Bandera County ag exemption: acreage, stocking rates and deadlines
What Bandera Central Appraisal District looks for on a 1-d-1 open-space application, where each number comes from, and what to file by April 30.
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How much land and livestock does Bandera County expect?
The standards on record for Bandera County run to about 1 animal unit per 25 acres of native pasture, 1 per 10 acres on improved pasture, a working minimum of 10 acres for a livestock operation and 5 acres as the beekeeping floor. Land also needs five of the past seven years in agricultural use, and the application is due April 30.
Ecoregion default, confirm with Bandera Central Appraisal District.
Last verified April 2026. Source: Bandera Central Appraisal District agricultural valuation page.
What qualifies here
Texas counts the same broad set of agricultural uses everywhere: Cattle, Goats & Sheep, Horses, Poultry, Exotic Animals, Row Crops, Hay Production, Market Garden, Beekeeping, Timber Production, Orchard / Vineyard, Aquaculture. What changes county to county is the degree of intensity each one has to reach.
Bandera CAD publishes its wildlife management acreage minimum. The rest of the numbers below are Edwards Plateau regional defaults, so confirm them with the district before you file.
Minimum acreage and intensity
| Minimum acreage, livestock | 10 acres |
|---|---|
| Minimum acreage, beekeeping | 5 acres |
| Stocking rate, improved pasture | 1 animal unit per 10 acres |
| Stocking rate, native pasture | 1 animal unit per 25 acres |
Stocking rates are the district's starting point, not a guarantee. Soil, pasture condition and the rest of your operation move the number.
Wildlife option
Land already under a 1-d-1 agricultural valuation can move to wildlife management and keep the same low value. You file a wildlife management plan on PWD-885 with the application, and you keep managing for the practices the plan names.
Minimum tract if subdivided: 14.3 acres (11.1 with a wildlife management association).
From the county's published guidelines, last reviewed April 2026.
Deadlines and forms
- April 30 (before May 1, Tax Code 23.54).
- Form 50-129, the state application for 1-d-1 open-space appraisal.
- PWD-885, the wildlife management plan, when you are filing for wildlife management use (TPWD forms).
- A late application is accepted until the appraisal review board approves the records for that year, with a penalty of 10 percent of the tax saved (Tax Code 23.541).
Bandera Central Appraisal District
The district reviews the application and decides it. ExemptLand never files on your behalf.
- Office
- 1206 Main St., Bandera, TX 78003-9998
- Mailing
- P.O. Box 1119, Bandera, TX 78003-1119
- Phone
- 830-796-3039
Numbers behind a savings estimate
In 2024 the combined county and median school district rate on rural land in Bandera County was about 1.35 percent of taxable value. The county's native pasture productivity value for 2024 was about $65 per acre.
Rates and productivity values published by the Texas Comptroller. These are inputs, not a promise: your taxable value, your exemptions and your taxing units decide the actual bill. Not legal or tax advice.
Common questions in Bandera County
- How many acres do I need for cattle in Bandera County?
- There is no single acreage. Bandera Central Appraisal District works from a stocking rate and a herd size, and the standards on record run to about 1 animal unit per 25 acres of native pasture, 1 per 10 acres on improved pasture, a working minimum of 10 acres for a livestock operation and 5 acres as the beekeeping floor. Soil, pasture condition and the rest of the operation move the number, so confirm it with the district before you file.
- How many hives does Bandera County expect for a beekeeping valuation?
- Bandera Central Appraisal District has not published a hive schedule we can quote. Beekeeping qualifies on tracts of 5 to 20 acres under Tax Code 23.51, and the hive count is set by your appraisal district, so ask the district what it expects.
- What is the minimum tract for wildlife management in Bandera County?
- Minimum tract if subdivided: 14.3 acres (11.1 with a wildlife management association). The land has to already carry a 1-d-1 agricultural valuation before it can move to wildlife management, and you file a wildlife management plan with the application. Confirm the current minimum with Bandera Central Appraisal District.
- When is the ag exemption deadline in Bandera County, and what if I miss it?
- The application is due April 30, before May 1 under Tax Code 23.54. A late application is still accepted until the appraisal review board approves the appraisal records for that year, but it carries a penalty of 10 percent of the tax saved under Tax Code 23.541. Confirm the current date with Bandera Central Appraisal District.
- Where do I file an ag exemption application in Bandera County?
- You file Form 50-129 with Bandera Central Appraisal District at 1206 Main St., Bandera, TX 78003-9998. ExemptLand is self-service software: it prepares the county-ready packet, and you review, sign and file it yourself. Approval belongs to the appraisal district.