Montgomery Property Tax: MCAD Rates & Appeals (2026)

Direct answer: for most Montgomery County, Texas homeowners, the 2026 property tax protest deadline was Friday, May 15, 2026, or 30 days after Montgomery Central Appraisal District (MCAD) delivered your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever was later. File with MCAD / the Montgomery County Appraisal Review Board, not the Tax Office: use MCAD’s online protest page if your notice includes online credentials, or send Form 50-132 to P.O. Box 2233, Conroe, TX 77305-2233, or hand-deliver it to 109 Gladstell St., Conroe, TX 77301. There is no filing fee for a normal ARB protest; as of July 30, 2026, the next regular deadline is expected to be Monday, May 17, 2027, because May 15, 2027 falls on a Saturday.

How assessments work in Montgomery

MCAD appraises property for Montgomery County, school districts, cities, The Woodlands Township, MUDs, ESDs and other taxing units. MCAD sets the value; the taxing units set tax rates later; the Montgomery County Tax Office bills and collects. For the 2026 cycle, the key valuation date is January 1, 2026. Texas law generally requires notices of appraised value for single-family residence homesteads by April 1, or as soon as practicable thereafter, when a notice is required.

Montgomery is not a once-every-few-years assessment county in the way many states are. Texas values are reviewed annually for tax purposes, and state law requires reappraisal at least once every three years. MCAD’s older reappraisal materials state that it has reappraised property districtwide every year since 1986; the Comptroller’s 2024 MAP review also rated Montgomery Central Appraisal District as meeting all appraisal standards, procedures and methodology questions.

A useful local benchmark: in the Texas Comptroller’s 2025 ratio study for Montgomery, single-family residences showed a median level of appraisal of 1.00, coefficient of dispersion of 8.22, and 70.74% of ratios within 10% of the median. That does not prove your house is correct. It only says the countywide single-family sample was centered around market value; individual homes can still be wrong because of condition, flood risk, lake/golf-course influence, new-construction timing, model-area boundaries, or unequal appraisal.

Whether you should appeal

Appeal if your 2026 market value is above what the property would likely have sold for on January 1, 2026, or if your home is appraised higher than similar Montgomery County homes after reasonable adjustments. New homeowners should compare MCAD’s value to the closing price, but remember that Texas appraisal districts may consider market evidence, not just your contract. Owners in The Woodlands, Conroe, Magnolia, Montgomery, Willis, and fast-growing MUD areas should also check whether MCAD has the wrong building size, pool, remodel quality, acreage, neighborhood code, or construction percent-complete.

Do not appeal just because the tax bill is high. The ARB can decide value and exemption disputes; it cannot lower Conroe ISD’s rate, a MUD debt rate, or Montgomery County’s adopted rate. That said, a lower taxable value affects every taxing unit that taxes the parcel.

Official county-specific success rates or median reductions for 2026 residential protests were not published in the official sources I found. Be careful with vendor claims about win rates; use them as marketing, not as MCAD or ARB statistics.

A realistic county-rate example: Montgomery County’s adopted FY2025 budget used a total county property tax rate of $0.3790 per $100 valuation. If a homeowner proves a $500,000 value should be $475,000, the $25,000 reduction saves about $94.75 on the county portion alone: $25,000 ÷ 100 × 0.3790. Your full savings is usually larger because school, hospital, college, city, MUD, township, or ESD rates also apply. The exact multiplier is on your tax statement and depends heavily on where the parcel sits.

Step-by-step how to file

1. Pull your MCAD property record and notice. Confirm account number, 2026 appraised value, assessed/taxable value, exemptions, land/building split, living area, year built, class, and neighborhood.

2. Use the right form. For Montgomery County homeowners, the official protest form is Texas Comptroller Form 50-132, “Property Owner’s Notice of Protest for Counties with Populations Greater than 120,000.” If someone else will represent you, use Form 50-162, “Appointment of Agent for Property Tax Matters.” If you want the ARB to consider sworn written evidence without you appearing, use Form 50-283, “Property Owner’s Affidavit of Evidence.”

