Brevard County Property Appraiser: Veteran Exemptions, the Combat Discount and the Deployment Exemption
How the Brevard County Property Appraiser describes Florida's veteran property tax relief, and where it is narrower than the statutes or out of date: it asks for proof that at least 10% of a disability is combat related, which section 196.082 does not require, and its list of operations for the deployment exemption leaves out the five that chapter 2026-239 added for the 2026 roll.
Also called: property tax, property appraiser, BCPAO, 196.081, 196.24, 196.082, 196.173, DR-501DV, deployed military exemption, combat-related discount, March 1.
The exemptions are the State's; the Florida entries explain them. The Brevard County Property Appraiser grants them from offices in Titusville, Viera, Melbourne and Palm Bay, and most can be applied for online.
What the Appraiser asks for. Every veteran exemption needs proof of discharge status, such as a DD-214. The total and permanent exemption needs a certificate from the federal government or a VA letter, and the homestead exemption. The $5,000 exemption needs a rating "between 10% and 100%" and Florida residence, on any one property, with no homestead required. The combat discount is claimed on form DR-501DV by March 1. The Appraiser also handles the prorated refund under section 196.081 for a totally and permanently disabled veteran or surviving spouse who buys a new home between January 1 and November 1.
Where the Appraiser's pages are narrower or out of date.
The combat discount. The Appraiser describes it as for a veteran whose disability "is at least 10% combat related" and asks for "documented proof that at least 10% of the disability is combat related". Section 196.082 requires only that the disability be combat related, and the discount equals the whole permanent service-connected rating. A veteran whose combat-related share is rated below 10% should still apply.
The deployment exemption. The Appraiser's list of qualifying operations is the one in force before 2026. Chapter 2026-239 added operations in Israel and the Gaza Strip's territorial seas and air spaces, the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, Operation Southern Spear, Operation Sharp Sentry and the Multinational Force and Observers from the 2026 roll, renamed two others and dropped Operation Resolute Support, which the page still lists. A member deployed on one of the new operations qualifies though the page does not name it; see the Florida entry on the deployment exemption, including its one-time refund for 2024 and 2025. The page's "handout" link for the exemption opens the Appraiser's handout on keeping a homestead under permanent change of station orders, not one on deployment.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Brevard County Property Appraiser: Veteran Exemptions, the Combat Discount and the Deployment Exemption
Gate
Rule
10% for the $5,000 exemption; permanent and total for the full one
The $5,000 exemption starts at 10%. The full homestead exemption needs total and permanent disability. The combat discount needs age 65, an honorable discharge and a permanent rating with a combat-related part.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.