Does the Colorado senior homestead exemption move with you when you downsize?
Not for 2027 and later under current law. In Denver Metro and statewide, the portable version of the senior homestead exemption covered only the 2025 and 2026 tax years, so your sale timing matters.
For example, say you’ve owned and lived in a Centennial ranch for 22 years and you’ve had the senior exemption since you turned 65. It takes up to $100,000 off the actual value your property tax is figured on, every year. You plan to sell next spring and buy a smaller place in Lone Tree.
Here’s the part that changed this year. Colorado let that benefit follow qualifying seniors to a new home for two tax years, 2025 and 2026. A law signed in June 2026 closed that program for 2027 forward. Under the law on the books today, your new home starts its own 10-year clock.
This post walks through who qualifies now, what changed in 2026, what happens on the home you sell, and why January 1 is the date to plan around.
Who Qualifies for the Senior Homestead Exemption Today
The Colorado Division of Property Taxation’s senior property tax exemption page, accessed November 6, 2026, lists the requirements:
- You’re at least 65 years old on January 1 of the year you apply.
- You or your spouse is the owner of record and has owned the home for at least 10 consecutive years before January 1.
- You’ve lived in it as your primary residence for at least 10 consecutive years before January 1.
The exemption covers 50% of the first $200,000 of your home’s actual value. That’s a maximum of $100,000 in value removed before your tax is calculated.
Applications open January 1 and are due July 15. A late filing through August 15 is accepted but gives up your appeal rights if the assessor denies it. You file with your county assessor once and don’t reapply every year.
Colorado property tax is paid a year behind. The Division’s FAQ gives the example that a 2026 approval reduces the bill you receive in early 2027.
Does the Exemption Move to Your New Home?
Under current law, no, starting with the 2027 property tax year. Here’s how the rules got here.
2024: a two-year portable version. Senate Bill 24-111 created a separate property class called qualified-senior primary residence real property. It let a senior who had received the exemption on a previous home in 2020 or later, and who now owns and occupies a different primary residence, get the same 50% of the first $200,000 reduction. The final fiscal note says it applied to the 2025 and 2026 property tax years only. The governor signed it on May 14, 2024.
2025: bills to make it permanent failed. House Bill 25-1111 and a proposed constitutional amendment, HCR25-1001, would have extended portability. Both were postponed indefinitely in the House Finance Committee on February 24, 2025. Neither reached the 2026 ballot.
2026: the program was closed. Senate Bill 26-116 passed both chambers and was signed by the governor in early June 2026. It limits the qualified-senior classification to tax years before January 1, 2027, and sets the last application date at July 15, 2026. The act takes effect August 12, 2026.
November 3, 2026 ballot. None of the 14 statewide measures in the Legislative Council’s 2026 Blue Book changed who qualifies for the senior exemption or made it portable. Proposition NN dealt with how the state reimburses local governments for these exemptions. Chalkbeat reported on election night that it passed. Results are unofficial until the state certifies them.
So if you buy your next home in 2027, the regular rules apply. You’d need to own and live in the new home for 10 consecutive years before a January 1 to qualify there. The Division’s long form lists narrow exceptions to the occupancy rule, such as a home lost to eminent domain or a natural disaster.
What Happens to the Exemption on the Home You Sell
The exemption belongs to you and your primary residence. It doesn’t transfer to your buyer.
The Douglas County Assessor’s 2025 senior tax programs fact sheet says that once approved, the exemption stays in place until there’s a change of ownership. The Division’s FAQ says a change in ownership or occupancy calls for a new filing with the county assessor within 60 days of the change.
How your county handles the year of the sale, and how that year’s taxes get split at closing, varies by situation. Ask the assessor’s office before you list, and ask your closing team to show you the tax proration line on the settlement statement.
Timing Your Sale Around January 1
Every one of these rules is measured on January 1.
| Your situation | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| You own and live in your current home on January 1 | Eligibility for that tax year is measured on that date |
| You sell during the year | The sale is a change of ownership, and the exemption ends going forward |
| You buy a new home in 2027 or later | No portable classification under SB 26-116; the new home needs 10 years |
| You turn 65 after January 1 | You’re not eligible until the next January 1 |
If you’re close to a January 1 date, the decision is worth a call to the assessor before you set a list date. A sale in late December and a sale in early January can land in different tax years.
