Apply for Exemptions

Senior Citizen Exemption

In 2000, voters amended the Colorado Constitution with the adoption of Section 3.5 of Article X. The amendment and subsequent legislation created a property tax exemption for two groups of people: qualifying seniors and the surviving spouses of seniors who previously qualified.

The Senior Citizen Exemption is available to applicants who:

• Are at least 65 years of age prior to January 1 of the year of application.
• Owned their home for at least 10 consecutive years prior to January 1.
• Occupied their home as a primary residence for at least 10 consecutive years prior to January 1.

For those who qualify, 50% of the first $200,000 of the actual value of the property is exempted. The state will pay the exempted property tax. Only one property can be designated as your primary residence.

The application deadline is July 15 of the year filing. The exemption will remain in place as long as the property ownership and occupancy remain the same.

NEW FOR 2025 – Qualified Senior Primary Residence Classification Application and Instructions forms updates.

To qualify for the classification, the applicant must have received the Senior Citizen Property Tax Exemption on a residential property in the state of Colorado as of January 1, 2020, or later.

For further information, please see the Notice for Qualified Senior Primary Residence Classification below.

Forms list:

• Gold Star Spouse Application
• Gold Star Spouse Instructions
• Notice for Qualified Senior Primary Residence Classification
• Qualified Senior Primary Residence Classification Application
• Qualified Senior Primary Residence Classification Instructions
• Senior Citizen Long Form Application 2024 Accessible
• Senior Long Form Instructions 2024
• Senior Citizen Short Form Application 2024 Accessible
• Senior Short Form Instructions 2024

The Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption Long Form must be used by individuals applying as a Surviving Spouse and/or the property is held in a trust.

Address:
4430 S. Adams County Pkwy, Ste C2100
Brighton, CO 80601-8203
Phone: 720.523.6038
Email: assessor@adamscountyco.gov (for information only. Please do not send application via email)

Veterans with a Disability Exemption

In 2006, Colorado voters approved Referendum E, expanding the senior property tax exemption to include “qualifying veterans with disability.”

The Veteran with a Disability Exemption is available to property owners who meet each of the following requirements:

• The federal Department of Veterans Affairs has rated the veteran’s service-connected disability as a 100% permanent disability through disability retirement benefits pursuant to a law or regulation administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Department of Homeland Security, or the Department of the Army, Navy, or Air Force.
• The veteran sustained a service-connected disability while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States. This includes members of the National Guard and Reserves who sustained their injury during a period in which they were called to active duty.
• The veteran was honorably discharged.
• The veteran has owned and occupied the property since January 1 of the current year.

For those who qualify, 50 percent of the first $200,000 of the actual value of the property is exempted. The state will pay the exempted property tax. Only one property can be designated as your primary residence.

The application deadline is July 1. Application forms and general information are available from the Adams County Assessor’s website under Forms, and by following the links shown below.

• Notice of Property Tax Exemption Veteran Update
• Veteran Surviving Spouse 2024
• Veteran with a Disability Application Instructions 2025
• Veteran with a Disability Property Tax Exemption Application 2025

For additional information regarding Property Tax Exemption for a Surviving Spouse of a Qualified Disabled Veteran, or a Gold Star Spouse, contact the Adams County Assessor’s Office at 720.523.6038 or assessor@adamscountyco.gov.

Schools, Charitable Organizations, and Churches Exemption

Property which is owned and used solely and exclusively for religious purposes, for private schools, or for strictly charitable purposes is exempt, C.R.S. 39-3-106 – 113 and 116. Ownership of property that may qualify for exemption as owned and used for a private school, strictly for charitable purposes, or for religious purposes, must file an application with the Division of Property Taxation.

The Process to File for Exemption for a School, Church, or Charitable Organization:

• Fill out one application form per parcel for which you are requesting an exemption and mail it to the address below:

Address:
4430 S. Adams County Pkwy, Ste C2100
Brighton, CO 80601-8203
Phone: 720.523.6038
Email: assessor@adamscountyco.gov

• Return the form and a check for the application, made payable to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, to the county assessor’s office.
• The county section of the application(s) will be updated, and the form(s) and check(s) will be forwarded to the Property Tax Administrator at the State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs, Division of Property Taxation.

Once the review process is completed by the Property Tax Administrator’s Office, a Final Determination notice will be sent to the applicant and the county assessor.