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|Last reviewed: August 2026Fort Bend County Ag Exemption Requirements
Property tax exemption requirements and resources for Fort Bend County, Texas. Below you'll find the rules for each exemption type, the filing deadline, and your local appraisal district contact information.
Appraisal District
Fort Bend Central Appraisal District
2801 B.F. Terry Blvd, Rosenberg, TX 77471
Available exemptions
Agricultural
Livestock, crops, hay, and general farming operations.
Requirements
- Apply by April 30
Qualifying uses
10 acres minimum for traditional farming and ranching. Orchards and vineyards may qualify with 5 acres if production standards are met.
Wildlife Management
Native habitat management on land with existing ag valuation.
Requirements
- Requires existing ag valuation
- 3 management practices required
Minimum 12.5 acres for wildlife management. Must have had ag valuation for at least 5 of the previous 7 years.
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 Fort Bend County
Growth pressure from Houston metro expansion. Coastal prairie and wetland conservation value. 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.
Fort Bend County agricultural profile
Stocking rates & intensity standards
Improved pasture: minimum 5 AU on 25 acres (1 AU per 5 acres), must produce 2,000 lbs/acre hay annually. Native pasture: minimum 5 AU on 40 acres (1 AU per 8 acres). Irrigated/dryland cropland: 20-acre minimum. Orchards: 5-acre minimum.
FBCAD specifies wildlife management minimum acreage of 14.3 acres. Small tracts under 5 acres require written lease or affidavit proving participation in a larger operation. Field inspections are standard for new applications.
How to apply
To apply for a property tax exemption in Fort Bend County, contact the Fort Bend 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 Fort Bend 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 Fort Bend County
Average tax rate: 1.66% - Market value: $10,001/ac - Ag value: $322/ac
Per-acre values are regional averages, not Fort Bend County appraisals. Use them for a rough estimate only.
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