Money and taxes
The senior homestead exemption: 2026 rules for Colorado owners.
Colorado exempts 50% of the first $200,000 of home value if you are 65+ and owned and lived in the home 10 years.
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
65 and older
Who qualifies for Colorado's senior property tax exemption?
Colorado exempts 50% of the first $200,000 of your home's actual value if you are 65 or older on January 1 and have owned and lived in the home for 10 straight years (Boulder County Assessor, 2026). That is up to $100,000 of value off the tax roll. The application deadline is July 15 (El Paso County Assessor, 2026).
Who qualifies for tax year 2026?
- Born on or before January 1, 1961.
- Owned the home continuously since before January 1, 2016.
- Lived in it as your primary residence continuously since before January 1, 2016 (Boulder County Assessor, 2026).
How much does it save?
- The exemption removes 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value, a maximum of $100,000 (Boulder County Assessor, 2026).
- Your dollar savings depend on your local mill levy.
- On a $2 million home the exemption is still capped at $100,000 of value.
- The $100,000 comes off actual value before the assessment rate is applied.
Do I lose it if I downsize?
- 2025 and 2026 only. SB24-111 let a senior who received the exemption on a prior home in 2020 or later get the same 50%-of-$200,000 reduction on a new primary residence owned and lived in on January 1 of those tax years (Colorado Division of Property Taxation).
- Moving in 2027 or later: it does not follow you. SB26-116, signed June 2, 2026, ends the qualified-senior primary residence classification for tax years 2027 and later (Colorado General Assembly). A 2025 proposal to make it permanent, HCR25-1001, died in committee.
- After 2026 the 10-year own-and-live test starts over at the new home. Budget for the full tax bill on the next home, and call your county assessor before you close.
What about a surviving spouse?
- A surviving spouse keeps the exemption if the late spouse met the rules, the survivor lives in the home, and the survivor has not remarried (El Paso County Assessor, 2026).
Do I reapply every year?
- No. Once approved, your application stays active (El Paso County Assessor, 2026).
- Tell the assessor when you sell or move.
- An approval on your old home does not follow you. Portability under SB24-111 is its own classification, the Qualified Senior Primary Residence (Boulder County Assessor, 2026).
Why do people search 'senior exemption suspended'?
- The state pays for the exemption, and lawmakers have suspended it in past budget years. County assessors list it in effect for tax year 2026, with the discount on the bill sent in January 2027 (Boulder County Assessor, 2026).
Quick answers
Questions, answered.
Is Colorado's senior exemption based on income?
No. The tests are age 65, 10 years of ownership and 10 years living in the home as your primary residence (Boulder County Assessor, 2026).
Can I claim it on a mountain second home?
No. It applies only to your primary residence.
When is the deadline to apply?
July 15 for tax year 2026, payable in 2027 (El Paso County Assessor, 2026).
Sources
Where the numbers come from.
- Boulder County Assessor, Senior Homestead Exemption (2026)
- El Paso County Assessor, Senior Property Tax Exemption (2026)
- Colorado General Assembly, SB26-116 Property Tax Modifications (signed June 2, 2026)
- Colorado Division of Property Taxation, Senior Primary Residence Classification
- Colorado General Assembly, SB24-111 Senior Primary Residence Property Tax Reduction
- Legislative Council Staff fiscal note, SB24-111 (July 30, 2024)
Homes for sale now
Homes over $1 million for sale across the Front Range
Single-family homes from $1,000,000 in 32 cities from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, highest price first. Active and Coming Soon listings from REcolorado.
Want to see one of these, or a home that is not on the market yet? Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers.
Free playbook
The Colorado Luxury Downsizing Playbook.
Sell the estate, buy the right home, move once. The 12-week plan, the tax and cash questions, the ranch, patio, 55+ and golf communities, and the checklist. 8 pages, free.
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
Private consultation
Ask us about colorado senior property tax exemption.
303-955-4220A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
- Private showings on your schedule, including evenings and weekends.
- Off-market homes from The Kenna Group's agent network.
- One point of contact from the first showing to the closing table.
Kenna Luxury Real Estate is a division of The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC (KWDTC).