HomesteadDeadlines

Illinois Homestead Exemption: Deadline & How to Apply (2026)

Illinois’s homestead exemption filing deadline is No single statewide deadline — set locally by each county's Chief County Assessment Office (Cook County: Assessor's Office), according to Illinois Department of Revenue.

Source: Illinois Department of RevenueVerified

Filing requirements vary by county; some counties require an initial Form PTAX-324, Application for Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption, or a Form PTAX-329, Certificate of Status Form for Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption (annual renewal application) to be filed with the Chief County Assessment Office.

Illinois Department of Revenue — its own words, read 2026-08-04

Where the application goes

Applications go to the county, not the state. That is why this site is organised by county: the deadline printed on a state page is the rule, and several counties do not follow it.

Illinois calls it General Homestead Exemption (GHE). The name is worth knowing before you go looking for the form.

Who qualifies

The General Homestead Exemption reduces the equalized assessed value (EAV) of an owner-occupied principal residence by up to $10,000 in Cook County, $8,000 in counties contiguous to Cook, and $6,000 elsewhere (35 ILCS 200/15-175). Illinois also offers a Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption ($8,000 Cook/contiguous, $5,000 elsewhere, for owners 65+), a Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption that freezes EAV for seniors with household income up to $75,000 (2026), a Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities ($2,000 EAV reduction), and Veterans with Disabilities exemptions ranging from $2,500 to a full exemption depending on disability rating.

Why there are no Illinois county pages

We measured DuPage County at 10–100 searches a month against 1K–10K for the state as a whole. Illinois homeowners search for this at state level, and county pages here would be pages nobody is looking for. Cook County is the exception in our measurements and is a candidate for the next batch.

Illinois homestead exemption questions

When is the homestead exemption deadline in Illinois?
No single statewide deadline — set locally by each county's Chief County Assessment Office (Cook County: Assessor's Office) — the source we read puts it this way: “Filing requirements vary by county; some counties require an initial Form PTAX-324, Application for Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption, or a Form PTAX-329, Certificate of Status Form for Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption (annual renewal application) to be filed with the Chief County Assessment Office.” We read it on 2026-08-04.
What is the exemption called in Illinois?
It is called General Homestead Exemption (GHE). The name matters when you are searching: an application filed under the wrong programme name is the most avoidable delay there is.
Where do I file in Illinois?
Applications go to the county, not the state. That is why this site is organised by county: the deadline printed on a state page is the rule, and several counties do not follow it. The state's own page is https://tax.illinois.gov/localgovernments/property/taxrelief.html.
Who qualifies in Illinois?
In outline: The General Homestead Exemption reduces the equalized assessed value (EAV) of an owner-occupied principal residence by up to $10,000 in Cook County, $8,000 in counties contiguous to Cook, and $6,000 elsewhere (35 ILCS 200/15-175). Illinois also offers a Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption ($8,000 Cook/contiguous, $5,000 elsewhere, for owners 65+), a Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption that freezes EAV for seniors with household income up to $75,000 (2026), a Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities ($2,000 EAV reduction), and Veterans with Disabilities exemptions ranging from $2,500 to a full exemption depending on disability rating.
Does Illinois have one deadline for the whole state?
We have not tested that county by county in Illinois. This page carries the state rule as published; a county's own office can still describe it differently, and it is worth a call before you rely on a date.
Which law creates the Illinois exemption?
35 ILCS 200/15-175 (General Homestead Exemption); related: 35 ILCS 200/15-168, 15-165, 15-169, 15-170, 15-172, 15-173, 15-180. We cite it so you can read the rule rather than take our word for it — nothing on this site is legal advice.
Is there one Illinois application form?
No single statewide form that we could source. Applications are made on forms the local office issues. Use the form linked from your county's page.

More on Illinois

Sources

What this site is

HomesteadDeadlines is not a government website and is not affiliated with any appraisal district, assessor’s office or county tax office.

Applying for a homestead exemption with your county is free. We do not file it for you, we do not charge you anything, and we never ask you to pay to apply.

Deadlines and eligibility are set by Illinois Department of Revenue and are governed by its current notices. This page was verified on 2026-08-04.