Escambia County Property Appraiser: Keeping the Homestead While on Active Duty

The exemptions are the State's; the Florida entries explain them. The Escambia County Property Appraiser, 221 Palafox Place, Suite 300, Pensacola (850-434-2735), grants them, and its brochure of June 20, 2025 describes the $5,000, total and permanent, combat discount, deployment and surviving spouse exemptions as sections 196.24, 196.081, 196.082 and 196.173 provide. The military homestead. Section 196.061(2) exempts a member of the armed forces from the rule that renting out a homestead abandons it, and section 196.071 lets a member who cannot file in person file through next of kin or anyone authorised in writing. The Appraiser's practice is that "Florida residents away from home on active duty must renew their exemption annually by providing current active-duty orders and proof of Florida residency". The renewal form (revised December 2025), due by May 1, asks for: - the member's Florida driver licence, and the spouse's, even if the spouse is not on the deed; - Florida vehicle registrations and the voter registration of the member and spouse; - a current Leave and Earnings Statement, and current orders if still away on permanent change of station orders; - a sworn statement that neither spouse claims a residency-based tax benefit on any other property anywhere, that Florida remains the permanent residence, and that the member intends to return to the home on retirement, separation or orders back to the area. A member who has moved back in, or has retired or separated and returned, says so on the same form, and can ask to remove only the military status. The statutes do not themselves require a yearly renewal with orders; the form is how this Appraiser checks that the absent member still qualifies.