Montgomery County Property Tax: Rates, Exemptions & Appeals (2026)

If your Montgomery County valuation notice is wrong, file a written notice of appeal or use the county’s online protest/appeal option within 30 days from the notice date. File with the Montgomery County Appraisal Department/Board of Equalization online through the Citizen Access Portal, by email at propertytaxappeals@mc-ala.org, by mail to P.O. Box 1667, Montgomery, AL 36102-1667, or in person at 101 S. Lawrence St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Montgomery County has not published one countywide 2026 appeal date in the official sources available; the exact deadline is the date printed on your notice plus 30 calendar days. (mc-ala.org)

How assessments work in Montgomery County

Montgomery County’s Revenue Commissioner is Janet Buskey; the office maps, appraises, assesses, collects and disburses property taxes, and grants exemptions. The public portal is the county’s Citizen Access Portal, where homeowners can search values, pay tax, file a protest, file homestead, and renew over-65 exemptions. (montgomery.capturecama.com)

For an owner-occupied single-family home, Alabama Class III property is assessed at 10% of appraised market value. So a $250,000 Montgomery home starts with a $25,000 assessed value before exemptions. Alabama Department of Revenue explains the same formula: appraised value × classification percentage = assessed value; assessed value × millage rate = tax before exemptions. (revenue.alabama.gov)

Montgomery County’s Appraisal Department says it values property under Alabama’s statewide reappraisal program at fair and reasonable market value using mass-appraisal methods, and it sends valuation notices each year to owners whose property value changed from the previous tax year. Alabama’s broader annual reappraisal system requires counties to review one-fourth of the county each year and assess added buildings for the upcoming tax year. (mc-ala.org)

For the 2026 tax bill, remember the Alabama timing: property is listed as of October 1, taxes are due October 1, and Montgomery County collects one year in arrears based on title as of the prior October 1. County tax notices are courtesy notices and ad valorem taxes become delinquent January 1. (montgomery.capturecama.com)

Whether you should appeal

Appeal if the county’s market value is higher than what your home would reasonably sell for, or if the record has a concrete error: wrong square footage, wrong condition, extra bath, finished area counted as living space, outbuilding that is gone, or damage the appraiser did not see. Montgomery County specifically asks for supporting evidence such as closing statements, recent fee appraisals, photos, comparable sales and insurance values. (mc-ala.org)

Do not appeal just because the tax bill increased. Your bill can rise because the market value rose, because a taxing jurisdiction changed millage, because an exemption was missing, or because a prior owner’s exemption no longer applies. Check these items first:

• Value: Is the county’s appraised value above recent arms-length sales of similar homes?
• Classification: Is your owner-occupied home shown as Class III / 10%, not Class II / 20%?
• Homestead: Standard H-1 is worth up to $4,000 assessed value against state tax and $2,000 assessed value against county tax for eligible owner-occupants.
• Senior/disabled exemptions: Alabama has several over-65, disability and blindness exemptions; some remove only the state portion, while H-3 can exempt a principal residence from all ad valorem taxes if the owner meets the income/disability rules. (montgomery.capturecama.com)

No official Montgomery County source I found publishes residential appeal success rates, median reductions, or average savings. Treat any private “average reduction” claims with caution unless they show county-record data.

Step-by-step how to file

1. Read the valuation notice immediately. Montgomery County’s rule is 30 days from the notice date, not 30 days from when you get around to opening the mail. The county’s FAQ says notices for changed values are sent and the appeal deadline is “Thirty days from the date printed on the notice sent to the taxpayer.” (mc-ala.org)

2. Decide what you are appealing. For most homeowners, the issue is market value. You are not appealing the millage rate or your mortgage escrow.

