How to Protest Your Property Taxes in Bexar County (2026 Guide)

By Chris Dudley, San Antonio REALTOR® | Founder, Legacy Realty Group, brokered by Real Broker, LLC | TREC #731381. Updated October 2026.

Every spring the Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD) sets a value on each San Antonio home, and that value drives your property tax bill. If you think the number is too high, you can protest it. Filing is free, you do not need a lawyer, and you do not need to have your evidence ready on the day you file. Here is how the process works, what evidence helps, and how sales data from a local REALTOR® can support your case.

Key dates and how to file

  • Deadline: In most cases you have until May 15 or 30 days after your appraisal notice is delivered, whichever is later (Texas Comptroller). The 2026 Bexar County deadline was May 15, 2026 (BCAD).
  • No notice needed: BCAD says owners can protest even if they did not receive an appraisal notice in the mail. You can look up your value in the BCAD property search at bcad.org.
  • Online: the BCAD Online Services Portal (bcadonline.org, linked from bcad.org).
  • In person: BCAD, 411 North Frio Street, San Antonio, TX 78207, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
  • By mail: P.O. Box 830248, San Antonio, TX 78283, postmarked by the deadline.
  • Cost: BCAD says filing for exemptions and protests is free and handled directly through the district.

The statewide form is Form 50-132, Property Owner's Notice of Protest. If someone else will represent you, the Comptroller lists Form 50-162 for appointing an agent.

What you can protest

The most common reason is that the appraised market value is higher than what your home would sell for. The Texas Comptroller says you can also protest unequal appraisal (your home is valued higher than similar homes), exemptions that were denied or left off, and other appraisal district actions that affect your property.

Check your homestead exemption and 10% cap first

If the home is your primary residence, make sure the homestead exemption is on your account. Under Texas Tax Code Section 23.23, a homestead's appraised value for tax purposes cannot rise more than 10% a year over the prior year's appraised value (plus new improvements). The cap starts on January 1 of the tax year after you first qualify for the exemption, so new owners should file the homestead application as soon as they are eligible. See San Antonio property taxes explained.

Evidence that works

The Comptroller is blunt: you cannot go to the hearing and just say the appraisal district is wrong. Useful evidence includes:

  • Recent comparable sales of similar homes nearby, ideally close to January 1 of the tax year.
  • Photos of problems the appraisal district may not know about: foundation cracks, roof damage, an older HVAC system, dated finishes.
  • Repair estimates and invoices from contractors.
  • Your purchase documents if you bought recently.
  • The district's own evidence. On the protest form you can request the evidence BCAD will use, including the comparable properties it relied on.

Personal financial hardship and emotional arguments do not count, according to the Comptroller. Keep it to facts about value.

What happens after you file

  1. Informal review. You can meet with a BCAD appraiser to try to settle the value before a formal hearing. KSAT reported that these meetings usually take five to ten minutes and that most protests are resolved at this stage.
  2. Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing. If you do not accept the offer, your protest goes to the ARB, a panel separate from BCAD. The ARB must notify you at least 15 days before the hearing, and you can attend in person, by phone or video, or submit a written affidavit (Comptroller).
  3. After the ARB. If you still disagree, the Comptroller lists three routes: a petition in district court within 60 days of receiving the ARB order; regular binding arbitration for a residence homestead (or property appraised at 5 million dollars or less), which requires a deposit; or, for values over 1 million dollars, an appeal to the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

How a REALTOR® can help

Appraisal protests are decided on market evidence, and recent sales of similar homes are the strongest kind. As a San Antonio REALTOR® who works in Alamo Ranch, Stone Oak, Alamo Heights, Cibolo, Schertz, Converse, Live Oak, Universal City, Boerne, New Braunfels and Canyon Lake, Chris Dudley works with local MLS sales data for buyers and sellers. If you are weighing a protest, or thinking about selling and want to know what your home would actually bring, ask Chris for a list of recent comparable sales near you.

Frequently asked questions

When is the property tax protest deadline in Bexar County?

Generally May 15 or 30 days after your appraisal notice is delivered, whichever is later. The 2026 deadline was May 15, 2026. Notices for the next tax year usually go out in the spring, so check bcad.org then.

Does it cost anything to protest?

No. BCAD says filing a protest is free. Arbitration and court appeals after the ARB stage do involve costs.

Can I protest if I did not get a notice?

Yes. BCAD says owners do not need to have received a notice to protest.

Do I need evidence when I file?

No. You can file first and gather evidence before your informal meeting or hearing. You will need evidence to win a lower value.

Will protesting raise my value?

The protest is about whether the value is correct. Bring solid comparable sales and documented condition issues so the discussion stays on facts.

Related guides

Next step: Call or text Chris Dudley at (210) 838-6099 for recent comparable sales near your home, or if you are thinking about selling. Office: 8626 Tesoro Dr, Suite 208, San Antonio, TX 78217. Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM.

Sources: Bexar Appraisal District, "2026 Protest Deadline is May 15" (May 11, 2026), bcad.org; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, "Property Tax Protests and Appeals," comptroller.texas.gov; Texas Tax Code Section 23.23; KSAT, "How to protest your property appraisal in Bexar County" (May 2026). This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.