At a glance
| 2025 millage, unincorporated | 13.6790 |
|---|---|
| 2025 millage, Oviedo | 16.7784 |
| 2025 millage, Sanford | 18.1284 |
| Homestead exemption, 2026 | Up to $51,411 |
| Filing deadline | March 1 |
| Early-payment discount | 4% in November |
How a Seminole County tax bill is built
Your bill is taxable value multiplied by the combined millage of every authority that levies on your parcel. One mill is $1 for each $1,000 of taxable value. Seminole has one county government, one school board, one water management district, seven cities and a large unincorporated area, and the Florida Department of Revenue's 2025 taxing authority sheet lists each district's rate separately.
The levies every Seminole parcel pays
Three levies apply countywide. The county operating rate is 5.3751 mills. The school board levies 5.2490 mills (3.0010 required local effort plus 2.2480 discretionary). The St. Johns River Water Management District adds 0.1793. Together that is a 10.8034-mill base under every home in the county, whatever its address.
The levies that change with your address
On top of the base, you pay either city taxes or county district taxes. Unincorporated parcels pay the county Fire MSTU (2.7649) and a small road MSTU (0.1107). Altamonte Springs, Casselberry and Winter Springs are also inside the county fire district and add their own city rate. Oviedo, Lake Mary, Longwood and Sanford sit outside the county fire MSTU and levy only their city rate, which funds their own services. That is why a city with a higher operating rate can still end up close to one with a lower rate.
Seminole County millage rates by city, 2025
These are the final 2025 totals (fiscal year 2025-26) from the state's Seminole taxing authority sheet, with the 2024 total for comparison. The last column shows tax on each $100,000 of taxable value before exemptions, which is simply the millage times 100.
| District | City rate (incl. voted debt) | County fire MSTU | 2025 total mills | 2024 total | Tax per $100,000 | Parcels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Seminole | None (road MSTU 0.1107) | 2.7649 | 13.6790 | 13.2090 | $1,368 | 94,608 |
| Lake Mary | 3.5895 | No | 14.3929 | 13.9229 | $1,439 | 8,293 |
| Winter Springs | 2.6200 | 2.7649 | 16.1883 | 15.7183 | $1,619 | 15,123 |
| Longwood | 5.5000 | No | 16.3034 | 15.8334 | $1,630 | 7,516 |
| Oviedo | 5.8610 + 0.1140 | No | 16.7784 | 16.4084 | $1,678 | 15,398 |
| Altamonte Springs | 4.0000 | 2.7649 | 17.5683 | 17.0983 | $1,757 | 16,770 |
| Sanford | 7.3250 | No | 18.1284 | 17.6584 | $1,813 | 24,244 |
| Casselberry | 3.9999 + 0.6126 | 2.7649 | 18.1808 | 16.6616 | $1,818 | 11,295 |
What is the property tax rate in Seminole County?
There is no single rate. For 2025 it is 13.6790 mills (about 1.37% of taxable value) in unincorporated Seminole and between 14.3929 and 18.1808 mills inside the seven cities. Taxable value is after exemptions and assessment caps, so your effective rate against market value is usually lower, especially if you have owned a homestead for years.
Why unincorporated addresses matter so much here
Unincorporated Seminole holds 94,608 parcels, more than every city except Sanford combined. Plenty of homes with a Sanford, Longwood, Winter Springs or Oviedo mailing address are in this district and pay no city tax at all. Your parcel record shows the tax district code, so check it before you compare listings.
How rates have moved since 2019
Unincorporated Seminole fell from 14.1251 mills in 2019 to 13.2090 in 2024, then rose to 13.6790 in 2025. Oviedo went from 16.5315 in 2019 to 16.4084 in 2024 and 16.7784 in 2025. Every district's total was higher in 2025 than in 2024, and most of the rise came from the school levy. Casselberry moved the most, up by about 1.52 mills.
Worked example: a $400,000 home in Oviedo
This estimate uses 2025 Seminole rates with the 2026 homestead amount, and assumes the appraiser's assessed value is $400,000. Your real bill uses your parcel's assessed value, which for a long-held homestead is often well below market value.
With the homestead exemption
- School levies (5.2490 mills) allow only the first $25,000 of the exemption: $400,000 minus $25,000 = $375,000 taxable. $375,000 x 5.2490 / 1,000 = $1,968.
- Every other Oviedo levy (16.7784 minus 5.2490 = 11.5294 mills) gets the full exemption of up to $51,411: $400,000 minus $51,411 = $348,589 taxable. $348,589 x 11.5294 / 1,000 = $4,019.
- Total ad valorem tax: about $5,987, or about $5,748 with the 4% November discount.
Without the homestead exemption
A second home or rental at the same value pays the full rate on the full value: $400,000 x 16.7784 / 1,000 = about $6,711. In year one the gap is only about $724. The bigger difference comes later, because the homestead's assessed value can rise by no more than the Save Our Homes cap, while a non-homestead parcel's non-school value can rise up to 10% a year.
