Hill Country
|Last reviewed: August 2026Gillespie County Ag Exemption Requirements
Property tax exemption requirements and resources for Gillespie County, Texas. Below you'll find the rules for each exemption type, the filing deadline, and your local appraisal district contact information.
Appraisal District
Gillespie Central Appraisal District
1159 S Milam St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Available exemptions
Agricultural
Livestock, crops, hay, and general farming operations.
Requirements
- Apply by April 30
Qualifying uses
Heart of Texas Hill Country wine and peach country. Vineyards and orchards may qualify with as few as 5 acres of intensive use. Ag Use Standards and Guidelines available on Gillespie CAD website.
Wildlife Management
Native habitat management on land with existing ag valuation.
Requirements
- Requires existing ag valuation
- 3 management practices required
No minimum acreage for wildlife unless property size has decreased since the prior January 1st. Must have had ag valuation for at least 5 years before applying. Wildlife management plan must be filed with Gillespie CAD.
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. Hill Country terrain.
Learn more about each exemption
Conservation easements in Gillespie County
Active land trust presence. High development pressure from Austin/San Antonio growth. Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. 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.
How to apply
To apply for a property tax exemption in Gillespie County, contact the Gillespie 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 Gillespie 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 Gillespie County
Average tax rate: 1.05% - Market value: $7,704/ac - Ag value: $85/ac
Per-acre values are regional averages, not Gillespie County appraisals. Use them for a rough estimate only.
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