How to Protest Your Property Tax Appraisal in Guadalupe, Bexar and Comal County

Every spring, homeowners around Cibolo, Schertz, Selma and San Antonio open an appraisal notice and wonder if the number is right. Sometimes it is. Often it isn't, and the only way to fix it is to protest. I've helped past clients do this by pulling the recent sales the appraisal district should be looking at, and in most cases the process is a lot less intimidating than people expect. Here's how it works.

First, figure out which appraisal district your home is in

Your appraisal district depends on your county, and it isn't always obvious around here. Cibolo and most of Schertz are in Guadalupe County. Parts of Schertz and Garden Ridge are in Comal County. Selma and San Antonio homes are mostly in Bexar County, though Selma touches more than one county.

The easiest way to check is to look at your appraisal notice or last year's tax statement, which names the district. You can also type your address into each district's property search. Whichever one finds your property is your district:

• Guadalupe Appraisal District: https://guadalupead.org
• Bexar Central Appraisal District: https://bcad.org
• Comal Appraisal District: https://comalad.org

Know the deadline: May 15, or 30 days after your notice

For most homeowners, the deadline to protest is May 15, or 30 days after the district mailed your notice of appraised value, whichever is later. The 30 days count from the mailing date, not the day the notice reaches you. Bexar and Comal both post May 15 as their deadline, and Bexar adds that if May 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

You don't need a notice to protest. Bexar mailed fewer notices in 2026, and anyone can look up their value with the property search and file anyway.

Military members: if you're on full-time active duty, state law may let you file a late protest. Ask your district before you assume you've missed the deadline.

How to file online

All three districts let you file online with the Owner ID and PIN printed on your notice:

• Guadalupe: the Taxpayer Portal at https://portal.guadalupead.org. If you're uploading evidence, keep it under 4 MB total.
• Bexar: the Online Services Portal at https://bcad.org/online-portal/. You'll choose between "E-File" (everything handled online, settlement offers come by email) and "File My Protest Only" (they mail you instructions to set up a phone or Zoom meeting with an appraiser).
• Comal: file online at https://portal.comalad.org (linked from https://comalad.org/protest-information/). You can also email a PDF protest to comalad@co.comal.tx.us, mail it, or drop it off.

You aren't required to use the official form. A written protest that identifies you, the property and what you disagree with is enough.

Informal review first, then the ARB hearing

After you file, you'll usually get a chance to settle informally with a district appraiser, online or in a meeting. If they offer a value you can live with, you accept and you're done. Keep in mind that once you accept a settlement, the protest closes and can't be reopened.

If you can't agree, your case goes to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), an independent panel of local citizens. They'll give you at least 15 days' notice of your hearing. You can appear in person, by phone or video, or by sending a sworn affidavit. You can also ask in writing for the evidence the district plans to use against you, and you should.

If the ARB's decision still seems wrong, you have more options: district court or binding arbitration, both within 60 days of the order.

What evidence actually works

The ARB isn't the one who sets your tax rate. Its job is to decide your property's market value as of January 1. Telling the panel your taxes are too high won't change anything. What does change values:

• Recent comparable sales. Similar homes near you that sold for less than your appraised value are the strongest evidence you can bring.
• Condition issues. Bring photos, plus repair estimates or receipts for things like foundation, roof or HVAC problems.
• Your own purchase. If you bought recently, bring your closing statement.
• Errors in the district's record. Check for the wrong square footage, a pool you don't have, or a garage counted as living space.

That's where I come in for my clients. I pull the actual recent sales near the home, adjust for differences, and put it on a one-page value sheet they can hand to the appraiser.

What the market looks like right now

These numbers come from the San Antonio Board of REALTORS® (SABOR) September 2026 report:

• Across the SABOR area, the median sales price was $302,999, down about 2% from $308,995 in September 2025. The average was $363,341, also down about 2%.
• For single-family homes in Bexar County, the median was $282,680 (down 4.8%) and the average was $333,434 (down 3.8%), with 5.4 months of inventory.
• Homes are taking longer to sell. Average days on market was 88, up 11%, and active listings were up 4% to 17,155.

When prices are flat or falling, a higher appraisal deserves a close look. Bexar's chief appraiser pointed to a "continued softening in the residential market" when the district mailed fewer notices this year. Whichever county you're in, county-wide numbers only set the scene. Recent SABOR sales of homes like yours on your own street are what count.

Don't skip your homestead exemption

If the home is your primary residence, make sure your homestead exemption is on file. You can check it in the same property search. If it's missing, the steps are below.