The same home outside city limits
Move the same homesteaded house into unincorporated Seminole and the school portion stays at $1,968, while the non-school portion becomes $348,589 x 8.4300 / 1,000 = $2,939. Total: about $4,907, roughly $1,080 less than inside Oviedo, before any difference in non-ad valorem charges. At 14.3929 mills, the same homestead in Lake Mary comes to about $5,156; at 18.1284 mills in Sanford, about $6,458.
What the estimate leaves out
Solid waste, street lighting, stormwater and any CDD or special district charges are billed as flat non-ad valorem assessments on the same bill. Rates for the 2026 tax year are set in September 2026, so a 2026 bill can differ from these 2025-rate figures.
Seminole County homestead exemption and other exemptions
Exemptions are filed with the Seminole County Property Appraiser, not the tax collector. The deadline for all of them is March 1 of the tax year.
Homestead exemption
If you own the home and it is your permanent residence on January 1, you can claim up to $51,411 off assessed value for 2026 ($50,722 for 2025). The first $25,000 applies to every levy, including schools. The second part, which covers assessed value above $50,000, applies to non-school levies only, so a home assessed under about $76,000 does not get the full amount. Homestead also starts the Save Our Homes cap. The statewide rules and documents are on our Florida homestead exemption guide.
Senior exemption for low-income owners 65 and older
Florida lets counties and cities grant up to $50,000 more off their own levies to a homestead owner who is 65 by January 1 and whose household adjusted gross income is within the state limit, which is $38,686 for the 2026 tax year (based on 2025 income). You reapply with income proof each year by March 1. The catch is that it only applies to governments that adopt it. The state's 2025 municipal data records senior exemption value against city taxes in Altamonte Springs, Longwood and Casselberry, and none in Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford or Winter Springs. So in Oviedo the city portion of your bill gets no senior reduction. We could not confirm the county's own senior exemption amount, so ask the property appraiser before you rely on it.
Other exemptions to ask about
Florida also has exemptions for widows and widowers, for owners with qualifying disabilities and for veterans with service-connected disabilities. Amounts and proof requirements differ, so ask the appraiser's exemption team which ones fit and file them by March 1 with your homestead application.
Save Our Homes cap and portability in Seminole
Once your homestead is granted, its assessed value can rise each year by no more than the lower of 3% or inflation: 2.9% for 2025 and 2.7% for 2026. Market value can climb much faster, and the gap between the two becomes your protected savings. The cap resets when the home sells, so a buyer is taxed from the new market value the following year. That is why a seller's bill tells you little about yours.
If you move from one Florida homestead to another, you can carry up to $500,000 of that protected gap to the new home by filing portability (form DR-501T) with your new homestead application. Seminole buyers moving up from Orange, Osceola or elsewhere in the state should file both together by March 1. Non-homestead property has a separate cap: 10% a year on non-school levies.
When Seminole County property taxes are due, and the discounts
Bills go out from November 1. Florida law sets the discount for early payment, and taxes become delinquent on April 1.
| Paid in | Discount | On a $5,987 bill you pay |
|---|---|---|
| November | 4% | $5,748 |
| December | 3% | $5,807 |
| January | 2% | $5,867 |
| February | 1% | $5,927 |
| March | None | $5,987 |
Installment payment plan
If your estimated tax is over $100, you can pay in four quarterly installments under Florida Statute 197.222. You apply with the tax collector by April 30 for the following tax year. The installments carry smaller discounts than paying in full in November, but they spread the cost across the year.
Paying through escrow
If your lender escrows taxes, it pays the bill in November and takes the discount. Check the paid amount on the tax collector's record, and ask your servicer to reanalyze escrow after your first full-value bill, since new owners often see a jump in year two.
Non-ad valorem charges on a Seminole bill
Non-ad valorem assessments are flat charges for a service, not a percentage of value, so exemptions do not reduce them. For fiscal year 2025-26 the county itself levied $26.46 million of them: $22.03 million for solid waste, $3.80 million for street lighting and $0.63 million for other purposes. Cities, community development districts and some special districts add their own. Your parcel's bill lists each one, and they can add several hundred dollars a year, so read that section of a seller's bill before you budget.
Your TRIM notice and how to challenge your value
In August the property appraiser mails a TRIM (Truth in Millage) notice. It shows your market value, assessed value, exemptions and the tax each authority proposes, plus the date and place of each budget hearing. Final rates are adopted in September, and the November bill follows.
Check the notice line by line
Confirm your homestead and any other exemptions appear. Compare the market value with recent sales of similar homes nearby. Check the district: an unincorporated parcel should not show city levies, and a city parcel should show the right city.
Informal review, then the Value Adjustment Board
If the market value looks too high, call the appraiser's office first; many disputes end there. If not, you can petition the Seminole County Value Adjustment Board. The filing deadline is printed on your TRIM notice and it is short, so act in the weeks after it arrives. Bring sales evidence, photos of condition problems and any recent appraisal. The board can change your value or exemption, not the millage.
