Disability Exemptions
Disability Exemption - $5,000
Every Florida resident who is totally and permanently disabled qualifies for this exemption. If applying for the first time, please present at least one of the following as proof of your disability:
- A Physician’s Certification of Total and Permanent Disability prepared by a Florida physician using form DR-416,or
- A certificate from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Blind Disability Exemption - $5,000
Every Florida resident who is blind qualifies for this exemption. Any one of the following documents would confirm the applicant’s claim:
- A certificate from the Division of Blind Services of the Department of Education
- A certificate from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- A certificate from the Federal Social Security Administration
- A Physician’s Certification of Total and Permanent Disability prepared by a Florida physician using form DR-416 or an Optometrist’s Certification of Total and Permanent Disability using form DR-416B.
For links to DR-416 and DR-416B forms visit our Download Forms page.
A "Blind person" is defined as an individual having central vision acuity 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting glasses, or a disqualifying field defect in which the peripheral field has contracted to such an extent that the widest diameter or visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than twenty degrees.
Total and Permanent Disability Exemption (Non Service Connected) – Ad Valorem Taxes Waived
- Any real estate used and owned as a homestead, less any portion thereof used for commercial purposes by any quadriplegic shall be exempt from taxation.
- Any real estate used and owned as a homestead, less any portion thereof used for commercial purposes, by a paraplegic, hemiplegic or other totally and permanently disabled person, as defined in § 196.012(11), F.S., who must use a wheelchair for mobility or who is legally blind, shall be exempt from taxation.
- Persons entitled to the exemption under number one (1) or number two (2) above, must be a permanent resident of the State of Florida as of January 1 of the year for which they are applying.
- When filing for the first time, please bring the following items:
- Physician’s Certification of Total and Permanent Disability prepared by two (2) unrelated Florida physicians using form DR-416;
- For the legally blind, one of the two certificates may be Optometrist's Certification of Total and Permanent Disability using form DR-416B, OR a certificate from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Persons entitled to the exemption under number two (2) above, must also provide the prior year’s gross household income of all persons residing in or upon the homestead shall not exceed the amount of income, set forth in § 196.101(4), F.S., adjusted annually by the percentage change of the average cost of living index issued by the United States Department of Labor. View the income limit from the FDOR website.
- Gross income shall include United States Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and any social security benefits paid to the person.
- A Statement of Gross Income (DR-501A) must accompany the application.