Bexar County Property Tax: Exemptions & Appeals (2026)

Direct answer: For most Bexar County homeowners, the 2026 deadline to protest your appraised value was May 15, 2026; if BCAD mailed your Notice of Appraised Value after April 15, your deadline was 30 days after the notice date, whichever was later. File with the Bexar Central Appraisal Review Board through BCAD’s Online Services Portal, Help Center, fax, mail, or in person at BCAD; regular 2026 protests are now past the standard deadline, and BCAD says good-cause late protest requests had to be received before July 20. (bcad.org)

How assessments work in Bexar County

BCAD values property for local taxing units as of January 1 each year. Its 2025–2026 Reappraisal Plan says BCAD does not rely on a fixed geographic reappraisal cycle; instead, it aims to mirror market conditions each January 1 and recognizes that this requires annual reappraisal of property across the county. The district uses sales data, permits, account characteristics, and inspections as resources allow; it also notes that residential sales data may come from vendors or third parties when sale confirmations are unavailable. (bcad.org)

The 2026 cycle had a Bexar-specific wrinkle: BCAD’s board adopted a rule that many 2025 protest-resolved values would carry forward to 2026 unless there was new construction, changes in property characteristics, or evidence supporting a further reduction. That is one reason many owners did not receive a 2026 notice; BCAD says a notice is required only in situations such as an appraised-value increase of $1,000 or more, new property on the roll, a higher value than a rendition, or a reduced/canceled exemption. You can still protest without receiving a notice. (bcad.org)

The local residential market was not a broad 2026 spike. In an April 2026 BCAD board packet, single-family residential market value was down 0.11% overall from 2025 to 2026, about 59.22% of single-family properties decreased, 32.80% stayed the same, and average homestead market value fell from $336,925 to $330,454. That does not prove your value is wrong, but it means a 2026 increase deserves a careful look. (bcad.org)

Whether you should appeal

Appeal if one of these is true: BCAD’s market value is higher than what your home would likely have sold for on January 1, 2026; your property is assessed unequally compared with similar nearby homes; BCAD’s data are wrong; or an exemption was denied, reduced, or missing. BCAD’s protest procedures expressly list appraised value, unequal value, exemptions, ownership, taxing units, and adverse district or ARB actions as protestable issues. (help.bcad.org)

For 2026, the best evidence is local and specific: your recent closing statement if you bought near January 1, comparable sales from late 2025 or early 2026, photos of condition problems, contractor estimates, foundation or roof reports, and a short table showing comparable homes with lower assessed values. Do not argue only that taxes are too high; the ARB decides value, exemptions, and appraisal issues, not tax rates.

BCAD publishes protest volume, not a clean homeowner success rate or median reduction. Its 2025 annual report shows 187,238 protests received, including 160,648 residential protests; 114,183 ended as informal agreements and 51,580 as ARB orders. Treat those as workload/status figures, not a guarantee that filing will lower your bill. (bcad.org)

Step-by-step how to file

1. Check your value. Search your property on BCAD’s site even if you did not receive a notice. Compare market value, assessed value, and taxable value. BCAD explains market value as the January 1 sale-value estimate, assessed value as the value after caps or special appraisal, and taxable value as assessed value minus exemptions. (bcad.org)

2. Use the right form. The 2026 paper form is Property Appraisal Notice of Protest Tax Year 2026, also referred to by BCAD as Form 50-132 – Notice of Protest. Optional related forms include Form 50-283 Property Owner’s Affidavit of Evidence for affidavit evidence and Form 50-162 Appointment of Agent if someone represents you. (bcad.org)

3. File by the deadline. The ordinary rule is May 15, or 30 days after the notice was mailed if later; if May 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. For 2026, BCAD publicly announced May 15, 2026 as the protest deadline for Bexar County property owners. (bcad.org)

4. Choose a filing method. Online: BCAD Online Services Portal; you need your Owner ID and PIN from your notice or a prior notice. If you choose the fully online route, settlement offers and evidence review happen in the portal. Other methods: Help Center submission, mail, fax, or in person. Regular protest filing by direct email is not listed by BCAD; use the Help Center rather than sending an untracked email. (help.bcad.org)

5. Send it to the right place. Mail Form 50-132 to Bexar Central Appraisal Review Board, P.O. Box 830248, San Antonio, TX 78283-0248. Deliver in person to 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207. Fax: 210-242-2454 or 210-242-2453. BCAD’s main phone is 210-242-2432. (help.bcad.org)

There is no fee to file a protest notice with BCAD. Fees or deposits can apply only if you later appeal an ARB order to district court, binding arbitration, or SOAH. (help.bcad.org)

What happens after

BCAD’s residential protest process normally starts with an informal conference with an appraiser, by phone, Zoom, or online depending on the option you selected. You submit evidence, the appraiser reviews it against BCAD data, and BCAD may offer a value adjustment. If you sign a value agreement, the protest ends. (help.bcad.org)

If you do not settle, your case goes to the Bexar Central Appraisal Review Board. The ARB is an independent citizen board; it hears both sides, reviews evidence, and can order BCAD to change the appraisal record. The formal hearing may be in person, by telephone, by Zoom/videoconference, or by written affidavit. BCAD’s 2026 protest form also lets you request a single-member panel; complex high-value properties may qualify for special panels, but that usually will not matter for a normal residence. (help.bcad.org)

At the hearing, the property owner and BCAD each present evidence. BCAD’s hearing guide says the district presents its evidence and may make a settlement offer; you can accept it or ask the ARB to decide. If the ARB decides, BCAD says a Board Order will be mailed within 30 days. After the ARB order, further appeal deadlines are short: generally 60 days for district court or regular binding arbitration, and 30 days for SOAH if eligible. (help.bcad.org)

Local tips

Check exemptions before you fight value. A Bexar County homeowner should verify the general residence homestead exemption, over-65 or disability exemptions, disabled-veteran exemptions, and local optional exemptions. For 2026, Texas school districts apply a $140,000 residence homestead exemption; BCAD’s exemption guide also notes the county farm-to-market/flood-control exemption and local-option homestead exemptions. BCAD says there is never a fee to apply for exemptions or appraisal district services. (bcad.org)

Know your actual tax rate. Bexar bills are the sum of several taxing units. For example, a San Antonio home in Northside ISD using the 2025 official rates would include Bexar County 0.276331, Road and Flood 0.023668, Hospital District 0.276235, Alamo Colleges 0.149150, San Antonio River Authority 0.018300, City of San Antonio 0.541590, and Northside ISD 1.004900, for about 2.290174 per $100 before exemptions and special districts. If a protest lowered taxable value by $25,000 across those units, estimated annual savings would be $25,000 ÷ 100 × 2.290174 = $572.54. If only the Bexar County line changed at 0.276331 per $100, the county-only savings would be $69.08. Your exact savings depend on your school district, city, special districts, homestead cap, and exemptions. (bexar.org)

If you missed 2026. BCAD says late protests for good cause had to be filed before appraisal records were certified, typically by July 20; as of July 25, 2026, that date has passed. For next year, calendar the expected regular deadline now: May 15, 2027 falls on a Saturday, so the ordinary deadline should move to the next business day, Monday, May 17, 2027, unless your 2027 notice gives a later 30-day deadline.