How to look up property taxes in Seminole County
Official Seminole tools
- Seminole County Property Appraiser (scpafl.org): parcel search, assessed value, exemptions and TRIM. Link only; the site blocked our automated check, so we have not described its features.
- Seminole County Tax Collector (property and tangible taxes): current and past bills and payment. Link only, for the same reason.
- Florida Department of Revenue (2025 Seminole taxing authority sheet): every district's millage in one document.
How do I look up my property taxes in Florida?
Each of Florida's 67 counties has its own property appraiser (values and exemptions) and tax collector (bills and payments). Search the appraiser's site by owner, address or parcel number for value, and the tax collector's site for the bill. For other counties, start from our Florida property tax guide, or go straight to Orange County or Osceola County.
What this means when you buy in Seminole
Budget from the purchase price, not the seller's bill. A seller with an old homestead may pay a fraction of what you will. Use the table above for your district, subtract the homestead you expect to claim and add the non-ad valorem charges from the current bill.
If you are weighing Oviedo, our Oviedo buying and selling guide, Oviedo pros and cons and Oviedo new construction page apply these rates to real prices. For the lower-rate north of the county, see Lake Mary. If you are comparing across county lines, Winter Park and Apopka are in Orange County and St. Cloud is in Osceola.
Amendment 3 on the November 2026 ballot
Florida voters decide Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026. As published by the Division of Elections, it would raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, adjusted for inflation after that, keep the school exemption at $25,000, and cut the non-homestead assessment cap from 10% to 5%. We have not found a verified estimate of what it would mean for Seminole County's budget. If it passes, the non-school part of the worked example above would shrink sharply for homesteads, and county and city budgets would have to adjust.
Common questions
What is the property tax rate in Seminole County?+
For the 2025 tax year, Seminole County property tax is 13.6790 mills in unincorporated areas and 14.3929 to 18.1808 mills in the seven cities: Lake Mary is lowest and Casselberry highest. Oviedo is 16.7784. A mill is $1 per $1,000 of taxable value, so unincorporated Seminole works out to about $1,368 per $100,000 of taxable value before exemptions.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 house in Seminole County?+
It depends on the district. With homestead and 2025 rates, a $400,000 assessed home comes to about $4,907 in unincorporated Seminole, $5,156 in Lake Mary, $5,987 in Oviedo and $6,458 in Sanford, before non-ad valorem charges. Without homestead, the Oviedo figure is about $6,711. Paying in November takes 4% off.
When is the Seminole County homestead exemption deadline?+
March 1. The home must be your permanent residence on January 1 of that year, and you file with the Seminole County Property Appraiser. File portability and any senior, disability or veteran exemptions at the same time. For 2026 the homestead exemption is worth up to $51,411 off assessed value, with the first $25,000 also applying to school taxes.
Do seniors over 65 pay property taxes in Florida?+
Yes. Age alone does not remove the tax. Owners 65 and older with household income within the state limit ($38,686 for 2026) can get up to $50,000 more off the levies of governments that adopt the senior exemption. In Seminole, 2025 state data shows it applied to city taxes in Altamonte Springs, Longwood and Casselberry, but not Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford or Winter Springs.
When are Seminole County property taxes due?+
Bills are mailed from November 1 and can be paid through March 31 without penalty. Paying early earns a discount: 4% in November, 3% in December, 2% in January and 1% in February. Unpaid taxes become delinquent on April 1. If a lender escrows your taxes, it normally pays in November.
Can I pay Seminole County property taxes in installments?+
Yes, if your estimated tax is more than $100. Florida's installment plan splits the bill into four quarterly payments. You must apply with the Seminole County Tax Collector by April 30 to join for the next tax year. The quarterly payments include smaller discounts than paying the full bill in November.
Why does my Oviedo address show no city tax?+
Your parcel is probably in unincorporated Seminole County. Mailing addresses follow postal routes, not city limits, so many Oviedo addresses are outside the city. Those parcels pay 13.6790 mills in 2025 instead of Oviedo's 16.7784, including the county fire MSTU in place of city levies. The tax district code on the property appraiser record confirms which applies.
Sources
- Florida Department of Revenue: 2025 Seminole County taxing authority code descriptions (millage, parcels, 2019-2024 history)
- Florida Department of Revenue: 2025 municipal report (senior exemption by city)
- Florida Department of Revenue: 2025 non-ad valorem assessments by county
- Florida Department of Revenue: homestead exemption and senior income limit adjustments
- Florida Department of Revenue: Save Our Homes assessment limitation and portability
- Florida Department of Revenue: PT-110 senior exemption for low-income seniors
- Florida Statutes 197.162: discounts for early payment
- Florida Statutes 197.222: prepayment by installment
- Florida Division of Elections: 2026 constitutional amendments booklet
- Seminole County Property Appraiser: exemptions (link only, site not read)
- Seminole County Tax Collector: property and tangible taxes (link only, site not read)