3. Gather evidence before you file. Montgomery County says the Board of Equalization requires supporting documents to be submitted with the appeal when filed, though the Board may request more by case. Strong evidence is a closing disclosure for a recent purchase below the county value, a recent independent appraisal, 3–5 truly comparable sales, repair estimates, photos of condition problems, and a screenshot or printout of incorrect property characteristics. (mc-ala.org)

4. File the appeal/protest. Montgomery County says no specific form is required for a real-property appeal; a taxpayer or representative can send a request by email, use the online filing link/portal, or call the real-property appeals number. The county appeal page describes the filing as a “written notice of appeal or online appeal.” (mc-ala.org)

   Official filing options:

   • Online: Montgomery County Citizen Access Portal / “File your Protest.”
   • Email: propertytaxappeals@mc-ala.org.
   • Mail: Montgomery County Board of Equalization or Appraisal Department, P.O. Box 1667, Montgomery, AL 36102-1667.
   • In person: Revenue Commissioner/Appraisal, 101 S. Lawrence St., Montgomery, AL 36104.
   • Phone help: Real property (334) 832-1327; personal property (334) 832-1375; Revenue Commissioner main line (334) 832-1250. (mc-ala.org)

5. Fee: There is no fee to file an appeal with the Montgomery County Board of Equalization. (mc-ala.org)

What happens after

The proper local appeal body is the Montgomery County Board of Equalization. The county describes the Board as the mediator between the Appraisal Department and taxpayers for valuation complaints; the Board has three members, and the county page lists Mr. Willie Durham as chairman, Mr. Hubert Dixon as member, Patrick Cagel as member, and Janet Y. Buskey as secretary. (mc-ala.org)

First, expect an informal review with the Appraisal Department. Montgomery County says this informal process is available to all taxpayers or representatives and is recommended. If the appraiser agrees your evidence supports a lower value, the case may be resolved there. If not, you may request a formal Board of Equalization hearing; you can also ask that the appeal be sent directly to the Board for review. (mc-ala.org)

At the formal stage, you present your evidence to the Board of Equalization. Keep it factual: “The county has 2,450 square feet; the appraisal and floor plan show 2,180,” or “Three similar homes sold for $230,000–$240,000, while my notice says $270,000.” Montgomery County’s older tax-assessment page notes the Board is not full-time; written appointment requests are put in a file and scheduled when the Board goes into session. (montgomery.capturecama.com)

After the Board renders its value, if you still disagree, Alabama law and the county appeal page allow an appeal to Circuit Court within 30 days of the Board’s decision. To preserve the right to carry the case to Circuit Court, the county says taxes must be paid by December 31 or a double-amount bond filed in Circuit Court. (mc-ala.org)

Local tips

Use the real Montgomery tax rate in your savings estimate. The 2025 Alabama millage chart lists Montgomery County’s components as 6.5 state mills, 7.5 county mills inside Montgomery and Pike Road, 12.5 county mills in other areas because of fire protection, 22.0 school mills for Montgomery school districts, 29.0 school mills for Pike Road, 12.5 municipal mills in the City of Montgomery, and 26.0 municipal mills for Pike Road. A City of Montgomery homeowner is typically looking at 48.5 total mills: 6.5 + 7.5 + 22.0 + 12.5. (revenue.alabama.gov)

Worked example: Suppose your City of Montgomery home is noticed at $275,000, but recent comparable sales support $250,000. A $25,000 market-value reduction lowers Class III assessed value by $2,500. At 48.5 mills, the estimated annual tax reduction is $2,500 × 0.0485 = $121.25 before considering any exemption interactions. In Pike Road, the same $25,000 value reduction at roughly 69.0 mills would be about $172.50; in unincorporated District 1 outside Montgomery/Pike Road, 41.0 mills would be about $102.50.

Do not forget the 7% cap. Alabama’s HB73 / Act 2024-344 limits annual increases in taxable assessed value of Class II and Class III real property to 7%, with exclusions. If your notice rose more than 7%, ask whether the cap applies or whether the parcel was excluded because of a change such as new construction, parcel split/combination, or classification/use change. (revenue.alabama.gov)

Exemptions may save more than an appeal. If you bought a home, file assessment/homestead with the Revenue Commissioner by December 31. Montgomery County’s portal lets you file homestead online, and the county’s assessment page says owner-occupants claim homestead at assessment. Special over-65 and disability exemptions must be filed annually with proof where required. (montgomery.capturecama.com)

Montgomery County Property Tax Rate

2025 ALDOR millage schedule for Montgomery County: State 6.5 mills; county portion is 7.5 mills in Montgomery or Pike Road and 12.5 mills in all other areas; school totals are 22.0 mills for Districts 1–3 and 29.0 mills for Pike Road District 4; municipal add-ons are Montgomery 12.5 mills and Pike Road 26.0 mills. Derived combined examples from the official components: City of Montgomery 48.5 mills, Pike Road 69.0 mills, and all-other county area 41.0 mills.

