Texas County Appraisal District Directory
Verified property search portals, official phone numbers, 2026 protest filing URLs, and homestead exemption forms — for every county in Texas. Each link opened, clicked, and confirmed working before publishing.
What Is a Texas County Appraisal District?
Many Texas homeowners do not know the difference between the CAD and the Tax Office — a confusion that causes thousands of missed protest windows every year. Here is what each office actually does.
Appraisal District (CAD)
Sets the appraised market value of every property in the county as of January 1. Administers exemptions (homestead, over-65, disabled, veteran) and manages protests. Does NOT collect taxes.
Tax Assessor-Collector
A completely separate office that calculates your tax bill using the CAD’s appraised value plus rates set by local taxing units (city, school district, county). Sends bills and collects payment.
Appraisal Review Board (ARB)
An independent panel of local citizens that hears formal protests when the informal CAD review doesn’t resolve your case. The ARB has authority over the appraisal district itself.
4 Steps to Lower Your Texas Property Tax
The complete process from finding your appraisal district to successfully filing a protest. Every step is free.
Find Your County CAD
Search 254 counties below. Every guide has the official CAD website, direct property search URL, verified phone, address, and 2026 deadlines.
Search counties →Look Up Your Property
Use the official property search portal to pull your record. Check appraised market value, taxable value after exemptions, value history, and the comparable sales used to set your value.
Apply for All Exemptions
Homestead removes $140,000 from school district taxes. Over-65, disabled, and veteran exemptions add even more. Free to apply. Deadline April 30, 2026.
Exemption guide →Protest If Value Is Too High
File a Notice of Protest by May 15, 2026 — free, usually online. Bring comparable sales from the CAD’s own database. Most informal reviews end in a reduction.
Popular Texas County CADs
Three of the largest CADs in Texas — each with its own portal, phone number, and protest filing system. Tap any card for the full county guide.
All 254 Texas Counties
12 Texas Property Tax Tactics Most Homeowners Never Hear
Strategies pulled from Texas Property Tax Code, Comptroller publications, and ARB hearing patterns — the small details that separate a 2% reduction from a 15% reduction.
The 30-day rule overrides May 15
If your CAD mails the appraisal notice after April 15, your protest deadline becomes 30 days from the mailing date — not May 15. Check the postmark, not the envelope date. Late notices buy you time.
Comparable sales must come from the CAD’s own database
Zillow and Redfin estimates are not admissible at most informal reviews. The ARB will only accept comps from the CAD’s own iSettle, equity portal, or official sales database. Pull yours from there before filing.
The 10% homestead cap is your real protection
Once your homestead exemption is in place, your taxable value cannot increase more than 10% per year regardless of market value. Even if your home jumps 30%, you only pay tax on 10% growth. The cap resets only when ownership changes.
Equity arguments often beat market value arguments
An “unequal appraisal” protest claims that comparable properties in your neighborhood are valued lower than yours. Many ARBs reduce on equity grounds even when they reject market value arguments. Always file both on Form 50-132.
Over-65 freeze locks school taxes forever
The over-65 exemption doesn’t just lower your school district tax — it freezes the dollar amount at the level it was when you first qualified. Even if rates and values rise for decades, your school tax stays put. Transfers to a surviving spouse age 55+.
iSettle offers usually beat hearing outcomes
Large CADs (HCAD, DCAD, TCAD) auto-generate online iSettle offers — typically 5–10% reductions if you accept without a hearing. Public ARB data shows iSettle reductions match or exceed average ARB hearing reductions for under-$1M homes. If the offer is reasonable, take it.
Photo evidence of damage matters more than you think
Timestamped photos of foundation cracks, roof damage, deferred maintenance, plumbing issues reduce CAD valuations because the appraisal assumes “average condition.” Take photos before any repair. Include the date and a contractor estimate.
Disabled veteran 100% rating = total tax exemption
Veterans with a 100% VA service-connected disability rating qualify for a complete residence homestead exemption — meaning zero property tax on the primary home. Surviving spouses can qualify too. File the exemption with your CAD as soon as the VA rating letter arrives.
Agricultural valuation cuts taxable value 80%+
Qualifying acreage under 1-d-1 agricultural special appraisal or wildlife management valuation is taxed on productivity value, not market value — often a 80–95% reduction. Apply on Form 50-129. Each county sets minimum acreage and intensity-of-use standards.
Pre-foreclosure and distressed sales are excluded as comps
Foreclosure, short sale, and family-transfer sales are statutorily excluded from comparable-sale evidence. The CAD will reject any comp it identifies as distressed. Check the deed type before submitting — you don’t want a comp thrown out mid-hearing.
