You can apply for a senior property tax freeze in St. Louis County. Here’s how.
CLAYTON — St. Louis County will make its long-awaited senior property tax freeze application available Tuesday.
Here are answers to seven questions about applying for the program:
Who qualifies?
You must be at least 62 years old and own your property as of Dec. 31, 2024. It must be your main residence.
If you own multiple properties, the tax freeze can only be applied to one.
Properties owned by a business or corporation do not qualify.
Where can I apply?
Starting Tuesday, an online application will be available on the county's website, stlouiscountymo.gov , and the county will offer in-person assistance with applying from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the following:
The county will not accept mailed or dropped-off paper applications.
Only one member of a household needs to submit an application.
What's the deadline?
The application deadline for the first year is June 30, 2025.
What documents do I need?
You will need proof of identity and age, such as a driver's license, a state-issued identification or a birth certificate.
You'll also need your property's parcel identification number or locator number. That can be found on the county's real estate information page: revenue.stlouisco.com/IAS .
Proof of residency is also required and includes: a driver's license, state-issued ID, passport, voter registration card, or a vehicle or driver's license renewal card.
You'll also have to prove you own your property with a record such as a warranty deed, quit claim deed, grant deed or survivorship deed.
Residents who bought homes in 1973 or later may download a copy of their deed through the county's online vendor at tapestry.fidlar.com . Beginning Tuesday, those residents may also visit any of the four county buildings to get a copy of their deed.
Residents who bought their property in 1972 or before need to visit the county government building in Clayton between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to get a copy of their deed.
Appointments may be made online at stlouiscountymo.gov/services/qless-virtual-wait-line .
If your property is owned by a trust, you must also provide copies of records proving you're a trustee or beneficiary.
When will I know if my application was approved?
The county will notify applicants before 2025 tax bills go out in the fall next year. "This process will take time, and approval is not automatic," the county warns on its tax freeze website .
How does the county apply the tax freeze?
The program "freezes" property taxes at the base amount set in the year you qualify.
The county will calculate the difference between the base tax and the amount you would have been charged without the freeze. It will not bill for that amount.
Residents will not receive a tax refund or credit toward future taxes.
The program doesn't change how the assessor values or calculates real estate, according to Sarah Siegel of the St. Louis County assessor's office.
While the tax bill you pay could be frozen, the assessor will still calculate your property's value according to Missouri law, and you'll still receive the same assessment notices.
What else do I need to know?
Property owners will have to renew their application annually.
The freeze does not include personal property. Gov. Mike Parson signed the law earlier this summer.
The County Council approved $900,000 for the revenue department this year to hire employees and buy new software to help process the 160,000 applications the county anticipates. St. Louis County initially placed a cap on the value of an eligible home but later overturned that rule after the state Legislature said it was not allowed under the law.
The city of St. Louis disagrees. City officials last week said they intend to allow a freeze only on homes appraised at $500,000 or less.
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