5 Documents South Carolinians May Need for the Homestead Exemption at 65

South Carolina temporarily raised the homestead exemption for tax year 2026, and unless lawmakers extend it, the higher amount won’t last.

Getting the exemption starts with the right paperwork, and the list changes by county.

Here’s what to gather before you visit your county auditor.

Note: This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Exemption rules and required paperwork are subject to change, so confirm the current requirements with your county auditor.

1. Driver’s License or State ID

Greenville, Dorchester and Berkeley counties each let you prove your age for the homestead exemption with a state-issued ID.

Greenville and Dorchester also list a driver’s license, so either card works there.

Lexington County is the exception because its checklist adds a South Carolina driver’s license to whatever proof of age you bring.

If you’ve stopped driving, ask the Lexington auditor whether a state ID card will do before you make the trip.

2. Birth Certificate and Other Age Proof

A birth certificate appears on all four county checklists and on the state Department of Revenue’s flyer for the homestead exemption.

Berkeley and Dorchester counties also accept a passport.

Lexington County lets a Medicare card stand in for the birth certificate.

Dorchester County lists a Medicare card only under disability, so you can’t count on it to prove your age there.

If you qualify through disability or blindness instead of age, you need different papers, such as documentation from the certifying agency or from a licensed ophthalmologist.

Age isn’t the only test, since state law also asks you to have lived in the state for at least one year.

Dorchester, Berkeley and Lexington counties all count that as one calendar year of legal residency.

3. Social Security Number Paperwork

Berkeley County’s homestead exemption checklist is the only one of the four that asks for Social Security number paperwork.

It asks anyone listed on the deed or title for a Social Security card, a tax return or another legal document that shows the number.

Whichever one you choose has to show the number.

If you and your spouse are both on the deed, each of you needs one.

The other three checklists don’t list Social Security paperwork, though Greenville and Dorchester counties both call their lists incomplete.

4. Trust Paperwork

If a trust holds title to your home, your homestead exemption paperwork can include a trust document.

Greenville and Dorchester counties ask income beneficiaries of a trust for a copy of the trust agreement.

Berkeley County asks for a Certificate of Trust when a trust holds the property.

Berkeley’s surviving-spouse section, though, tells income beneficiaries to present the trust agreement.

5. South Carolina Homestead Exemption Application

South Carolina's homestead exemption begins with a written application to your county auditor on a form the state approves.

State law treats a failure to apply as a waiver of the exemption for that year.

Berkeley County points you to its auditor's office for application information and help.

Dorchester County's auditor takes applications at the St. George and Summerville offices or through an online form.

A mailed application has to include a copy of your documentation of age.

The first $50,000 of your home's fair market value is exempt from county, municipal, school and special assessment real estate taxes.

For tax year 2026, the General Assembly temporarily raised that to $75,000, Lexington County's auditor says.

Unless lawmakers extend the increase, the amount goes back to $50,000 for later tax years.

File by July 15, and the exemption starts with that tax year.

File after July 15, and you generally wait until the following tax year.

One exception covers an application made after July 15 but before the first penalty date on that year's property taxes.

If you qualify for that tax year, state law reduces that year's bill to reflect the exemption.

Lexington County also takes applications from July 16 through December 31 in the year you turn 65, and from January 1 through July 15 the year after.

You don't have to file again each year, and Greenville and Dorchester counties ask you to reapply only if the eligible owner dies or you move.

Berkeley County's rule is the same: you only reapply if the eligible owner dies or you move to a new home.

FAQ

Several answers below depend on which county your home is in.

What documents do you need for the South Carolina homestead exemption at 65?

You need proof of your age and a written application to your county auditor.

Depending on your county, you may also need a driver's license, Social Security number paperwork or trust papers.

A birth certificate is the proof of age listed in Greenville, Dorchester, Berkeley and Lexington counties.

Which counties require a driver's license for the homestead exemption?

Lexington County is the only one of Greenville, Dorchester, Berkeley and Lexington that requires a driver's license.

The other three accept a birth certificate or a state ID card as proof of your age.

Berkeley County lists a state-issued ID, and Greenville and Dorchester list either a license or an ID.

Does a Medicare card prove your age for the homestead exemption?

In Lexington County, a Medicare card can stand in for a birth certificate.

Dorchester County lists a Medicare card only under disability, not age.

When do you have to apply for the homestead exemption?

Apply by July 15 for the exemption to start with that tax year.

If you qualify and apply after July 15 but before the first penalty date on that year's property taxes, state law reduces that year's bill.

After that date, you generally wait until the following tax year.

Do disabled or blind owners need different papers?