The Hays Central Appraisal District (Hays CAD) sets the January 1 market value of property for the taxing units it serves in Hays County, mails notices of appraised value, processes exemption applications, and takes value protests for the Hays County Appraisal Review Board. Hays CAD does not set tax rates or exemption amounts, and the Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office is a separate office that handles bills and payments. Hays CAD is at 21001 North IH 35, Kyle, Texas 78640, phone (512) 268-2522, online at hayscad.com.
I'm Taylor Ring, a Mortgage Loan Officer with Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (The Wood Group) in Belton. I'm not affiliated with Hays CAD. Buyers looking south of Austin toward Kyle, Buda, and San Marcos often compare those homes with Round Rock or Georgetown, and the property tax line can change the monthly payment as much as the price. Everything below comes from hayscad.com, read October 26, 2026.
Buying in Hays County? Get Pre-Approved or Book a Free Consultation.
Hays CAD and Tax Office Contacts
| Office | Address | Phone / Email | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays Central Appraisal District (values, exemptions, protests) | 21001 North IH 35, Kyle, TX 78640 (Lex Word Building) | (512) 268-2522; fax (512) 713-0563; info@hayscad.com | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Hays CAD protests | Same as above | protest@hayscad.com | In-person protest filing 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday |
| Hays County Appraisal Review Board | Same as above | arb@hayscad.com | Hearing schedule set by notice |
| Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector (bills and payments) | 712 S Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, TX 78666 | propertytax@co.hays.tx.us | Contact the tax office directly |
Good to know:
- Hays CAD and the tax office are separate. Hays CAD's site says the Tax Assessor-Collector's Office is "a separate and independent office" and that questions about tax bills, payments, and collections go to that office.
- Hays CAD listed two October 2026 closures: October 12 (national holiday) and the morning of October 15 for staff training.
- Open anything Hays CAD mails you. The district says "We do not send junk mail." If you get a homestead audit letter and don't reply in time, the exemption can be terminated.
- You can sign up for email notices through Hays CAD's request for electronic communications.
Source: Hays CAD contact page and home page.
Which Taxing Units Hays CAD Serves
Hays CAD's taxing unit list includes Hays County, the cities of Kyle, Buda, San Marcos, Dripping Springs, Uhland, Woodcreek, Niederwald, Mountain City, and Hays, the City of Austin and Austin Community College for the Hays County part of their territory, plus many municipal utility districts (MUDs), emergency services districts, and water districts. Hays CAD's FAQ also notes it covers some areas outside the county for a school district or city that chose to have Hays CAD appraise its property.
Before you write an offer, I check:
- The school district. Hays CISD, San Marcos CISD, Dripping Springs ISD, Wimberley ISD, and others each have their own rate and exemptions.
- Any MUD or special district on the account. Newer subdivisions around Kyle and Buda often have one, and each adds its own tax line.
- Whether the home is on the Travis County side of the line if it's near Austin. If it is, see my Travis Central Appraisal District guide.
How to Look Up a Property on Hays CAD
- Go to esearch.hayscad.com (the Property Search button on hayscad.com).
- Search by owner, address, or account and toggle to the current year, as Hays CAD reminds users.
- Open the account to see values, exemptions, taxing units, and, after notices go out, a link to your notice.
Hays CAD also has an interactive map at gis.bisclient.com/hayscad.
What to Check on a Listing's Record
- Exemptions belong to the seller. The seller's homestead exemption, 10% cap, and any over-65 school tax ceiling don't carry over to you.
- Market value vs. appraised value. Hays CAD explains that appraised value is market value minus the homestead cap, and taxable value is what's left after exemptions. A longtime owner's appraised value can be well below market value.
- New construction. Hays CAD's FAQ says a home not finished on January 1 is added to the roll at its percent of completion that day, so next year's value can jump once it's complete.
- No photos or floor plans online. Hays CAD notes Tax Code Section 25.027 bars posting photos, sketches, or floor plans of homes on the internet.
How Hays CAD Values Homes
According to Hays CAD:
- Each parcel is visited and reviewed at least once every three years by an appraiser or data collector.
- Appraisers never ask to inspect the inside of your home. If there's an interior problem that isn't visible from outside, you can have an appraiser review it with you present or submit photos or repair estimates.
- The district uses the sales comparison, cost, and income approaches in a mass appraisal of similar properties.
- Taxes are based on 100% of market value, and the district reviews sales and properties every year.
