Santa Rosa County Property Records

Santa Rosa County property records are maintained by the Property Appraiser's office in Milton and are available to the public through the official website and in-person requests. This guide covers how to search ownership data, assessed values, tax information, exemptions, and more using the tools and offices that serve this northwest Florida county.

Property Appraiser Office

The Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser is located at 6495 Caroline Street, Suite F, Milton, FL 32570. You can reach the office by phone at 850-983-1880. The official website is santarosapa.com, where you can search parcel data, view maps, and get information about exemptions and assessments.

The Property Appraiser is a constitutional officer elected by Santa Rosa County voters. The office does not set tax rates or collect taxes. Its job is to find the fair market value of every parcel in the county as of January 1 each year. That value forms the base for the tax bills issued later by the Tax Collector.

Visits to the Milton office are welcome during regular business hours. Staff can help with name changes on records, exemption applications, questions about your assessed value, and requests for tangible personal property forms. If you plan to contest an assessment, it is worth calling the office first. Many disputes get resolved before they reach the Value Adjustment Board.

How to Search Santa Rosa Property Records Online

The Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser's website gives you free access to the parcel database. You can search by owner name, parcel number, or property address. Results show ownership history, legal description, land size, building characteristics, assessed value by year, and any exemptions on file.

The site also includes an interactive GIS map. This tool lets you click on any parcel in the county to pull up its record. It is useful if you know a general location but not the exact address or parcel number. You can zoom in, switch between map and aerial views, and export basic parcel data.

Sales data is another resource available through the search portal. Recent arm's-length transactions appear in the database and help show how the office sets market values. If you are looking at a property and want to know what similar homes sold for, the sales history tool can help. It lists date of sale, sale price, and the parties involved.

For records that predate the current online system, you may need to visit the office in person or contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Older deeds, plats, and survey documents are often filed with the Clerk's recording division rather than the Property Appraiser.

Florida Property Tax Data Portal

The Florida Department of Revenue maintains a statewide data portal that includes Santa Rosa County assessment rolls. The portal is useful for comparing data across counties or for pulling annual roll summaries.

The Department of Revenue's data portal lets researchers, appraisers, and the general public download tax roll data by county. It is also where you can find annual reports on property values across all 67 Florida counties, which can help put Santa Rosa County's market trends in context.

Exemptions Available in Santa Rosa County

Florida law allows several property tax exemptions for qualifying owners. The most common is the Homestead Exemption, which reduces the assessed value of a primary residence by up to $50,000. The first $25,000 applies to all taxes. The second $25,000 covers only non-school taxes and applies to assessed values between $50,000 and $75,000.

To qualify, you must own the property and use it as your permanent residence as of January 1. You also need a Florida driver's license or ID, Florida vehicle registration, and Florida voter registration, all listing the property address. The application deadline is March 1 each year. Late applications are not accepted except in narrow circumstances.

Other exemptions available in Santa Rosa County include:

• Senior exemption for qualifying low-income residents age 65 and older
• Veteran's exemption for honorably discharged veterans with a service-connected disability
• Widow and widower exemption
• Total and permanent disability exemption
• First Responder total and permanent disability exemption
• Agricultural classification (greenbelt) for qualifying farm and timber land

Each exemption has its own set of income limits, documentation requirements, and deadlines. Contact the Property Appraiser's office at 850-983-1880 to ask which programs you may qualify for and what paperwork you will need.

Save Our Homes and Portability

Florida's Save Our Homes assessment cap limits how much the taxable value of a homesteaded property can rise each year. The cap is set at the lower of 3% or the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. This means long-time homeowners often pay taxes on an assessed value well below current market value.

When a homeowner moves to a new primary residence in Florida, they can take that accumulated benefit with them. This is called portability. The difference between the market value and the capped assessed value (called the SOH benefit) can be transferred to the new home, up to $500,000. You must apply for portability at the same time you apply for Homestead Exemption on the new property. The deadline is the same: March 1.

If you bought a home in Santa Rosa County and the previous owner had a large SOH benefit, that benefit does not transfer to you. The property resets to market value. Planning your purchase around this reset can affect your long-term tax costs, and it is worth reviewing before you close.

County Property Appraisers and Local Officials

The Florida Department of Revenue provides a directory of all county property appraisers and other local property tax officials. Use this resource to confirm contact information for Santa Rosa County or to find officials in adjacent counties.

The local officials page lists the Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, and Value Adjustment Board contacts for each county. If you have a dispute or need to reach the right person quickly, this is a good starting point. The directory is updated by the Department of Revenue and links to each county's official government site.

Legal Framework for Property Records

Santa Rosa County property records are governed by several Florida statutes. Chapter 192 sets out the general tax assessment rules that apply to all Florida counties. Chapter 193 covers assessment procedures in detail, including how property is classified and valued. Chapter 119, Florida's Public Records Law, governs access to government documents including property records. Most records maintained by the Property Appraiser are open to the public under Chapter 119.

Chapter 28 covers the Clerk of the Circuit Court, which records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments affecting real property. These recorded documents are public records and are a key part of the full property record for any parcel.

Florida's Property Owner's Bill of Rights, found in section 194.011 of the Florida Statutes, outlines your rights during the assessment and appeal process. You have the right to know how your property was valued, to inspect the data used, and to challenge the assessment through the Value Adjustment Board.

Appealing Your Assessment

If you believe the Property Appraiser has overvalued your Santa Rosa County property, you have the right to appeal. The process starts with an informal review. Call the office at 850-983-1880 and ask to speak with an appraiser about your parcel. Bring evidence such as recent comparable sales, an independent appraisal, or photos showing property condition issues. Many appeals are resolved at this stage without going further.

If the informal review does not resolve the issue, you can file a petition with the Santa Rosa County Value Adjustment Board. The filing fee is $15. You must file by the deadline shown on your TRIM notice, which the office mails out in August. The VAB holds hearings before a special magistrate who reviews the evidence and makes a recommendation. The Board then issues a final order.

Taxpayers who still disagree after the VAB ruling can file suit in circuit court. This step involves more time and legal costs, so most owners stop at the VAB level. But the option exists if you have a strong case.

Cities in Santa Rosa County

Santa Rosa County includes the cities of Milton, Gulf Breeze, Pace, Jay, and Navarre. None of these cities currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city records page. For property records in any Santa Rosa city or unincorporated area, use the county Property Appraiser's office resources above.

Nearby Counties

Santa Rosa County borders Escambia to the west and Okaloosa to the east.