The 25.25(c) motion is a missed-deadline lifeline
Missed May 15? Texas Property Tax Code § 25.25(c) allows you to file a motion for clerical or substantial error up to 5 years after the original notice — but only for narrow grounds (more-than-one-third overvaluation, ownership errors, exemption omissions). Last resort, but real.
The Comptroller’s PTAD audits CADs every two years
The Property Tax Assistance Division (PTAD) at the Texas Comptroller publishes a Methods and Assistance Program report on every CAD biennially. If your county received a low PTAD rating, mention it in your protest — appraisers know about the report and the political pressure that follows.
What Wins (and Loses) at a Texas Property Tax Hearing
A direct breakdown of evidence ARBs accept versus what they discard. Most homeowners walk into hearings with the wrong evidence — here is what works.
✓ Evidence That Wins
- 3 to 5 comparable sales from the CAD’s own database, similar in square footage (±10%), age (±10 years), and lot size (±25%), within 12 months before January 1, 2026
- Equity comps showing similar nearby homes valued lower than yours (the “unequal appraisal” argument under Tax Code § 41.43(b)(3))
- Timestamped photos of foundation issues, roof damage, plumbing failures, or deferred maintenance documented before repair
- Repair estimates from licensed Texas contractors with cost breakdowns
- Independent appraisal from a TX-licensed appraiser (powerful but ~$400–600)
- Closing statement if you bought within 12 months — a recent purchase price below the CAD value is hard to argue with
✕ Evidence That Loses
- Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com estimates — automated valuations are inadmissible at most ARB hearings
- Pre-foreclosure or short sale comps — statutorily excluded from comparable evidence
- Family-transfer or quitclaim sales — assumed non-arm’s-length, automatically discarded
- Sales from outside your neighborhood even when prices look favorable — ARBs reject distant comps
- “My neighbor’s tax bill is lower” without ARB comp data — emotional, not evidence
- Sales older than 12 months from the January 1 valuation date
- Improvement upgrades you never reported — they actually raise your value if disclosed during a protest
Mistakes That Cost Texas Homeowners Thousands
Patterns that show up in every Texas Comptroller PTAD report and every ARB hearing transcript. Avoid all six and you are ahead of 80% of property owners.
Never applying for homestead
Roughly 1 in 5 eligible Texas homeowners never files Form 11.13 — leaving the $140,000 school exemption and the 10% appraisal cap on the table. Annual cost: $1,500–4,000 in unnecessary tax.
Confusing CAD with the Tax Office
Calling the wrong office in early May means your protest deadline passes while you wait for a callback. The CAD handles values; the Tax Office handles bills. Separate offices, separate phones.
Filing protest with no evidence
“It’s too high” is not evidence. Showing up empty-handed produces a 0% reduction in nearly every documented case. Pull comps, photos, and estimates before you file — not after.
Skipping the over-65 freeze
Many seniors qualify but never apply for the over-65 exemption — locking in school taxes for life. The freeze applies the year you turn 65 and transfers to a qualifying spouse. Apply on your 65th birthday.
Letting the 30-day clock expire
If your appraisal notice was mailed after April 15, you have 30 days from the postmark — not May 15. Many homeowners assume the May 15 statewide deadline always applies and miss the earlier one.
Renovating without checking valuation impact
Permitted additions, pools, garages, and finished basements all show up in CAD records. They can raise next year’s value 10–25%. Check what your CAD will assess before the work, not after.
No Scrapers. No Guesswork. No Broken Links.
Every county page is manually verified by a real researcher before publishing — never auto-generated and never mass-imported.
Every Link Clicked
Each property search portal, protest URL, and exemption form is opened and confirmed working — no 404s, no homepage redirects, no stale PDFs.
Phone Numbers Verified
Every number is cross-referenced against the Texas Comptroller’s official CAD directory at comptroller.texas.gov before publishing or updating.
2026 Data Throughout
All protest deadlines, exemption windows, and payment dates reflect the current 2026 tax year. Last full site-wide audit: April 2026.
Texas Comptroller — Property Tax Assistance Division
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is the state authority that publishes the official property tax calendar, oversees CAD methodology audits, and houses every Texas property tax form. Located in Austin, the LBJ Building handles statewide property tax policy and PTAD review reports.
Texas Comptroller — LBJ State Office Building
111 E 17th Street, Austin, TX 78701 · Property Tax Assistance Division
Texas Property Tax Bookmarks
The most important official sources every Texas homeowner should keep handy.
Step-by-step guide to homestead, over-65, disabled, and veteran exemptions. Save up to $140,000 off school district taxes.
State source for property tax law, full CAD directory, all forms, taxpayer rights, and the 2026 tax calendar.
Form 50-114 (Homestead), Form 50-132 (Notice of Protest), Form 50-129 (Ag Use), and every other Texas property tax form.
