Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption: 50% Off, But You Need 10 Years in the Home
Updated August 2026
Colorado's homestead-style exemption isn't available to every homeowner, and it isn't available to every senior either. It requires 10 consecutive years of ownership and occupancy, a detail that trips up seniors who downsized or moved.
If you're 65 or older and have owned and lived in your Colorado home for at least 10 consecutive years, half of the first $200,000 of your home's value is exempt from property tax. Disabled veterans with a 100% permanent service-connected disability qualify without the age or tenure requirement.
Colorado's Property Tax Relief Programs
Senior Property Tax Exemption
What it does: 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value is exempt (up to $100,000 of value excluded). The state reimburses local governments for the lost revenue, and funding has been suspended in some past budget years, confirm current-year funding status before relying on this.
Who qualifies: Age 65+ as of January 1, AND owned and occupied the home as primary residence for 10+ consecutive years. No income test. Surviving spouses of previously-qualified seniors may also qualify.
Deadline and form: July 15 (Short form (renewing claimants) or long form (new applicants), filed with your county assessor). Citation: Colo. Const. Art. X § 3.5 (Referendum A, 2000).
Disabled Veteran / Gold Star Spouse Exemption
What it does: Same 50%-of-first-$200,000 exemption as the senior program.
Who qualifies: 100% permanent service-connected disability (no age or 10-year tenure requirement), or a Gold Star Spouse of a service member killed in the line of duty.
Deadline and form: July 15 (Filed with your county assessor). Citation: Colo. Const. Art. X § 3.5 (Referendum E, 2006; Amendment E, 2022).
An exemption or credit lowers your bill only after the assessed value is set. If that value is too high to begin with, you are overpaying on everything above it regardless of which relief programs you claim. Nobody checks the underlying value unless you do.
How to Apply
- Contact your county assessor's (or, where noted above, your state revenue department's) office for the current application form
- Gather proof of ownership, occupancy, and, for income-tested programs, your prior-year income documentation
- File before the deadline listed above, most jurisdictions do not accept late applications for that tax year
- Confirm the relief shows up on your next assessment notice or tax bill
The Bottom Line
The 10-year continuous occupancy requirement is the detail most homeowners miss, turning 65 alone doesn't qualify you if you moved into your current home more recently. Disabled veterans and Gold Star spouses skip that requirement entirely.
Note: Program names, dollar figures, and income limits above are current as of August 2026 and are set or adjusted by the state legislature or department of revenue, not by AppealDesk. Some figures adjust annually, confirm the current-year number with your county or state before applying. AppealDesk helps homeowners identify available relief programs and appeal overassessments.
Most homeowners stack these programs on top of whatever value the assessor assigned and never question the value itself. It came from a mass-appraisal model, not an individual review of your home. It is worth checking once.
