings Scheduled?

The May 15 protest deadline creates different scheduling pressures depending on your county:

Large counties (Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Travis, Bexar): Multiple ARB panels operate through August, giving landowners flexibility to schedule hearings in June, July, or even August
Medium counties: Hearings typically run from late May through mid-July
Small rural counties: All hearings may conclude by mid-July

Landowners in small counties should prepare evidence immediately upon receiving their notice. Waiting until the last week before the deadline risks missing the hearing window entirely. In contrast, large county residents can often schedule hearings later in the summer after gathering additional documentation. Our guide to protesting your property tax appraisal covers what evidence the ARB requires.

What Happens When Does the ARB Certify Appraisal Records?

July 20 is the deadline for ARBs to approve appraisal records (Tax Code Section 41.12(a)). However, the board of directors of an appraisal district in a county with a population of 1 million or more may postpone this deadline to August 30 if more than 5 percent of total appraised value remains under protest.

July 25 is the deadline for the Comptroller's office to certify the apportionment of railroad rolling stock value to counties (Sections 24.38, 24.40). While this primarily affects railroads, it can indirectly impact property values in areas where railroad operations are significant.

For homeowners using installment payment plans, July 31 is the deadline to pay the fourth and final installment on taxes with February 1 delinquency dates.

When Are Tax Bills Mailed and Due?

October 1 is when tax assesses mail tax bills for the year (Tax Code Section 31.01(a)). While this is the official mailing date, actual delivery varies by county:

Large metro counties: Bills typically arrive between October 1 and October 15
Mid-size counties: Bills may arrive in late October or early November
Small rural counties: Some do not mail bills until mid-November

Regardless of when your bill arrives, the January 31 payment deadline is fixed. If you have not received a tax bill by December 15, contact your county tax office directly. Penalties still apply even if the bill was lost in the mail.

WARNING

Payment Deadline Reminder: The January 31 payment deadline does NOT change based on when you receive your bill. Even if your county mails bills in mid-November, you still owe payment by January 31 to avoid penalties.

What Are the November and December Deadlines?

November 30 is the deadline for the first half of split payments (Tax Code Section 31.03(a)). If your taxing unit offers split payment, most do for homestead properties, you must pay at least half of your total tax bill by this date to avoid penalties on the unpaid balance. This deadline applies regardless of when your bill was mailed. Even if you receive your bill in mid-November, you still have until November 30 to make the first payment.

December 1-31 is when appraisal offices may conduct mail surveys to verify homestead exemption eligibility (Tax Code Section 11.47(a)). If you receive a survey, respond promptly. Failure to respond can result in exemption cancellation.

Where Can I Find My County's Contact Information?

Every deadline above depends on your county appraisal district processing things correctly and on time. To find your specific CAD's contact information, use our county lookup tool which covers all 254 Texas counties with direct links to each district's website. For ag exemption questions, also review our rollback penalty guide to estimate what you might owe if you missed a filing deadline.

What Are the Common Mistakes Landowners Make?

The most frequent error is confusing the notice arrival date with the protest deadline. Your 30-day protest window starts when you receive your notice, not on May 15. If your notice arrives on May 20 in a small county, your deadline extends to June 19, not May 15.

Another common mistake is assuming that missing April 30 means losing your ag exemption for the entire year. You can still file late applications. The penalty is rollback taxes on previous years, not disqualification from the current year's exemption. Our guide to ag exemption requirements explains what documentation you need to prepare.

A third mistake is not checking whether your county offers split payment. Most counties do for homestead properties, allowing you to pay half by November 30 and the remainder by January 31 without penalty. If your county does not offer this option, you must pay the full amount by January 31 or face immediate penalties.

How Do Wildlife Management and Timber Deadlines Differ?

Wildlife management use requires land to already qualify under Chapter 23 Subchapter D (1-d-1 appraisal) or Subchapter E (timberland) at the time of the change. The application deadline is the same as for standard ag exemption, April 30, but the documentation requirements are more extensive. You must submit a wildlife management plan that demonstrates how your land management activities will produce natural resources. Our wildlife vs ag exemption comparison breaks down which option works better for different property types.

For timberland, the deadline is also April 30, but you must have a forest management plan prepared by a qualified forester. The Texas timber exemption guide covers the documentation needed and how to find a qualified forester in your area.

What Should I Do If I Miss a Deadline?

Missing a deadline is not always catastrophic. Here are the recovery paths for each scenario:

Missed April 30 exemption application: File as soon as possible. You will owe rollback taxes for three years plus interest, but you can still get your land reclassified for the current year. The key is acting quickly. The longer you wait, the more years of rollback you may owe. See our rollback penalty breakdown for a detailed explanation of how penalties are calculated.

Missed May 15 protest deadline: If you can show good cause for missing the deadline (serious illness, military deployment, natural disaster), file a letter with your ARB explaining why you were late. The ARB has discretion to accept late protests under Tax Code Section 41.44(d). Our protest guide includes templates for good cause letters.

Missed January 31 payment deadline: Pay immediately. Penalties are 6 percent per year (0.5 percent per month) plus interest. However, if you qualify for a homestead exemption, you may be eligible for a penalty reduction under Tax Code Section 31.03(d).

Bottom Line: Set Calendar Reminders Now

Texas property tax deadlines do not move based on weekends or holidays. If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, it still applies. The only exception is January 21 (San Jacinto Day) and other state observance holidays when county offices are closed. In those cases, the deadline moves to the next business day.

The safest approach is to set calendar reminders for these five critical dates:

January 31 : payment deadline and exemption application cutoff
April 1 : homestead notice mailing deadline (check your mailbox)
April 30 : ag, timber, and homestead exemption applications due
May 15 : protest filing deadline
October 1 : tax bills mailed

For county-specific contact information and local deadline variations, visit our Texas county appraisal district directory which links directly to each CAD's website. You can also check our complete ag exemption guide for details on acreage minimums by county.

Sources

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, "Property Tax Law Deadlines," last modified January 15, 2026, comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/calendars/deadlines.php : supports all dates and Tax Code section citations above. Verified August 21, 2026.
Texas Property Tax Code Section 25.19 (notice of appraised value mailing deadlines) : cited for April 1 and May 1 notice deadlines.
Texas Property Tax Code Section 41.44(a)(1) (protest filing deadline) : cited for May 15 absolute deadline and 30-day-from-notice provision.
Texas Property Tax Code Section 31.02 (delinquency dates) : cited for February 1 penalty trigger.