For the logistics of selling one home and buying the next in Centennial, Littleton, or Highlands Ranch, see how to time the sale and the next move in the South Denver Metro.
Surviving Spouses and Veterans With a Disability
Two related exemptions follow their own rules.
Surviving spouse. The Division says the surviving spouse of a senior who previously qualified, who hasn’t remarried, may keep the exemption. The FAQ says this benefit goes only to a surviving spouse, and the application uses the long form.
Veteran with a disability. The Division’s veteran with a disability and Gold Star exemptions page lists honorable discharge and a service-connected disability rated 100% permanent by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or individual unemployability status. You must own and occupy the home as your primary residence as of January 1. The timely deadline is July 1. This exemption has no 10-year ownership rule, so a move plays out differently.
Who to Call Before You List
Your county assessor is the office that decides your exemption. In the Denver Metro Area that’s the Arapahoe County Assessor for Centennial, Englewood, and most of Aurora; the Douglas County Assessor for Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, and Parker; and the Denver Assessor’s Office inside the City and County of Denver. If your new home is in a different county, call that assessor too. Ask how a sale this year affects this year’s bill.
This isn’t tax advice. A CPA can run your full picture, including the sale, the purchase, and any other tax effects of moving.
Working Through It With a Local Agent
Jamie Bridges, a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty DTC, holds the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation and works with homeowners selling across the Denver Metro Area, from Centennial and Littleton to Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, and Parker. Before you pick a list date, he’ll lay out the January 1 dates that matter for your sale and your purchase. Then you can bring specific questions to your county assessor and your CPA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take my Colorado senior homestead exemption to a new home in 2027? Not under current law. SB 26-116 limits the portable qualified-senior classification to tax years before January 1, 2027. A new home would need to meet the regular 10-year ownership and occupancy rules.
How much is the senior homestead exemption worth in Denver Metro? It removes 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value, so up to $100,000 of value. Your dollar savings depend on your county and taxing districts. The Douglas County Assessor’s exemptions page, last updated in 2023, estimates $600 to $1,000 in savings.
Do I lose the exemption the day I sell? The exemption stays in place until ownership changes, then it ends going forward. Ask your county assessor how the year of sale is handled for your home.
The calendar is the one piece of this you control, so plan the dates first. Jamie Bridges is a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty DTC serving the Denver Metro Area and Summit County, Colorado. Call or text Jamie at 720-397-7555 to talk about your next move.
Sources: Colorado Division of Property Taxation, Senior Property Tax Exemption, accessed November 6, 2026; Colorado Division of Property Taxation, Frequently Asked Exemption Questions, accessed November 6, 2026; Colorado Division of Property Taxation, Senior Primary Residence Classification, accessed November 6, 2026; Colorado Division of Property Taxation, Veteran with a Disability and Gold Star Exemptions, accessed November 6, 2026; Colorado Legislative Council, SB 24-111 Final Fiscal Note (bill signed May 14, 2024); Colorado General Assembly, HCR25-1001 bill page (postponed indefinitely February 24, 2025), accessed November 6, 2026; HB25-1111 status (postponed indefinitely February 24, 2025), accessed November 6, 2026; Colorado General Assembly, SB26-116 bill page and enrolled act (governor signed June 2026, effective August 12, 2026), accessed November 6, 2026; Colorado Legislative Council, 2026 State Ballot Information Booklet, accessed November 6, 2026; Chalkbeat Colorado, 2026 election results, November 3, 2026 (unofficial); Douglas County Assessor, Senior Tax Programs Fact Sheet 2025, accessed November 6, 2026; Douglas County Assessor, Residential Exemptions page (last modified May 27, 2023), accessed November 6, 2026. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. General information only. This isn’t tax or legal advice. Talk with your county assessor and a CPA about your situation. Dollar figures are examples only.
