North Texas
|Last reviewed: August 2026Denton County Ag Exemption Requirements
Property tax exemption requirements and resources for Denton County, Texas. Below you'll find the rules for each exemption type, the filing deadline, and your local appraisal district contact information.
Appraisal District
Denton Central Appraisal District
3911 Morse St, Denton, TX 76208
Available exemptions
Agricultural
Livestock, crops, hay, and general farming operations.
Requirements
- Apply by April 30
Qualifying uses
No formal minimum acreage except for beekeeping. Degree of intensity must be common for prudent managers in the local area. Must have been devoted to ag production for 5 of the past 7 years.
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 Denton County
Rapid suburban expansion from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Ranch and farmland under development pressure. 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.
Denton County agricultural profile
Stocking rates & intensity standards
DCAD does not publish a specific stocking rate table publicly. Intensity is evaluated case-by-case by appraisers. A 2022/2023 attempt to formalize stricter guidelines (including 10-acre minimums) was tabled after community opposition.
DCAD has no published stocking rate chart, intensity is evaluated case-by-case. In 2022/2023 DCAD attempted to formalize stricter guidelines but tabled the proposal after over 50 residents opposed it at a public meeting. Contact DCAD directly before assuming standards.
How to apply
To apply for a property tax exemption in Denton County, contact the Denton Central Appraisal District 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 Denton Central Appraisal District 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 Denton County
Average tax rate: 1.53% - Market value: $8,475/ac - Ag value: $158/ac
Per-acre values are regional averages, not Denton County appraisals. Use them for a rough estimate only.
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