Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling in Louisiana. Trained counselors go through your costs and choices with you, and they don't sell plans.
Taxes
Property tax relief for seniors in Louisiana
Louisiana has 2 programs that can lower property taxes for older adults: Special Assessment Level and Homestead Exemption. Each one has its own rules and deadline.
Special Assessment Level
If you are 65 or older, get the homestead exemption and your income is under the limit the Legislature sets each year, Louisiana can freeze the assessed value of your home. Once you qualify, the freeze stays in place while you own and live there. You apply with your parish assessor.
How to apply
- In person
- Apply at your parish assessor's office
- Who runs it
- Your parish assessor
Who may qualify
| Age | 65 or older by the end of the year you apply (Jefferson Parish) or as of January 1 of the qualifying year (East Baton Rouge Parish); one owner is enough Source: East Baton Rouge Parish Assessor's Office (source 2) |
|---|---|
| Income limit | Combined adjusted gross income under a limit the Legislature sets and changes each year; ask your assessor for the current figure |
| Home | You own and live in the home and get the homestead exemption on it Source: East Baton Rouge Parish Assessor's Office (source 2) |
What you may get
| What it does | Your home's assessed value is frozen; the tax rate (millage) can still change |
|---|
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| Do you reapply? | Once you qualify, the freeze is permanent while you own and live in the home, unless construction raises its value more than 25% |
|---|
How Louisiana is different
Where Louisiana's rules differ from the federal rules for Property tax relief for seniors.
- Set up by constitutional amendments passed in 1998 and 2006
Homestead Exemption
Louisiana exempts the first $7,500 of assessed value on the home you own and live in, the level the parish pages describe as $75,000. It is for homeowners of any age and is the first step to the senior freeze. You sign up once, in person, at your parish assessor's office.
How to apply
- In person
- Sign up in person at your parish assessor's office, with your recorded act of sale and a photo ID showing the home's address (Jefferson Parish's list)
- Who runs it
- Your parish assessor
Who may qualify
| Age | Any age |
|---|---|
| Home | You own the home and live in it permanently; in East Baton Rouge you must own and occupy it by December 31 of the tax year Source: East Baton Rouge Parish Assessor's Office (source 2) |
What you may get
| Exemption | The first $7,500 of assessed value (the $75,000 level) |
|---|
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| Do you reapply? | No, it stays while you own and live in the home; you get a yearly receipt or card |
|---|
How Louisiana is different
Where Louisiana's rules differ from the federal rules for Property tax relief for seniors.
- Only one homestead exemption per home in Louisiana
Good to know
- Some cities send their own separate tax bills; ask your assessor how the exemption applies to city taxes.
Free help
Free help with this in Louisiana
Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs (GOEA)
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with meals, rides, help at home, caregiver support and applying for benefits.
More help in Louisiana
Property tax relief in another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- Jefferson Parish Assessor's Office, Seniors Special Assessment (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- East Baton Rouge Parish Assessor's Office, General Information (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Jefferson Parish Assessor's Office, Homestead Exemption (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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