How to file your homestead exemption (Form 50-114), district by district

If your home is your main residence, the general residence homestead exemption is the easiest tax savings you'll get. School districts must exempt $140,000 of a homestead's value. On a $300,000 home, that means you pay school taxes as if it were worth $160,000. There's no fee to apply, and you don't need to hire anyone. Once it's approved, you generally don't reapply every year.

Before you start:

• The home must be your principal residence, you must own it, and you can't claim a homestead anywhere else, in Texas or out of state.
• Have a Texas driver's license or Texas ID that shows the property address. The districts check that the addresses match.
• The general deadline is before May 1. If you bought after January 1, you may still qualify for the rest of the year as long as the previous owner wasn't already claiming the exemption.
• Missed it? You can usually file up to two years after the date the taxes became delinquent, and get a refund if you've already paid.

Guadalupe County (Guadalupe Appraisal District)

1. Go to the district's Online Forms & Applications page: https://guadalupead.org/online-forms-applications/
2. Click the Homestead Exemption tool. Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse exemptions have their own tools on the same page.
3. Create an account with your email address. This account is separate from the protest portal at portal.guadalupead.org, so you'll need a new one even if you already have a protest login.
4. Fill out the application, upload your driver's license, and submit.
5. Prefer paper? Download Form 50-114 from https://guadalupead.org/tax-forms-applications/ and turn it in at the Seguin or Schertz office. For help, email exemptions@guadalupead.org.

Bexar County (Bexar Central Appraisal District)

1. Go to https://bcad.org/online-portal/ and click Online Services.
2. Register with the Owner/Agent ID and PIN printed at the top of your appraisal notice. A notice from a prior year works too. If you don't have a PIN, request one at https://help.bcad.org. They can only mail it to you, and waiting for it doesn't extend your deadline.
3. File the homestead exemption in the portal and upload a copy of your Texas driver's license or Texas ID showing the property address.
4. Active-duty military: if you don't have a Texas license or ID, BCAD accepts a copy of your military ID plus a utility bill for the property.
5. Paper option: download Form 50-114 from https://bcad.org/forms/ and submit it through https://help.bcad.org, or by mail, fax or in person.
6. Official steps: https://help.bcad.org/hc/en-us/articles/39968491816595-Homestead-Exemption-How-to-Apply

Comal County (Comal Appraisal District)

Parts of Schertz and Garden Ridge are in Comal County.

1. Comal AD's online forms portal is currently unavailable while the district switches software, so this one is paper. Download Form 50-114 from https://comalad.org/forms/
2. At the top, write "Comal" as the district, the year(s) you're applying for (you can go back two years), and your Property ID from the property search on comalad.org.
3. In Section 1, check General Residence Homestead, plus Over-65, Disabled Person or 100% Disabled Veteran if they apply to you.
4. Attach your driver's license showing the property address.
5. Email it as a PDF to comalad@co.comal.tx.us, mail it, or drop it off at 900 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130.
6. Comal says to file between January 1 and April 30. Approval takes about 90 days.

Official steps: https://comalad.org/exemptions/

Veterans: disabled veterans may qualify for more. A 100% service-connected rating (or individual unemployability) can fully exempt the homestead. Ratings from 10% to 90% use Form 50-135. Details: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/exemptions/

Want a free home value sheet before you protest?

If you'd like me to pull recent sales and put together a free value sheet for your home, book a time here: https://tidycal.com/sharpconsult/60-minute-meeting-consultation. There's no cost and no obligation. You can use it for your protest whether or not you ever list with me.

FAQ

Do I need to hire a tax protest company?
No. Homeowners can file on their own, for free. You can appoint an agent with Form 50-162 if you want someone to represent you.

What if I never got an appraisal notice?
You can still protest. Look up your value in your district's property search and file by May 15.

Can protesting raise my value?
The hearing is about what your home's market value is, so bring solid evidence. Most homeowners who protest are trying to settle at or below the noticed value.

I'm active duty and PCSing. What if I miss the deadline?
Full-time military members may be entitled to file a late protest. Contact your district as soon as you can.

Do I have to protest every year?
Only if you disagree with that year's value. An ARB decision covers one tax year.

What's the difference between the informal review and the ARB?
The informal review is a conversation with a district appraiser, and you can settle there. The ARB is a formal hearing before an independent citizen panel if you don't settle.

Anthony Sharp, REALTOR®, Sharp Realty Group, brokered by Real Broker, LLC. This post is general information, not legal or tax advice.