San Diego County
San Diego County Disabled Veterans’ Property Tax Exemption.
Rated 100% by the VA and living in San Diego County? The County Assessor can take $180,671 off your home’s assessed value in 2026, or $271,009 if your household income qualifies. Here’s how to file in San Diego County, the documents the county asks for, and what it saves across North County.
Written by Luis, Military and VA Realtor serving North County San Diego
Updated October 2026
San Diego County at a Glance
Amounts come off assessed value. Source: California State Board of Equalization. Savings estimated at North County tax rates, compared with the $7,000 homeowners’ exemption.
How to file hereThe Numbers
What It Saves in North County
Your tax rate decides the dollars, and San Diego County sets a rate for every neighborhood. Most of North County runs about 1.07% to 1.14% of assessed value, before Mello-Roos and other special taxes. Compared with the regular $7,000 homeowners’ exemption, the basic exemption saves about $1,860 to $1,980 a year, and the low-income exemption saves roughly $1,000 more on top of that. I run the exact number for the home you’re looking at.
Most common 2025-26 rate in each city, from the San Diego County Auditor and Controller. Rates vary by neighborhood, and your tax bill shows yours. Savings compare the 2026 basic exemption with the $7,000 homeowners’ exemption.
How to File
How to File in San Diego County
San Diego County takes the claim by email, by mail or in person, and the county says filing takes about 15 minutes once your paperwork is ready.
Gather your documents
Form BOE-261-G, your VA rating decision letter showing the 100% rating and its effective date, and your DD214 showing your character of service. San Diego County asks for the DD214 too, not just the rating letter.
Email it
Send the form and documents to ARCCDVETS@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Mail it
San Diego County Assessor, Disabled Veterans’ Exemption Section, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 103, San Diego, CA 92101.
Or drop it off
Any county assessor office takes it. For help filling out the form, go to the main office at the County Administration Center downtown.
Call with questions
The county’s Disabled Veterans’ Exemption line is (619) 531-5772.
Deadlines
When to File
Timing changes how much you get in your first year. Here’s how San Diego County handles it.
File by December 31
San Diego County counts your claim as on time when it arrives by the end of the calendar year you want it for. Buy in March, file by December 31 that same year.
Late still pays, at 85%
A claim that comes in after that still gets 85% of the exemption for that first year, then the full amount every year after.
Up to 8 years back
Qualified for years and never filed? The exemption can be applied up to eight years back, and the Tax Collector sends refunds in about three months.
Low-income refiles every year
The low-income exemption needs a new application and household income worksheet each year by February 15. VA and Social Security benefits count toward household income.
Your Tax Bill
Mello-Roos and Your Monthly Payment
The exemption lowers the regular 1% property tax and the voter-approved bonds tied to your home’s value. It doesn’t lower Mello-Roos, other special taxes or fixed charges, and those show up on a lot of newer North County tax bills. When you’re comparing homes, I pull those numbers so you see the real tax bill.
Once it’s applied, the exemption shows in the Exemptions box in the upper right of your San Diego County tax bill, listed as a reduction under Other. If your lender pays your taxes through escrow, call them when that bill arrives so they can recalculate. That’s when your monthly payment drops.
Not rated 100%? File the $7,000 homeowners’ exemption instead. If your rating goes to 100% later, you file for the disabled veterans’ exemption then.
Questions
San Diego County Questions, Answered
The questions veterans ask me most about filing here. If yours isn’t on the list, call or text me.
Ask Me a QuestionHow do I apply for the disabled veterans’ exemption in San Diego County?
Send form BOE-261-G with your VA rating decision letter and your DD214 to the County Assessor. You can email it to ARCCDVETS@sdcounty.ca.gov, mail it to the Disabled Veterans’ Exemption Section at 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 103, San Diego, CA 92101, or drop it off at any assessor office.
What documents does San Diego County ask for?
The completed BOE-261-G, your VA rating decision letter showing the 100% rating or 100% pay for unemployability and its effective date, and your DD214 showing your character of service. A surviving spouse also includes the marriage certificate and the death certificate.
What happens if I file after the deadline?
You still get it. San Diego County gives 85% of the exemption for that first year when the claim comes in after December 31 of that tax year, then the full amount every year after.
Can two disabled veterans on the same title both claim it?
Yes. If both veterans qualify and both live in the home as their primary residence, each one gets their own exemption.
Does the exemption lower my Mello-Roos?
No. It lowers the regular property tax and the voter-approved bonds based on your home’s value. Mello-Roos, other special taxes and fixed charges stay the same.
How long does a refund for past years take?
About three months from the San Diego County Tax Collector once the assessor approves your claim. The exemption can go back up to eight years.
Where I Help Veterans Buy in San Diego County
Buying in San Diego County?
Tell me where you’re looking. I’ll run what the exemption saves on that home and help you file once you close. I work all of North County and San Diego County, and if your area isn’t listed, call me anyway.
Prefer to call? (619) 485-8293
