Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD): Bexar County Appraisal District Guide
The Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD), also called the Bexar County Appraisal District, sets the taxable value of every home and business in San Antonio and the rest of Bexar County. That value drives your tax bill from your school district, the county, your city and every other local taxing unit.
Quick answer: The Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD), renamed the Bexar Central Appraisal District in 2026, appraises more than 797,000 properties in Bexar County. Look up your value at bcad.org, call (210) 242-2432 or visit 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio. If your value is too high, protest by May 15 or 30 days after your notice, whichever is later.
BCAD does not set tax rates or collect taxes. Its job is to value property fairly, administer exemptions and run the protest process. If you think BCAD has your home valued too high, you have the right to protest your Bexar County property taxes.
How to Look Up Your Property on BCAD
- Go to bcad.org and click Property Search.
- Search by owner name, street address or property ID. Your property ID is printed on your Notice of Appraised Value.
- Open your account from the results list.
Your account shows your appraised value, exemptions, property characteristics (square footage, year built, improvements) and value history. Check these details carefully. Wrong square footage, an extra bathroom or a missing exemption are some of the easiest problems to fix.
If your value looks high compared with similar homes nearby, you may be able to lower it. Check whether you're overassessed first:
What Is the Bexar Appraisal District?
BCAD is the government agency responsible for appraising all real estate and taxable business personal property in Bexar County. Under Texas law, it values property at market value as of January 1 each year. Market value is the price a property would sell for between a willing buyer and a willing seller after a reasonable time on the market.
Each taxing unit (school districts, Bexar County, the City of San Antonio, suburban cities and special districts) multiplies BCAD's taxable value by its own tax rate to calculate your bill. See our breakdown of the Bexar County property tax rate for current rates.
Bexar Appraisal District is now Bexar Central Appraisal District
On January 1, 2026, the Bexar Appraisal District officially became the Bexar Central Appraisal District. The board of directors approved the change at its July 8, 2025 meeting so the name would match other Texas appraisal districts that use "Central Appraisal District" or "CAD." The change is administrative only. The district's responsibilities, office and website did not change, and most people still call it BCAD or Bexar CAD.
BCAD contact information
- Office: 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 830248, San Antonio, TX 78283
- Customer service: (210) 242-2432
- Fax: (210) 242-2454
- Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Website: bcad.org
BCAD does not accept property tax payments. For tax bills and payments, contact the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector at (210) 335-2251 or bexar.org/tax. BCAD also warns that it will never mail you a bill or ask for payment, so treat any letter that does as a possible scam.
How Does BCAD Appraise Residential Properties?
With hundreds of thousands of accounts, BCAD cannot appraise each home individually. It uses computer-assisted mass appraisal (CAMA), which groups homes by neighborhood and characteristics and applies market data to all of them. The district relies on three standard approaches:
- Sales comparison approach: recent sales of similar properties. This is the main method for homes.
- Cost approach: replacement cost of the improvements minus depreciation, plus land value.
- Income approach: used for income-producing property like apartments and commercial buildings.
Mass appraisal is efficient, but it misses details. Common problems we see in Bexar County include:
- Sales pulled from different neighborhoods or from newer, renovated homes
- Incorrect square footage, bathroom count or other characteristics
- Foundation, roof or drainage problems BCAD never saw
- Condition assumed from the exterior because BCAD did not inspect the interior
Every one of these is grounds for a protest. Learn how to document them in our guide to Bexar County property tax protest evidence.
How Do I Apply for Property Tax Exemptions with BCAD?
Exemptions do not lower your appraised value. They lower your taxable value, which is what your tax rates are applied to. BCAD administers exemptions for every taxing unit in the county, but you must apply to receive them.
- General homestead exemption: Every Texas school district must exempt $140,000 of a homeowner's primary residence value. See our guide to the Texas homestead exemption.
- Over-65 and disabled exemptions: Homeowners 65 or older or with a qualifying disability receive an additional $60,000 off school taxes, and their school taxes are frozen at the level of the year they qualified.
- Disabled veteran exemptions: Partial or full exemptions based on the veteran's disability rating.
- Local optional exemptions: Bexar County, the City of San Antonio and other taxing units can offer their own homestead exemptions on top of the state minimum.
To apply, file a Residence Homestead Exemption Application with BCAD through its Online Services Portal, by mail or in person. Filing is free. You'll generally need a Texas driver's license or ID showing the property address.
How Do I File a Property Tax Protest with BCAD?
Texas law gives every property owner the right to protest their appraised value. In Bexar County, the deadline is May 15 or 30 days after your Notice of Appraised Value is mailed, whichever is later. You do not need to receive a notice to protest. For every date in the cycle, see our Bexar County property tax timeline.
You can file a protest with BCAD three ways:
- Online through BCAD's Online Services Portal. Register with the Owner ID and PIN printed on your appraisal notice. The PIN is case sensitive and counts as your signature, so don't share it. Waiting on a PIN does not extend your deadline.
- By mail to P.O. Box 830248, San Antonio, TX 78283, postmarked by the deadline.
- In person at 411 N. Frio St. during business hours.
After you file, BCAD may offer an informal review where an appraiser looks at your evidence and may propose a lower value. If you don't accept it, your case goes to a formal hearing before the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), a panel of local citizens independent of BCAD. Strong protests are built on evidence: recent comparable sales, equity comparisons with similar homes, repair estimates and photos of condition issues.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, read how to protest your Bexar County property taxes.
Can Ballard Property Tax Protest Help Me With BCAD?
You don't have to handle your BCAD protest alone. Ballard Property Tax Protest represents Bexar County homeowners at every stage: filing the protest, pulling comparable sales and equity data, negotiating with BCAD at the informal review and presenting your case at the ARB hearing if needed.
There's no out-of-pocket cost. You pay nothing unless we lower your property tax bill. Sign up today or learn more about our Bexar County property tax protest services.