Source: https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-Millage-Rates.pdf

When Are Property Taxes Due in Montgomery County?

Property taxes are due October 1 of each year; ad valorem taxes become delinquent January 1, so payment must be received by December 31 to avoid delinquency.

This is not the same as the assessment appeal deadline above. The appeal deadline is your window to contest your assessed value; the payment due date is when the resulting tax bill must be paid. Missing one does not affect the other, but missing either has real consequences — one forfeits your right to appeal for the year, the other can trigger penalties and interest.

Source: https://montgomery.capturecama.com/Custom/CA_TaxCollection.aspx

Property Tax Exemptions in Montgomery County

• Regular homestead exemption (H-1) — Alabama resident owner-occupants of a single-family owner-occupied dwelling and land, not over 160 acres, who are under age 65 and not disabled.. Up to $4,000 assessed value exempt from state property tax and up to $2,000 assessed value exempt from county property tax; school and municipal taxes are excluded from the county-described regular exemption. Yes, claimed with the Revenue Commissioner at the time of assessment; the county portal also offers online homestead filing. Apply by Claimed at time of assessment.. (Source: https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/property-tax/homestead-exemptions/)
• Over-65 / permanent-total-disability special homestead exemption (H-2) — Taxpayers age 65 or older with annual adjusted gross income under $12,000 as reflected on the most recent state income tax return or other acceptable evidence, or taxpayers retired due to permanent and total disability regardless of age.. Exempts all of the state portion of ad valorem tax and $5,000 of assessed value on the county portion, including school district ad valorem taxes. Yes; the county states special exemptions must be filed annually with the Revenue Commissioner, with proof required where applicable. (Source: https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/property-tax/homestead-exemptions/)
• Principal residence full exemption for low-income age 65+ or permanent-total-disability (H-3) — Taxpayers age 65 or older with net taxable income of $12,000 or less on the combined taxpayer-and-spouse federal income tax return, or taxpayers who are permanently and totally disabled regardless of age or income.. Exempt from all ad valorem taxes on the principal residence and up to 160 acres. Yes; the county states special exemptions must be filed annually with the Revenue Commissioner, with proof of age/income or disability as applicable. (Source: https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/property-tax/homestead-exemptions/)
• Over-65 homestead exemption for higher-income taxpayers (H-4) — Taxpayers age 65 or older with income greater than $12,000 on the most recent Alabama income tax return.. Exempts all of the state portion of ad valorem tax and provides the regular county homestead exemption of $2,000 assessed value. Yes, apply through the local county office / Revenue Commissioner. (Source: https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/property-tax/homestead-exemptions/)
• Blind homestead exemption — Blind taxpayers, regardless of age, for a homestead not exceeding 160 acres.. State homestead exemption has no assessed-value maximum; county homestead exemption is not more than $5,000 assessed value, with no county school tax collected. Yes, apply through the local county office / Revenue Commissioner. (Source: https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/property-tax/homestead-exemptions/)
• Current use valuation for farm, pasture, and timber land — Farm land, pasture land, and timber land that qualifies for current-use treatment.. Property is valued under current use rather than ordinary market-value appraisal for qualifying land. Yes. Apply by December 31 prior to the tax year.. (Source: https://montgomery.capturecama.com/Custom/CA_TaxAssessment.aspx)

How to Look Up Your Property Record in Montgomery County

You can look up your property's official record at https://montgomery.capturecama.com/PA_Search.aspx. The Montgomery County Revenue Commissioner Citizen Access Portal lets users search by parcel number, owner name, key number, physical street address, or section/township/range and access tax-related information such as assessments, property records, deeds, tax maps, property values, and taxes due.