Hays County ag exemption: acreage, stocking rates and deadlines
What Hays 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 Hays County expect?
The standards on record for Hays County run to about 1 animal unit per 18 acres of native pasture, 1 per 5 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: Hays 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.
Hays CAD asks for at least 3 animal units and publishes stocking rates by pasture class, along with a beekeeping schedule that starts at 6 hives on 5 acres.
Minimum acreage and intensity
| Minimum acreage, crops | 5 acres |
|---|---|
| Minimum acreage, beekeeping | 5 acres |
| Stocking rate, improved pasture | 1 animal unit per 5 acres |
| Stocking rate, native pasture | 1 animal unit per 18 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 on the first 5 acres, then 1 more per 1.5 acres up to 20 acres.
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.
Minimum tract if subdivided: 12.5 acres 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).
Hays Central Appraisal District
The district reviews the application and decides it. ExemptLand never files on your behalf.
- Office
- 21001 N. IH 35, Kyle, TX 78640-4795
- Phone
- 512-268-2522
Numbers behind a savings estimate
In 2024 the combined county and median school district rate on rural land in Hays County was about 1.37 percent of taxable value. The county's native pasture productivity value for 2024 was about $149 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 Hays County
- How many acres do I need for cattle in Hays County?
- There is no single acreage. Hays Central Appraisal District works from a stocking rate and a herd size, and the standards on record run to about 1 animal unit per 18 acres of native pasture, 1 per 5 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 Hays County expect for a beekeeping valuation?
- 6 hives on the first 5 acres, then 1 more per 1.5 acres up to 20 acres. 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 Hays Central Appraisal District.
- What is the minimum tract for wildlife management in Hays County?
- Minimum tract if subdivided: 12.5 acres 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 Hays Central Appraisal District.
- When is the ag exemption deadline in Hays 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 Hays Central Appraisal District.
- Where do I file an ag exemption application in Hays County?
- You file Form 50-129 with Hays Central Appraisal District at 21001 N. IH 35, Kyle, TX 78640-4795. 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.