3. Pick the right protest grounds. Most residential value cases should consider both “incorrect appraised/market value” and “unequal appraisal” if both are true. Add exemption denial, ownership, property description, or other grounds only when they actually apply.

4. File by an accepted method. Portal: use MCAD’s online protest page if your notice provides the needed online protest information. Mail: Montgomery Central Appraisal District, P.O. Box 2233, Conroe, TX 77305-2233. In person: 109 Gladstell St., Conroe, TX 77301. Email: MCAD’s published general email is inquiries@mcad-tx.org, but I did not find an official 2026 MCAD instruction saying email is a standard protest-filing method for residential protests; do not rely on email unless MCAD confirms it for your account in writing.

5. Keep proof. Save the online confirmation, certified-mail receipt, tracking record, or a stamped copy from the counter. A protest is cheap to file but expensive to miss.

What happens after

After you file, MCAD may offer an informal review or online settlement process. Treat it like your best chance to resolve the case without a formal hearing: upload a closing disclosure, independent appraisal, repair estimates, photos, flood or foundation documentation, and a short comparable-sales grid.

If no agreement is reached, the proper hearing authority is the Montgomery County Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB is a citizen board authorized to resolve disputes between property owners and appraisal districts. Texas rules require notice of the hearing date, time, place, and subject before the hearing, and ARB hearings typically occur May through July, with larger counties sometimes continuing later.

At the hearing, you or your agent presents evidence, MCAD presents evidence, and the ARB decides the protested issue for that tax year. You can usually appear in person, by telephone/videoconference if properly requested and available, or by affidavit/written materials using Form 50-283. Lead with your strongest proof; do not bring a stack of listings that are not comparable.

After the ARB rules, you receive a written order of determination, generally by email or certified mail. If you still disagree, Texas allows further review routes, including district court, and in eligible cases binding arbitration; district-court petitions generally must be filed within 60 days after receiving the ARB order.

Local tips

Check exemptions before fighting value. Texas now provides a $140,000 mandatory school-district residence homestead exemption, and school taxes also have extra relief for age-65-or-older and disabled homeowners. Disabled veteran and surviving-spouse exemptions can be much larger, including a 100% residence homestead exemption for qualifying 100% disabled veterans. File homestead applications with MCAD, not the Tax Office.

If you have a homestead, understand the 10% appraisal cap. The cap limits the annual increase in assessed value after the exemption is in place for the prior year, but it does not necessarily cap market value, new improvements, or a first-year post-purchase increase. Protest the market value anyway if it is wrong; today’s market value can affect future capped values.

Montgomery County’s tax bills are normally mailed around October and become delinquent after January 31 if mailed on time. A pending protest does not mean you can ignore the bill; Texas generally requires payment of the undisputed amount before delinquency to preserve rights.

Finally, Montgomery parcels can have very different total rates because of MUDs and ESDs. Before estimating savings, look at your actual tax statement line by line—especially in new subdivisions around Conroe, Magnolia, Willis, New Caney, and The Woodlands fringe areas.

Montgomery Property Tax Rate

2025 Montgomery County tax rate: $0.3770 per $100 of taxable value (0.377%). The Montgomery County Tax Office’s FY2026 budget highlights list a 2025 average taxable value of $335,928, producing an average annual county tax of $1,266.45 (about $105.54 per month) at the $0.3770/$100 county rate.

Source: https://cms2.revize.com/revize/montgomerytax/Document%20Center/About%20Us/Budget%20Highlights/2025%20Budget%20Highlights.pdf?t=202510101629070

When Are Property Taxes Due in Montgomery?

For 2025 Montgomery County property tax statements, payments had to be USPS-postmarked or received on or before January 31, 2026; property taxes had to be paid by January 31, 2026 to avoid penalty and interest.