Filing Your Homestead Exemption With Hays CAD
It's free. Hays CAD says there is "no cost or fee" to file a homestead application with any Texas appraisal district.
How to file:
- Online through the Online Forms button at the top of hayscad.com.
- On paper with Form 50-114 from the Forms page, by email or in person at 21001 N IH 35, Kyle.
What you need: a copy of your Texas driver's license or Texas ID, and the address on it must match the property address.
When: the deadline is April 30 of the tax year, and Hays CAD says late applications are allowed up to two years after the delinquency date. Its example: for 2025, the deadline was April 30, 2025, the delinquency date was February 1, 2026, and the late deadline is January 31, 2028.
Bought after January 1? Since 2022, you can get a pro-rated homestead exemption from the date you both own and occupy the home, if the property doesn't already have a general homestead exemption for the year and you aren't claiming one elsewhere.
When the 10% Homestead Cap Starts
Hays CAD explains that the homestead cap limits your appraised value increase to 10% a year (Tax Code Section 23.23), not counting new improvements. But the exemption must be on the property in your name for one full calendar year before the cap helps. Hays CAD's own example: if you qualify for a pro-rated exemption with a July 1, 2025 move-in, you won't see the cap benefit until January 1, 2027. A pro-rated homestead gives you the exemption, not the cap, in the first year.
Over 65 and Disabled Homeowners
Hays CAD describes the school tax ceiling for homeowners with the over-65 or disabled person exemption: your school taxes stop rising above the amount for the year you qualified, except for significant improvements. Hays CAD says you can request to move the ceiling to a new homestead, keeping the same percentage benefit. See my Texas homestead exemption over 65 guide and the Texas disabled veteran property tax exemption guide.
2025 Homestead Exemption Amounts for Common Taxing Units
From Hays CAD's 2025 Tax Rates and Exemption Amounts report, the most recent posted. Each taxing unit sets its own local option amounts; Hays CAD does not. A percentage exemption is a share of appraised value with the minimum (and any maximum) shown.
| Taxing unit | General homestead | Over 65 | Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays CISD, San Marcos CISD, Dripping Springs ISD, Wimberley ISD | $140,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 |
| Hays County | 1% (at least $5,000) | $45,000 | $45,000 |
| City of Kyle | 20% (at least $5,000, up to $40,000) | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| City of San Marcos | 20% (at least $5,000, up to $15,000) | $35,000 | $35,000 |
| City of Buda | 1% (at least $5,000) | $35,000 | $35,000 |
| City of Dripping Springs | 1% (at least $10,000) | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Austin Community College | 1% (at least $5,000) | $75,000 | $75,000 |
Over-65 and disabled school amounts are state-set. 2026 amounts may differ, so confirm the current year on your account. For the statewide steps, see how to file a homestead exemption in Texas.
How to Protest Your Hays County Appraisal
The Deadline
Hays CAD: file not later than May 15, or within 30 days after your notice of appraised value was mailed, whichever is later. Hays CAD mails more than 136,000 notices in stages, with most mailed April 1, and each notice shows its own hard deadline. Late protests are allowed for good cause, but not after the ARB approves the records in July.
Mailing it? Hays CAD warns that USPS may not postmark mail the day you drop it off, and under Tax Code Section 1.08 the postmark date decides whether a mailed filing is on time. Hays CAD recommends filing electronically or in person, mailing weeks early, or getting proof of mailing.
Four Ways to File
- Online through Hays CAD's appeal portal (account required). Hays CAD calls this the fastest way to have an appraiser review your protest informally.
- Email your notice of protest to protest@hayscad.com.
- Mail to 21001 N IH 35, Kyle, TX 78640.
- In person, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hays CAD notes that it receives tens of thousands of protests a year, and email, mail, and in-person filings are entered by hand, which can delay processing.
The Informal Review
Every protest Hays CAD receives is scheduled for a formal ARB hearing. Before that, appraisal district staff conduct informal reviews by email, which must wrap up five business days before the hearing and aren't available on hearing day. If you accept an informal settlement, the hearing is canceled. Hays CAD says a response can take anywhere from a few days to a few months.
The Hays County ARB Hearing
- Formal hearings are held on-site at 21001 N IH 35 in Kyle.
- Videoconference: Hays CAD posts an ARB videoconference link and says scheduled owners receive it by email. Don't join more than five minutes early, and don't leave the virtual waiting room; the ARB can dismiss a protest for failure to appear.
- By affidavit: you can submit evidence with Comptroller Form 50-283 instead of appearing.
