Central Texas
|Last reviewed: August 2026Bell County Ag Exemption Requirements
Property tax exemption requirements and resources for Bell County, Texas. Below you'll find the rules for each exemption type, the filing deadline, and your local appraisal district contact information.
Appraisal District
Tax Appraisal District of Bell County
411 E Central Ave, Belton, TX 76513
Available exemptions
Agricultural
Livestock, crops, hay, and general farming operations.
Requirements
- Apply by April 30
Qualifying uses
Cattle operations typically require 1 animal unit per 5-7 acres of native pasture. Additional offices in Killeen and Temple.
Wildlife Management
Native habitat management on land with existing ag valuation.
Requirements
- Requires existing ag valuation
- 3 management practices required
Must have had ag valuation for at least 5 of the previous 7 years before converting to wildlife.
Beekeeping
Honey bee operations as a qualifying agricultural use.
Requirements
- Minimum 5 acres
- Minimum 6 hives
6 colonies minimum on 5 acres. 1 additional hive per 2.5 additional acres. Maximum 20 acres.
Timber
Managed timber production on qualifying acreage.
Not a primary timber-producing region.
Learn more about each exemption
Conservation easements in Bell County
Significant development pressure along the I-35 corridor. Agricultural and ranch lands at risk of fragmentation. Conservation easements are a separate instrument from property tax exemptions - they generate a federal income tax deduction by permanently restricting development rights. Most landowners benefit from both an exemption and an easement.
Bell County agricultural profile
Stocking rates & intensity standards
Approximately 1 AU per 5-7 acres of native pasture for cattle operations. Specific productivity value tables available in Bell CAD's annual Agricultural Productivity Values PDF at bellcad.org.
Bell CAD has a dedicated agricultural appraisal page at bellcad.org. Online applications at forms.bellcad.org. Email questions to agwildlife@bellcad.org, allow up to 7 business days for response. Three office locations: Belton (254-939-5841), Killeen (254-634-9752), Temple (254-771-1108).
How to apply
To apply for a property tax exemption in Bell County, contact the Tax Appraisal District of Bell County directly. The standard application deadline is April 30 of each year, though late applications may be accepted until the appraisal review board approves the appraisal records.
The primary application form is Form 50-129 (Application for 1-d-1 Agricultural Use Appraisal), available from the Tax Appraisal District of Bell County website or the Texas Comptroller's office.
If the use of your land changes, you may face a rollback tax - the difference between what you paid under the special valuation and what you would have paid at market value, for the 3 years preceding the year of the change. The change-of-use year itself is not included, and for 1-d-1 open-space land no interest is added to the rollback.
Estimated savings in Bell County
Average tax rate: 1.39% - Market value: $7,203/ac - Ag value: $298/ac
Per-acre values are regional averages, not Bell County appraisals. Use them for a rough estimate only.
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