Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser: Veteran and Deployed Servicemember Exemptions

The exemptions are the State's; the Florida entries explain them. The Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser takes applications online, at its offices or by mail, generally by March 1. At the Board's August 25, 2026 budget workshop the Property Appraiser said about 6,000 totally and permanently disabled veterans in the county pay no property tax on their homes and that 1,000 new applicants joined the roll this year. What the exemptions page gets right. The full exemption under section 196.081 for a service-connected total and permanent disability, with VA documentation and the surviving spouse's carry-over, and the combat-related discount at 65 under section 196.082. What it gets wrong. - The $5,000 exemption. The page says it is for a veteran "disabled at least 10% by service-connected misfortune". Section 196.24 covers a disability of 10% or more "by misfortune or while serving during a period of wartime service", so a wartime veteran's rating qualifies on that ground as well. - The wheelchair exemption. The page describes sections 196.081 and 196.091 together as for a veteran "who is totally and permanently disabled or requires a wheelchair for mobility". Section 196.091 is narrower: a total service-connected disability, VA specially adapted housing assistance and use of a wheelchair, all together. A veteran who uses a wheelchair without the total rating and the housing grant does not qualify under it. - The deployed exemption. The page says to file form DR-501M by March 1 after the deployment. For the 2026 roll, chapter 2026-239 moved that deadline to August 1, 2026, let days on five newly added operations in 2023, 2024 and 2025 count together, and offered a partial refund of 2024 and 2025 taxes for more than 365 such days. The 2026 DR-501M the Appraiser links says all of this. The page says nothing about the refund; ask the Appraiser how to claim it. The page also gives the senior, widow's and total and permanent disability exemptions under sections 196.075, 196.202 and 196.101, which are not veteran-specific.