Key Takeaways
- The Bexar County Appraisal District (BCAD) values every property in Bexar County — 774,100 parcels worth $316.5 billion — for 81 separate taxing entities. If you own property in San Antonio, BCAD determines your tax bill's starting number.
- The 2026 protest deadline is May 15 (or 30 days after your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later). Filing takes under 10 minutes online at bcad.org.
- approximately 88% of protests resulted in a meaningful reduction in 2024. Homeowners who protested their BCAD appraisal saved a median of $16,936 in assessed value — roughly $390 per year at San Antonio's combined tax rate.
- The homestead exemption is now $140,000 ($200,000 for seniors and disabled homeowners), thanks to Proposition 13. But you must apply — exemptions are never automatic.
- BCAD adopted a biennial reappraisal plan for 2025–2026, meaning a successful protest this year could protect your value for two years instead of one.
- San Antonio's effective property tax rate is roughly 2.03% — double the national average. Every dollar of assessed value you reduce saves money across every taxing entity on your bill.
What is the Bexar County Appraisal District?
The Bexar County Appraisal District — commonly known as BCAD — is the government agency responsible for determining the appraised value of every piece of real and personal property in Bexar County. It does not set tax rates or collect taxes. Its sole job is to establish how much your property is worth for tax purposes, which 81 separate taxing entities (school districts, the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, University Health System, and others) then use to calculate your bill.
Officially renamed the Bexar Central Appraisal District on January 1, 2026, the agency operates under Chief Appraiser Rogelio Sandoval with 194 staff members and a $25.9 million annual budget. The office is located at 411 N. Frio Street, San Antonio, TX 78207. You can reach them by phone at 210-242-2432 (Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM) or online at bcad.org.
The Bexar Central Appraisal District employs 194 total staff under Chief Appraiser Rogelio Sandoval, with a $25.9 million annual budget serving 81 taxing units and 774,100 parcels.
How BCAD determines your property value
BCAD uses a mass appraisal system — a statistical method called Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) — to value all 774,100 parcels simultaneously. Rather than inspecting each home individually, approximately 101 field appraisers group properties into market areas and apply statistical models to estimate market value as of January 1 of each tax year.
This approach is efficient but imperfect. Appraisers conduct exterior-only inspections on a multi-year cycle, meaning interior conditions — foundation problems, outdated kitchens, water damage — are invisible to the model. Texas is also a non-disclosure state, so sellers are not required to report sale prices, forcing BCAD to work with incomplete data.
The result: roughly 40% of Bexar County homes are assessed above their actual market value in any given year. For a detailed breakdown of how the mass appraisal system works and where it breaks down, see our detailed BCAD mass appraisal breakdown.
How to search your property on BCAD
How to use the BCAD property search online
The BCAD online portal lets you look up any property in Bexar County in seconds:
- Go to bcad.org and click "Online Services" (or navigate directly to the BCAD online portal at bcad.org/online-portal/)
- Search by owner name, property address, or Property ID — all three work. The address search is the fastest for most homeowners.
- Review your property record — you will see your appraised value, land value, improvement value, exemptions on file, ownership information, property description (square footage, year built, bedrooms, bathrooms), and prior-year values.
This is free, public information. You do not need an account to search — only to file a protest or manage exemptions.
How to read your Notice of Appraised Value
BCAD mails Notices of Appraised Value to 750,000+ property owners each year, typically in early-to-mid April. This notice is the most important document in your property tax year. Here is what to look for:
Owner ID and PIN — printed at the top. You need both to file a protest or access your account online. These are case-sensitive.
Market value — BCAD's estimate of what your property would sell for as of January 1. This is the number you can protest.
Appraised value — may differ from market value if you have a homestead cap (10% annual increase limit under Tax Code §23.23).
Exemptions listed — verify your homestead, over-65, disabled veteran, or other exemptions appear. If they are missing, you are overpaying.
Year-over-year change — compare this year's value to last year's. An increase does not mean you cannot protest — it means you should.
Check your property description carefully. Errors in square footage, lot size, year built, or bedroom/bathroom count are common and can inflate your assessed value by thousands. If BCAD lists your 1,800-square-foot home as 2,100 square feet, that alone is grounds for a correction.
If your value looks higher than what your home would actually sell for, you are not alone. See Is Your San Antonio Home Overassessed? to understand why this happens and what to do about it.
2026 BCAD calendar: every deadline that matters
January 1, 2026 — Property valuation date. BCAD determines your home's market value as of this date.
January–March 2026 — BCAD finalizes mass appraisal valuations. This is the best time to engage a protest firm — more time means stronger evidence.
Mid-April 2026 — Notices of Appraised Value mailed to 750,000+ Bexar County property owners. Your 30-day protest clock starts on the date printed on this notice.
