Home / Moving and California rules / SB 296 property tax exemption
Stay in the Home You Fought For
Senate Bill 296 expands California's disabled veterans' property tax exemption for five years. Here is who qualifies, what it could save on a Ventura County home, when it starts and what to do now.
What changed
The Governor signed Senate Bill 296 on September 28, 2026. It adds a temporary, much larger version of the disabled veterans' property tax exemption. The old exemption took a fixed dollar amount off your home's assessed value. The new one takes a share of the whole value.
| Household income | Home's full value | What is exempt |
|---|---|---|
| $83,474 or less | Any | 100 percent of the value, up to $1,000,000 |
| More than $83,474 | More than $371,778 | 50 percent of the value, counting the first $1,000,000 only |
| More than $83,474 | $371,778 or less | The existing basic exemption, $185,889 for 2027 |
This law is new. The State Board of Equalization and county assessors are still writing the forms and instructions. The figures here are our reading of the bill and the state's analysis as of October 2026. Confirm your own case with the Ventura County Assessor at 805-654-2181 before you count on a number.
Who qualifies
The bill does not change who is eligible. The rules are the same as today:
- A veteran rated 100 percent for a service connected disability, or paid at the 100 percent rate because of unemployability
- A veteran who is blind in both eyes or has lost the use of two or more limbs because of service
- The unmarried surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran, or of a service member who died of a service connected cause
- The home must be your principal residence
A rating below 100 percent does not qualify unless you are paid at the 100 percent rate for unemployability. The exemption replaces the regular $7,000 homeowners' exemption. You do not get both.
What it could save in Ventura County
These examples use a 1.1 percent tax rate, which is typical here. Your rate depends on the address.
| Home's assessed value | Household income | Value exempt | Tax saved per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $600,000 | Over $83,474 | $300,000 | About $3,300 |
| $800,000 | Over $83,474 | $400,000 | About $4,400 |
| $1,000,000 or more | Over $83,474 | $500,000 | About $5,500 |
| $800,000 | $83,474 or less | $800,000 | About $8,800 |
For comparison, the exemption in place for 2026 is $180,671, or $271,009 for households under the income limit. That saves about $2,000 to $3,000 a year. For many veterans here the new law about doubles the savings.
$4,400 a year is about $367 a month. At a 6.5 percent rate that supports roughly $48,000 more home for the same payment.
When it starts
- It first applies to the January 1, 2027 lien date. That sets the tax bills for fiscal year 2027 to 2028, due in November 2027 and February 2028.
- The bills due in November 2026 and February 2027 do not change.
- It runs through lien dates before January 1, 2032, five years in all. The Legislature would have to extend it after that.
What to do now
- Have the current exemption in place. If you qualify and have not filed, file form BOE-261-G with the County Assessor now. It is free.
- Gather proof. You need your VA rating letter that shows the 100 percent rating and its effective date.
- Know your household income. The lower income tier is filed every year, between January 1 and February 15.
- Ask the Assessor two questions. Will my current exemption convert on its own? Do I need to report income to get the 50 percent tier?
- Just got your rating? The exemption can reach back to the effective date of your rating, with refunds for up to eight years of taxes already paid.
The Ventura County Assessor's office is at 805-654-2181. The Ventura County Veteran Services Office, 805-477-5155, helps with the rating letter and files VA claims for free.
What we do not know yet
- Whether veterans who already have the exemption will be moved to the new amounts without a new claim
- How the income test will be checked for the 50 percent tier
- How "full value" will be measured in every case. We expect it to mean the assessed value on your tax bill.
We will update this page as the state publishes its guidance.
If you are buying
You can claim the exemption on a new principal residence. File a new claim when you move. If you buy with a VA loan and a 100 percent rating, three things stack up:
- No down payment
- No VA funding fee, since veterans who receive VA disability pay are exempt
- A much smaller property tax bill once the exemption is on file
Ask Adam how the exemption counts in your approval. Start your pre-approval and have your rating letter ready.
Questions people ask
What is SB 296 in California?
A 2026 law that expands the disabled veterans' property tax exemption for five years. Qualifying veterans get 100 percent of their home's value exempt if household income is $83,474 or less, or 50 percent if it is higher, both up to a $1,000,000 home value.
When does SB 296 take effect?
It first applies to the January 1, 2027 lien date, which sets the tax bills due in November 2027 and February 2028.
Does a 70 percent VA rating qualify?
Only if you are paid at the 100 percent rate because of individual unemployability. Otherwise the exemption needs a 100 percent rating, blindness or the loss of use of two or more limbs.
How do I apply for the disabled veterans' exemption in Ventura County?
File form BOE-261-G with the Ventura County Assessor. Call 805-654-2181. Bring your VA rating letter.
Does the exemption wipe out my whole tax bill?
It can come close in the lower income tier. The exemption lowers the taxes figured on your home's value. Flat charges on the bill, called direct assessments, are not reduced. Ask the Assessor what applies to your address.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: Senate Bill 296 (Archuleta), Chapter 727, Statutes of 2026, as described in the Governor's signing announcement of September 28, 2026 and the State Board of Equalization's legislative analysis; Revenue and Taxation Code sections 205.5 and 205.5.1; Board of Equalization disabled veterans' exemption page and form BOE-261-G; Ventura County Assessor. Hours, prices, laws and dates change, so confirm with the official source before you act.
Keep going
A smaller tax bill means more home for the same payment
If you have a 100 percent rating, this law changes what you can afford. Adam is a Marine veteran. He will run your payment with the exemption counted and with it left out, so you see both.