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://cms2.revize.com/revize/montgomerytax/Document%20Center/About%20Us/Press%20Releases/2025%20Tax%20Statements.pdf?t=202510171727370

Property Tax Exemptions in Montgomery

• General residence homestead exemption — An adult property owner who owns and occupies the property as the owner’s principal residence and does not claim another residence homestead exemption.. Texas school districts must exempt $140,000 of the appraised value of a residence homestead; Texas Tax Code also provides a $3,000 county-purpose residence homestead exemption for county purposes authorized by the Texas Constitution. Yes, generally one-time; the owner must reapply if required by the chief appraiser or if seeking the exemption on another property. Apply by Generally April 30 of the tax year; a late residence homestead application may be filed up to two years after the filing deadline has passed.. (Source: https://www.mcad-tx.org/50-114.pdf)
• Age 65 or older residence homestead exemption — A residence homestead owner who is age 65 or older; the exemption is effective January 1 of the tax year in which the owner becomes age 65. A qualifying surviving spouse may continue the exemption if the spouse was age 55 or older when the qualifying spouse died and continues to occupy the homestead.. Additional $60,000 school district residence homestead exemption for age 65 or older homeowners, in addition to the general school homestead exemption. Yes, unless already receiving a general homestead exemption and the appraisal district has accurate birthdate information; otherwise apply with the appraisal district. Apply by Generally April 30 of the tax year; late applications for residence homestead exemptions, including age 65 or older, may be filed up to two years after the filing deadline has passed.. (Source: https://www.mcad-tx.org/50-114.pdf)
• Disabled person residence homestead exemption — A residence homestead owner who qualifies as disabled for purposes of federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits. A person who is both disabled and age 65 or older may receive both exemptions in the same year, but not from the same taxing unit.. Additional $60,000 school district residence homestead exemption for disabled homeowners, in addition to the general school homestead exemption. Yes, generally one-time; file with the appraisal district and provide required supporting documentation. Apply by Generally April 30 of the tax year; late applications for residence homestead exemptions, including disabled, may be filed up to two years after the filing deadline has passed.. (Source: https://www.mcad-tx.org/50-114.pdf)
• Disabled veteran exemption under Texas Tax Code Section 11.22 — A Texas resident veteran of the U.S. armed forces who is classified as disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the service branch; the exemption may be applied to any one property the disabled veteran owns. Certain surviving spouses and surviving children may also qualify.. Exemption from property value up to: $5,000 for 10%–29% disability; $7,500 for 30%–49%; $10,000 for 50%–69%; $12,000 for 70%–100%. A $12,000 exemption may also apply if the veteran is age 65 or older with at least 10% disability, totally blind in one or both eyes, or has lost use of one or more limbs. Yes; file the disabled veteran’s or survivor’s exemption application with the appraisal district. Apply by April 30; disabled veterans and qualifying survivors applying under Tax Code Section 11.22 may apply up to five years after the delinquency date for taxes on the property.. (Source: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/disabledvet-faq.php)
• 100% disabled veteran residence homestead exemption — A disabled veteran with a service-connected disability who is awarded 100% disability compensation and has a 100% disability rating or individual unemployability determination from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; applies only to the veteran’s residence homestead. Certain unremarried surviving spouses may qualify.. Exemption of the total appraised value of the disabled veteran’s residence homestead. Yes; file the residence homestead exemption application with the appraisal district. Apply by April 30; the 100% disabled veteran exemption may be filed up to five years after the delinquency date for taxes on the property.. (Source: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/disabledvet-100-faq.php)
• Donated residence homestead of partially disabled veteran — A disabled veteran with a disability rating of less than 100% whose residence homestead was donated by a charitable organization at no cost or at a cost not more than 50% of the good-faith estimate of the homestead’s market value as of the donation date; certain surviving spouses may qualify.. Percentage exemption equal to the disabled veteran’s disability rating for the donated residence homestead. Yes; file with the appraisal district and provide supporting documentation. Apply by April 30; a disabled veteran may apply up to five years after the delinquency date, and a surviving spouse may apply up to two years after the delinquency date.. (Source: https://www.mcad-tx.org/50-114.pdf},{)

How to Look Up Your Property Record in Montgomery

You can look up your property's official record at https://www.mcad-tx.org/property-search. The Montgomery Central Appraisal District public portal is the official appraisal-record lookup for property/account details such as owner, situs address, legal description, appraised values, exemptions, and taxing-unit information.