St. Johns County Property Appraiser: Veteran Exemptions

The exemptions are the State's; the Florida entries explain them. The St. Johns County Property Appraiser takes applications online or at its office, generally by March 1 (904-827-5500, [email protected]), and asks for the DD-214 (member 4 copy) and VA's disability letter; the County's Veterans Services Office prepares the letter. What its exemption list (updated March 2026) and guide (April 2026) get right. The full exemption under section 196.081 for an honorably discharged veteran with a service-connected total and permanent disability, carried over to the surviving spouse; the combat-related discount at 65 under section 196.082, on form DR-501DV; the $5,000 exemption needing only a discharge under honorable conditions; and the deployed servicemember exemption under section 196.173, on form DR-501M. What they narrow or leave out. - The $5,000 exemption is described as for a "service-connected disability of 10% or more". 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. - Neither page lists the exemption in section 196.091 for a veteran with a total service-connected disability who uses a wheelchair and has VA specially adapted housing assistance; ask for it by section number. - The surviving spouse exemption under section 196.081(4) needs a death from service-connected causes on active duty; the guide says only "died while on Active Duty". - The deployed exemption page links the general DR-501M and gives March 1. For the 2026 roll only, chapter 2026-239 set August 1, 2026, added operations and offered a partial refund of 2024 and 2025 taxes; see the Florida entry and ask the Appraiser about the refund.