What Happens If You Miss Your Protest Deadline?

The standard Texas property tax protest deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your Notice of Appraised Value was mailed, whichever is later. If that date has already passed and you haven't filed, here's what your situation actually looks like. It's not always a complete dead end.

The General Rule

If you miss the deadline and none of the limited exceptions below apply, you generally lose your right to protest your appraised value for that tax year. The appraisal district is not required to accept a late filed protest, and in most cases will not. This is why the deadline is worth treating as a hard date, not a soft target.

The Limited Exceptions

Texas law does allow late protests in a narrow set of circumstances. These are exceptions, not loopholes. They apply to specific situations, not 'I forgot' or 'I was busy.'

You Didn't Receive the Required Notice

If the appraisal district failed to send you a notice it was required to send (for example, because your value increased and you should have received a notice but didn't), you may be able to file a late protest. This generally requires showing the notice genuinely wasn't received, not just that you didn't read it carefully.

Clerical Errors on the Appraisal Roll

Errors like incorrect square footage, an incorrect owner name, or a clerical mistake in the appraised value can sometimes be corrected outside the normal protest window through a separate correction process, even after the standard deadline has passed.

Good Cause for Late Filing, at the ARB's Discretion

In some circumstances, the ARB has authority to accept a late protest if you can show good cause for missing the deadline. This is decided case by case and is not guaranteed.

Disaster Related Extensions

Following certain declared disasters, deadlines may be extended for affected properties. Check with your CAD if a relevant declaration applies to your area and tax year.

None of these are things to count on in advance. They exist as narrow relief for specific situations, not a general safety net. If you're unsure whether your situation qualifies for any of these, contact your appraisal district directly and explain the specific circumstances. They can tell you whether a late filing is possible in your case.

If None of the Exceptions Apply

You'll pay taxes based on the appraised value as it stands, and your next opportunity to protest will be the following tax year, when a new Notice of Appraised Value is issued. Use the time productively:

• Confirm your mailing address is correct with the CAD, so you don't miss next year's notice
• Set a calendar reminder for when notices typically go out in your county (often mid to late April)
• Start collecting comparable sales data throughout the year rather than scrambling once the notice arrives, so you're ready to file immediately when the window opens

How to Make Sure This Doesn't Happen Again

• Sign up for email or text alerts if your CAD offers them. Many now do.
• Mark the deadline the moment you receive your notice, not when you get around to reading it.
• File early rather than waiting until the deadline. Filing doesn't lock you into anything specific. You can still gather and submit evidence up until your hearing, but it guarantees your right to a hearing regardless of what else comes up in your schedule that month.