Comal County ag exemption: acreage, stocking rates and deadlines

What Comal 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 Comal County expect?

The standards on record for Comal County run to about 1 animal unit per 8 acres of native pasture, 1 per 2 acres on improved pasture and 6 hives on the first 5 acres if you keep bees. Land also needs five of the past seven years in agricultural use, and the application is due April 30.

From the county's published guidelines, last reviewed April 2026.

Last verified April 2026. Source: Comal County agricultural valuation guidelines (PDF).

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.

Comal AD asks for at least 3 animal units and lists the acreage it expects to carry them on improved and native pasture, and its wildlife option requires a prior 1-d-1 valuation.

Minimum acreage and intensity

From the county's published guidelines, last reviewed April 2026.
Minimum acreage, beekeeping	5 acres
Stocking rate, improved pasture	1 animal unit per 2 acres
Stocking rate, native pasture	1 animal unit per 8 acres

Stocking rates are the district's starting point, not a guarantee. Soil, pasture condition and the rest of your operation move the number.

Bees

6 hives minimum.

From the county's published guidelines, last reviewed April 2026.

Beekeeping qualifies on tracts of 5 to 20 acres under Tax Code 23.51. The hive count is set by your appraisal district, not by the state. How beekeeping valuation works.

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.

Switching from ag to wildlife

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).

Comal Appraisal District

The district reviews the application and decides it. ExemptLand never files on your behalf.

Office: 900 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130-7838
Phone: 830-625-8597

Visit Comal Appraisal District Read the official county guidance File a protest online

Numbers behind a savings estimate

In 2024 the combined county and median school district rate on rural land in Comal County was about 1.28 percent of taxable value. The county's native pasture productivity value for 2023 was about $92 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 Comal County

How many acres do I need for cattle in Comal County?: There is no single acreage. Comal Appraisal District works from a stocking rate and a herd size, and the standards on record run to about 1 animal unit per 8 acres of native pasture, 1 per 2 acres on improved pasture and 6 hives on the first 5 acres if you keep bees. 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 Comal County expect for a beekeeping valuation?: 6 hives minimum. Beekeeping qualifies on tracts of 5 to 20 acres under Tax Code 23.51, and the hive count is set by your appraisal district, not by the state. Confirm the current schedule with Comal Appraisal District.
What is the minimum tract for wildlife management in Comal County?: Comal Appraisal District has not published a wildlife acreage minimum we can quote. 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.
When is the ag exemption deadline in Comal 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 Comal Appraisal District.
Where do I file an ag exemption application in Comal County?: You file Form 50-129 with Comal Appraisal District at 900 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130-7838. 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.

Keep reading

Check my Comal County property

How much land and livestock does Comal County expect?

From the county's published guidelines, last reviewed April 2026.

What qualifies here

Comal AD asks for at least 3 animal units and lists the acreage it expects to carry them on improved and native pasture, and its wildlife option requires a prior 1-d-1 valuation.

Minimum acreage and intensity

From the county's published guidelines, last reviewed April 2026.
Minimum acreage, beekeeping	5 acres
Stocking rate, improved pasture	1 animal unit per 2 acres
Stocking rate, native pasture	1 animal unit per 8 acres

Stocking rates are the district's starting point, not a guarantee. Soil, pasture condition and the rest of your operation move the number.

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).

Numbers behind a savings estimate

Common questions in Comal County

How many acres do I need for cattle in Comal County?

There is no single acreage. Comal Appraisal District works from a stocking rate and a herd size, and the standards on record run to about 1 animal unit per 8 acres of native pasture, 1 per 2 acres on improved pasture and 6 hives on the first 5 acres if you keep bees. 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 Comal County expect for a beekeeping valuation?

6 hives minimum. Beekeeping qualifies on tracts of 5 to 20 acres under Tax Code 23.51, and the hive count is set by your appraisal district, not by the state. Confirm the current schedule with Comal Appraisal District.

What is the minimum tract for wildlife management in Comal County?

Comal Appraisal District has not published a wildlife acreage minimum we can quote. 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.

When is the ag exemption deadline in Comal 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 Comal Appraisal District.

Where do I file an ag exemption application in Comal County?

You file Form 50-129 with Comal Appraisal District at 900 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130-7838. 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.