April 30, 2026 — Homestead exemption application deadline for Tax Year 2026. If you bought a home in 2025 or early 2026 and have not filed, do it now — the previous owner's exemption does not transfer.
May 15, 2026 — Standard property tax protest filing deadline. Or 30 days after the date on your notice, whichever is later. In 2026, May 15 falls on a Friday.
May–June 2026 — Informal hearings. BCAD schedules phone or Zoom conferences with an appraiser. Over 99% of residential protests are resolved at this stage.
May–July 2026 — ARB formal hearings for cases not settled informally. Each hearing runs 15–20 minutes before an independent panel.
~July 20, 2026 — Approximate late protest cutoff. Good cause required, paper form only, acceptance not guaranteed.
September–October 2026 — Tax rates adopted by local taxing entities.
October–November 2026 — Tax bills mailed reflecting any approved reductions.
January 31, 2027 — Payment deadline. Taxes become delinquent February 1.
For the full deadline deep-dive including late filing rules, the reappraisal reprieve, and what changed with Prop 13, see our 2026 protest deadline calendar.
How to protest your Bexar County appraisal
Who can protest and on what grounds
Any property owner in Bexar County has the right to protest their appraised value every year under Texas Tax Code §41.41. You do not need a reason beyond disagreement with the number. Filing a protest cannot raise your value — the worst outcome is no change.
When you file, select both "incorrect appraised (market) value" and "value is unequal compared with other properties." Checking both grounds preserves your widest evidence presentation rights and keeps all appeal options open. This is the Texas Comptroller's own guidance.
Two ways to file online
BCAD offers two digital filing paths through the online portal at bcad.org:
Option 1 — Fully online. 100% digital. BCAD reviews your protest 10 days after submission. Settlement offers arrive by email. No phone calls or meetings required.
Option 2 — File online, communicate directly. Protest filed online but the informal hearing happens by phone, Zoom, or written communication. Good for first-time protesters who want to talk to an appraiser.
Both require your Owner ID and PIN. For a complete walkthrough of each step, see our step-by-step BCAD filing guide.
What evidence do you need?
The strongest protest evidence includes:
- Recent comparable sales — closed sales of similar nearby homes that sold for less than your assessed value
- Property condition photos — document any deferred maintenance, foundation issues, or needed repairs
- Contractor repair estimates — quantify the cost of documented problems
- Property description errors — incorrect square footage, lot size, year built, or room count
- Unequal appraisal data — show that similar homes in your area are assessed at lower values per square foot
After filing online, you have 7 calendar days to upload evidence. BCAD accepts PDF and JPEG files only — 10MB per file, 20MB total, maximum 10 photos. Do not wait until the last day.
For advanced protest strategies, see our full San Antonio property tax protest guide and our breakdown of the unequal appraisal strategy most homeowners miss.
What to expect at your hearing
Informal hearing: This is where most protests are resolved. In 2024, approximately 88% of Bexar County protests resulted in a meaningful reduction for the property owner. A BCAD appraiser reviews your evidence and either offers a settlement or maintains the original value. If you agree, the protest closes. If not, you proceed to a formal hearing.
Formal ARB hearing: Conducted before an independent three-member panel of the Appraisal Review Board — not BCAD employees. You can appear by phone, Zoom, written affidavit, or in person. Hearings run 15–20 minutes. In 2024, 92% of ARB hearings also resulted in a reduction.
In 2024, 185,670 Bexar County property accounts were protested (24% of all parcels), with a 88% success rate and 92% ARB success rate. Combined savings exceeded $60 million.
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What exemptions can you file through BCAD?
Exemptions reduce the taxable value of your property — separate from and in addition to any protest reduction. BCAD administers all exemption applications for Bexar County properties.
The exemption application deadline is April 30 for the current tax year. But if you missed it, you can still file late — homestead exemptions allow retroactive filing up to 2 years, and disabled veteran exemptions up to 5 years.
Exemptions are never automatic. You must file an application with BCAD for every exemption you qualify for. If you recently bought a home, the previous owner's exemption does not transfer — you need to file a new application.
For the complete breakdown of every exemption available in Bexar County — including dollar amounts by taxing jurisdiction, required documents, and the seven mistakes that cost homeowners money — see our comprehensive exemptions guide.
BCAD contact information and resources
How to get your Owner ID and PIN
Your Owner ID and PIN are printed at the top of your Notice of Appraised Value, mailed each April. If you lost yours or never received a notice, call BCAD at 210-242-2432 or email csefile@bcad.org. You will need to verify your identity as the property owner. Note: the deadline will not be extended while you wait, so request credentials as early as possible.