Hays County Property Tax Calendar
| When | What Happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Market value set as of this date | Hays CAD |
| April 1 | Most notices of appraised value mailed (in stages) | Hays CAD |
| April 30 | Homestead exemption application deadline | Hays CAD |
| May 15 (or 30 days after notice) | Protest deadline, whichever is later | Hays CAD |
| By July 20 | ARB approves the appraisal records | Hays CAD |
| By July 25 | Appraisal roll certified to taxing units | Hays CAD |
| August | Tax rates adopted at public hearings; after August 7, estimated taxes at Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes | Hays CAD |
| February 1 | Delinquency date for unpaid taxes (per Hays CAD's homestead example) | Hays CAD |
How Hays CAD Values Show Up in Your Payment
Hays CAD's formula is simple: taxable value divided by 100, times each unit's tax rate, with the taxable value equal to appraised value minus exemptions. If you escrow, those taxes are built into your monthly payment, and your servicer adjusts the escrow payment each year when the bill changes. My what is escrow in a mortgage guide explains the annual analysis.
Hypothetical example: A buyer purchases a Kyle home from a longtime owner who had the over-65 exemption and a school tax ceiling. The seller's bill was $3,600 a year ($300 a month). Built on full market value with only the buyer's own homestead exemptions, plus a MUD on the account, the buyer's estimate is $7,800 a year ($650 a month). Budgeting on the seller's bill would have left the buyer about $350 a month short. Round illustrative numbers, not actual Hays County taxes.
My checklist for Hays County buyers:
- Confirm the school district, city, and any MUD on the Hays CAD record before you write an offer.
- Estimate taxes on full market value with your own exemptions. See how much house can I afford in Texas.
- File your homestead as soon as your driver's license shows the new address.
- Plan for the escrow deposit at closing, covered in my closing costs in Texas guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hays Central Appraisal District?
The Hays Central Appraisal District, or Hays CAD, determines the January 1 market value of property for the taxing units it serves in Hays County, mails notices of appraised value, processes exemptions, and takes protests for the Hays County Appraisal Review Board. It does not set tax rates or collect taxes. Its office is at 21001 North IH 35 in Kyle, phone 512-268-2522.
How do I file a homestead exemption with Hays CAD?
File online through Hays CAD's online forms portal or submit Form 50-114 by email or in person at 21001 N IH 35 in Kyle. Include a copy of your Texas driver's license or ID showing the property address. Filing is free, the deadline is April 30, and Hays CAD allows late applications up to two years after the delinquency date.
What is the Hays CAD protest deadline?
File by May 15 or within 30 days after your notice of appraised value was mailed, whichever is later. Hays CAD mails notices in stages, mostly on April 1, and each notice shows its own deadline. You can protest online, by email to protest@hayscad.com, by mail, or in person.
Does every Hays CAD protest go to a hearing?
Hays CAD schedules every protest it receives for a formal hearing with the Hays County Appraisal Review Board. Staff conduct informal reviews by email before then, and those must finish five business days before the hearing. If you accept an informal settlement, the hearing is canceled.
Who collects property taxes in Hays County?
The Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office collects property taxes, not Hays CAD. Hays CAD describes the tax office as a separate and independent office and lists its address as 712 S Stagecoach Trail in San Marcos. Questions about tax bills and payments go directly to the tax office.
Planning a Purchase in Hays County?
I'll check the school district, MUD, and exemptions on any Kyle, Buda, or San Marcos home you're considering and build your estimate on the taxes you'll actually pay.
Get Pre-Approved | Book a Free Consultation
Related Guides
- Travis Central Appraisal District Guide
- Buying a Home in Austin
- How to File a Homestead Exemption in Texas
- Texas Homestead Exemption Over 65
- What Is Escrow in a Mortgage?
- Closing Costs in Texas
Sources
- Hays Central Appraisal District: home page, contact, protest, exemption information, pro-rated homestead, free homestead filing notice, notices mailed in stages, USPS postmark notice, how my property is appraised, appraisal cycle, taxing units, 2025 Tax Rates and Exemption Amounts, truth in taxation, tax office messages, FAQs, and October office closures
Taylor Ring, NMLS #2809683 | Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, NMLS #2289 | The Wood Group of Fairway, 127 Lake Rd Ste 300, Belton, TX 76513 | Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines, and approval, rates, and program availability are not guaranteed. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Hays Central Appraisal District, the Hays County Appraisal Review Board, the Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector, or any government agency. Contact Hays CAD directly for official values, deadlines, and exemption decisions.