Methods and Assistance Program (MAP) reviews, biennial CAD audits, and statewide methodology reports.
Full statutory text — the legal framework behind appraisals, exemptions, protests, and ARB authority.
Found a 404 or outdated information? Email contact@appraisaldistrict.org — errors corrected within 48 hours.
Texas Appraisal District FAQ
The questions Texas homeowners ask most about CADs, protests, exemptions, and the Comptroller’s process.
A Texas County Appraisal District (CAD) determines the appraised value of all taxable property in its county as of January 1 each year. It administers exemptions (homestead, over-65, disabled, veteran) and manages protests. The CAD does not collect taxes — that is handled by a completely separate Tax Assessor-Collector office. Contacting the wrong office is the most common mistake that wastes a protest window.
The general statewide deadline is May 15, 2026 — or 30 days after the appraisal notice is mailed, whichever is later. Filing is completely free. Most counties allow online filing through their iFile or protest portal. Filing a protest does not guarantee a reduction, but most homeowners who arrive with comparable sales evidence from the CAD’s own database receive a reduction at the informal review stage.
Apply through your county appraisal district using Form 11.13 (also called Form 50-114 from the Texas Comptroller). Preferred deadline: April 30, 2026. You need a Texas driver’s license or state ID matching the property address. Once approved, no annual reapplication is required. Late applications are accepted up to 2 years after the delinquency date. See the full exemption guide →
The CAD sets your appraised value, handles exemptions, and manages protests. The Tax Assessor-Collector calculates your tax bill using that value plus rates set by local taxing units (city, school district, county), then mails bills and collects payment. These are completely separate government offices. Contact the right one for your specific issue to avoid wasting time.
The strongest evidence is recent comparable sales pulled directly from the CAD’s own database — not Zillow or Redfin estimates. Sales should be similar in square footage, age, lot size, and neighborhood, dated within 12 months before January 1, 2026. Photos of unrepaired damage, foundation issues, or deferred maintenance also help. An equity appraisal — showing similar nearby properties valued lower than yours — often beats a market value argument at hearing.
Once you have a homestead exemption in place, your taxable appraised value cannot increase by more than 10% per year, regardless of how much the market value rises. This is one of the most valuable Texas property tax protections — but only homesteaded properties get it. The cap resets when ownership changes.
Once a homeowner qualifies for the over-65 exemption, the school district portion of their property tax is frozen at the level it was the year they qualified. The amount cannot increase even if rates or values rise. This freeze can transfer to a surviving spouse age 55 or older.
Yes. Most large Texas CADs offer online iFile or protest portals. HCAD, DCAD, TCAD, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton all have full online filing. Smaller counties may require paper Form 50-132 (Notice of Protest). The county-specific link is in each CAD guide on this site.
Market value is what the CAD believes your property would sell for on January 1, 2026. Assessed value (also called taxable value) is the market value minus exemptions and the 10% homestead cap. Your tax bill is calculated from the assessed value, not the market value. You can protest either or both — it is two checkboxes on Form 50-132.
You generally lose the right to protest your 2026 value. Limited exceptions exist for clerical errors and substantial value errors — Texas Property Tax Code § 25.25(c) and § 25.25(d) motions, which can be filed up to 5 years later but only on narrow grounds. Most homeowners who miss the deadline must wait until next year. The 30-day-from-mailing extension applies only if your CAD mailed the notice late.
For qualifying landowners, yes — substantially. Agricultural use (1-d-1 special appraisal) and wildlife management valuations can reduce taxable value by 80% or more on qualifying acreage. The application is filed with your CAD on Form 50-129. Each county sets its own minimum acreage and intensity-of-use standards. The savings often run several thousand dollars per year.
Yes. Veterans with a 100% VA service-connected disability rating qualify for a total residence homestead exemption — meaning zero property tax on their primary home. Surviving spouses can also qualify in many cases. File the exemption with your CAD as soon as you receive your VA rating letter — it applies to the current tax year.
No. AppraisalDistrict.org is an independent private directory founded by Mahesh Kumar. It is not affiliated with any Texas County Appraisal District, the Texas Comptroller, or any government agency. All information is manually verified for accuracy and provided for educational reference only. Always verify deadlines and data directly with your local CAD or the Texas Comptroller.
Your property account number appears on your appraisal notice or property tax bill. If you don’t have either document, search by property address on your county CAD’s official property search portal — links to all 254 county portals are in the directory above. Account numbers are typically 10–17 digits depending on the county.
Every county page is reviewed at least once per quarter. High-traffic counties (Harris, Dallas, Travis, Bexar, Tarrant) are reviewed monthly. The full site-wide audit happens each February to update protest deadlines, exemption windows, and form versions for the new tax year. Errors reported by readers are corrected within 48 hours.