For a complete breakdown of San Antonio tax rates by jurisdiction, see our San Antonio property tax rates guide.
About the author
Gabriel Esparza is the founder of Alamo Tax Defense and a TDLR licensed property tax consultant (#13464). A licensed Texas real estate agent since 2016 (#672780) with over 350 closed transactions in San Antonio, Gabriel has personally analyzed thousands of Bexar County properties and specializes in identifying overvalued assessments and missing exemptions.
Need help navigating BCAD? Alamo Tax Defense handles protests and exemption filings for Bexar County homeowners. Our fee is 40% of first-year savings only — if we do not reduce your taxes, you pay nothing.
Methodology
All BCAD organizational data, staffing figures, and budget information are sourced from the BCAD Annual Report 2025. Protest statistics (success rates, savings totals, account counts) are sourced from O'Connor and Texas Property Tax Appeal analyses of publicly available BCAD data for the 2024 tax year. Exemption amounts reflect Tax Year 2025 values as published by the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector and updated by the 89th Texas Legislature (Proposition 13 and Proposition 11, approved November 4, 2025). Legal citations reference the Texas Property Tax Code as published on statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Filing procedures and deadlines are sourced from BCAD's official Help Center.
Sources:
- BCAD Official Website
- BCAD Help Center
- BCAD Online Services Portal
- BCAD Annual Report 2025
- Texas Comptroller — Property Tax Protests and Appeals
- Texas Comptroller — Property Tax Exemptions
- Bexar County 2025 Official Tax Rates & Exemptions
- Texas Property Tax Code
- O'Connor — Bexar County Property Tax Data
Common questions
What does the Bexar County Appraisal District do?
BCAD (officially the Bexar Central Appraisal District as of January 1, 2026) determines the appraised value of every property in Bexar County — 774,100 parcels worth $316.5 billion. It serves 81 separate taxing entities including school districts, the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and University Health System. BCAD does not set tax rates or collect taxes — it only establishes the value that those entities use to calculate your bill.
How do I look up my property value on BCAD?
Go to bcad.org and click "Online Services" to access the BCAD property search portal. You can search by owner name, property address, or Property ID. The results show your current appraised value, land and improvement breakdown, exemptions on file, ownership history, and property details like square footage and year built. No account is needed to search — it is free, public information.
When is the 2026 property tax protest deadline in Bexar County?
The standard deadline is May 15, 2026, or 30 days after the date printed on your Notice of Appraised Value — whichever is later. In 2026, May 15 falls on a Friday. If your notice was dated after April 15, your personal deadline extends past May 15. Late protests with good cause may be accepted until approximately July 20, but require a paper form and ARB approval.
Can BCAD raise my taxes if I file a protest?
No. Under Texas Tax Code §41.43, the Appraisal Review Board cannot set your property's appraised value higher than what was on BCAD's original notice. The only possible outcomes are a reduction or no change. Protesting is 100% risk-free. Additionally, under the 2025–2026 reappraisal reprieve, a successful protest locks in your reduced market value for the following year.
How do I get my BCAD Owner ID and PIN?
Your Owner ID and PIN are printed at the top of your Notice of Appraised Value, which BCAD mails each April. Both are case-sensitive. If you lost your notice or never received one, call BCAD at 210-242-2432 or email csefile@bcad.org to request your credentials. You will need to verify your identity as the property owner. Do not wait until close to the deadline — the deadline will not be extended while you wait.
What is the homestead exemption amount in Bexar County for 2026?
The school district homestead exemption is $140,000, increased from $100,000 by Proposition 13 (approved November 2025). Seniors aged 65+ and disabled homeowners receive an additional $60,000, for a total of $200,000 in school district exemptions. Local entities add further exemptions — the City of San Antonio offers 20% of appraised value plus $85,000 for seniors. Exemptions are not automatic; you must file an application with BCAD by April 30.
How does BCAD determine my property value?
BCAD uses a Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) system to value all 774,100 parcels simultaneously. Approximately 101 field appraisers group properties into market areas and apply statistical models to estimate market value as of January 1 of each tax year. Appraisals are based on exterior-only inspections on a multi-year cycle — BCAD does not enter your home. Because Texas is a non-disclosure state (sellers do not have to report sale prices), BCAD works with incomplete sales data, which contributes to systematic overassessment.
Is it worth protesting my BCAD appraisal?
The data strongly supports it. In 2024, 88% of informal protests in Bexar County resulted in a reduction, and 92% of formal ARB hearings did as well. The median assessed value reduction was $16,936 — roughly $390 per year in tax savings at San Antonio's combined rate. With the 2025–2026 reappraisal reprieve, a successful protest now protects your value for two years. Approximately 40% of Bexar County homes are assessed above actual market value in any given year.