Tomorrow Is the Deadline to File a Late Homestead Exemption Application in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties — And Amendment 3 Makes the Stakes Even Higher

If you own property in Miami-Dade or Broward County and have not yet filed your 2026 homestead exemption application, tomorrow, September 18, 2026, is the deadline to submit a late application. Under Florida law, a late homestead exemption application may be filed up to 25 days after the county property appraiser mails the annual TRIM (Truth in Millage) notice. For both Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, that 25-day window closes tomorrow. After that window closes, there is no further administrative avenue to secure the exemption for the 2026 tax year.

This deadline takes on added significance in light of Amendment 3, a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot that would dramatically expand the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes — but only for individuals who are permanent Florida residents as of December 31, 2026. Learn more about Amendment 3 in “Moving to Florida? Amendment 3 Could Make December 31, 2026 an Important Deadline.”

Procedural Uncertainty After Tomorrow's Deadline

Here is the challenge: after September 18, there is no established administrative procedure to file a homestead exemption application for the 2026 tax year. If Amendment 3 passes on November 3, 2026, it will become critical for individuals to demonstrate they were permanent Florida residents as of December 31, 2026. Yet the amendment does not take effect until January 1, 2027, and the current homestead exemption filing framework is built around the deadlines for the current tax year. 

This creates a gap: a person who establishes Florida residency between now and December 31, 2026 — but who misses tomorrow's late filing deadline — may have no clear mechanism under existing law to formally document their homestead status for 2026 before the year ends. It is not yet clear how county property appraisers in Miami-Dade, Broward, or elsewhere would handle applications or domicile documentation submitted after the late filing window closes but before December 31, 2026, particularly for purposes of qualifying under Amendment 3's residency cutoff.

What You Should Do Now

1.  If you have not filed your 2026 homestead exemption application, and own property in Miami-Dade County or Broward County, file immediately. Contact your county property appraiser's office before the close of business tomorrow, September 18, 2026. In Miami-Dade County, contact the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser’s Office. In Broward County, contact the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office. Late applications require documentation of extenuating circumstances explaining why the March 1 deadline was missed.
2. Confirm your county’s specific deadline. While the late filing deadline for both Miami-Dade and Broward Counties is September 18, 2026, deadlines in other Florida counties may differ depending on when their TRIM notices were mailed. If you own property in a county other than Miami-Dade or Broward, verify the applicable deadline with that county’s property appraiser.
3. Document everything. Given the procedural uncertainty, individuals who establish Florida residency in Miami Dade County or Broward County after tomorrow's late filing deadline but before the end of 2026 should maintain thorough records of every step taken to demonstrate domicile, including obtaining a Florida driver's license, filing a declaration of domicile with the clerk of the circuit court in your county of residence, updating voter registration, and changing your mailing address.