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West Texas

|Data last verified: March 2026

El Paso County Ag Exemption Requirements

Property tax exemption requirements and resources for El Paso County, Texas. Below you'll find the specific rules for each exemption type, minimum acreage, and your local appraisal district contact information.

Golden savannah landscape in West Texas at sunset

Appraisal District

El Paso Central Appraisal District

5801 Trowbridge El Paso, TX 79925

Available exemptions

Agricultural

Livestock, crops, hay, and general farming operations.

Available

Requirements

  • Minimum 10 acres
  • Apply by April 30

Qualifying uses

CattleHayCropsGoatsSheep

Almost entirely irrigation-dependent from Rio Grande water rights. Pecans (17,000+ acres), cotton, and alfalfa are primary qualifying crops. Desert rangeland requires 40-150+ acres per AU.

Wildlife Management

Native habitat management on land with existing ag valuation.

Available

Requirements

  • Minimum 10 acres
  • Requires existing ag valuation
  • 3 management practices required

Available but desert habitat limits qualifying management practices. Prior ag valuation required.

Beekeeping

Honey bee operations as a qualifying agricultural use.

Available

Requirements

  • Minimum 5 acres
  • Minimum 6 hives

6 hives minimum on 5-20 acres. Arid conditions require careful hive management and water provision.

Timber

Managed timber production on qualifying acreage.

Not applicable

Not a primary timber-producing region.

Learn more about each exemption

El Paso County agricultural profile

8"annual rainfall
248day growing season

Soil & terrain

Arid desert valley soils along the Rio Grande (alluvial/loamy). Desert basin soils at higher elevations. Terrain ranges from 3,500 ft at Rio Grande to 7,000 ft at Franklin Mountains. 100% of cropland is irrigated from Rio Grande water rights.

What grows here

Pecans (17,000+ acres, top pecan county in Texas)
Cotton/Pima cotton
Alfalfa and hay
Vegetables/chili peppers/onions
Dairy cattle
Cattle and calves

Stocking rates & intensity standards

Not published by EPCAD. Trans Pecos rangeland carries approximately 1 AU per 40-150+ acres on desert range — among the lowest stocking densities in Texas. Irrigated crop operations (pecans, cotton, alfalfa) are evaluated on per-acre production yield.

Agricultural use in El Paso is almost entirely irrigation-dependent. Water rights documentation is relevant to applications. EPCAD: 5801 Trowbridge Dr, (915) 780-2043.

How to apply

To apply for a property tax exemption in El Paso County, contact the El Paso 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 1-D-1 (Application for 1-d-1 Agricultural Use Appraisal), available from the El Paso Central Appraisal District website or the Texas Comptroller's office.

If your application is denied or your exemption is removed, 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, plus 7% interest per year, for the previous 5 years.

Estimated savings in El Paso County

Average tax rate: 2.05% - Market value: $624/ac - Ag value: $38/ac

Calculate savings

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