West Texas
|Last reviewed: August 2026El Paso County Ag Exemption Requirements
Property tax exemption requirements and resources for El Paso County, Texas. Below you'll find the rules for each exemption type, the filing deadline, and your local appraisal district contact information.
Appraisal District
El Paso Central Appraisal District
5801 Trowbridge El Paso, TX 79925
Available exemptions
Agricultural
Livestock, crops, hay, and general farming operations.
Requirements
- Apply by April 30
Qualifying uses
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.
Requirements
- 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.
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 a primary timber-producing region.
Learn more about each exemption
El Paso County agricultural profile
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 50-129 (Application for 1-d-1 Agricultural Use Appraisal), available from the El Paso 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 El Paso County
Average tax rate: 2.05% - Market value: $624/ac - Ag value: $38/ac
Per-acre values are regional averages, not El Paso County appraisals. Use them for a rough estimate only.
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