Central Texas
|Last reviewed: August 2026McLennan County Ag Exemption Requirements
Property tax exemption requirements and resources for McLennan County, Texas. Below you'll find the rules for each exemption type, the filing deadline, and your local appraisal district contact information.
Appraisal District
McLennan Central Appraisal District
PO Box 2297 Waco, TX 76703
Available exemptions
Agricultural
Livestock, crops, hay, and general farming operations.
Requirements
- Apply by April 30
Qualifying uses
Central Texas Blackland Prairie, rich dark clay soils ideal for hay and row crops. Brazos and Bosque river valleys provide fertile bottomland. Waco metro growth increasing scrutiny near city limits.
Wildlife Management
Native habitat management on land with existing ag valuation.
Requirements
- Requires existing ag valuation
- 3 management practices required
Central Texas white-tailed deer management zone. Prior ag valuation required. Minimum 10 acres.
Beekeeping
Honey bee operations as a qualifying agricultural use.
Requirements
- Minimum 5 acres
- Minimum 6 hives
6 hives minimum on 5-20 acres. Blackland Prairie wildflower forage available. Register with Texas Apiary Inspection Service.
Timber
Managed timber production on qualifying acreage.
Not a primary timber-producing region.
Learn more about each exemption
Conservation easements in McLennan County
Significant development pressure along the I-35 corridor. Agricultural and ranch lands at risk of fragmentation. 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.
McLennan County agricultural profile
Stocking rates & intensity standards
Central Texas Blackland Prairie: approximately 1 AU per 4-6 acres on improved pasture, 1 AU per 7-10 acres on native pasture. Contact McLennan CAD for official rates.
McLennan CAD is at 315 S. 26th St, Waco TX 76710. Applications and forms available at mclennan-cad.org. Standard April 30 deadline. Phone: (254) 752-9864.
How to apply
To apply for a property tax exemption in McLennan County, contact the McLennan 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 McLennan 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 McLennan County
Average tax rate: 1.45% - Market value: $7,203/ac - Ag value: $312/ac
Per-acre values are regional averages, not McLennan County appraisals. Use them for a rough estimate only.
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