Property Tax Protests in Galveston County, Texas
Galveston County homeowners challenge a Galveston Central Appraisal District (GCAD) value by filing a written notice of protest for consideration by the Galveston County Appraisal Review Board. GCAD's Informal Meetings page sets the deadline at May 15 or no later than 30 days after GCAD mailed the notice of appraised value, whichever date is later, counted from the mailing date rather than when the notice was received, matching Texas Tax Code §41.44. As of this review, GCAD's materials do not publish a 2027 notice-mailing schedule or deadline; verify the 2027 protest deadline on the property's notice and in current appraisal-district guidance. FairPath's owner-guided evidence packet is available for Galveston County properties to help organize county records, comparable sales, and condition documentation for the owner's own filing. It does not file the GCAD protest, respond to a settlement offer, or represent the owner at an informal meeting or ARB hearing.
Assessment context: GCAD's guidance frames a protest around the specific issue raised: an excessive proposed value can be checked against the property description, measurements, and any defects the appraisal reflects, an unequal-appraisal protest compares the subject's value with similar district properties, and an agricultural-use protest compares GCAD's calculation with local agricultural sources. GCAD says the chief appraiser must publicize the right to protest and its methods every year in a manner designed to effectively notify district residents, and it encourages discussing the issue with appraisal staff in advance through an informal conference before a scheduled hearing. GCAD's online protest option is limited to properties carrying a homestead exemption, so an owner without one should expect to file in person or by mail.
Filing process: GCAD accepts a written notice of protest that need not use an official form, as long as it identifies the owner, the property, and dissatisfaction with a district decision. In-person and mailed protests are scheduled so that the informal meeting with an appraiser and, if unresolved, the formal ARB hearing occur the same day; homestead-exempt owners may instead file online, where the district's evidence and a proposed settlement are shared through the portal and that exchange itself counts as the informal meeting. GCAD's page separately describes an HB 201 right to request the district's own hearing evidence in writing, by form, letter, or email, which GCAD says it will send at least 14 days before the scheduled hearing; a request without an email address is mailed by USPS to meet that 14-day deadline. GCAD also allows one postponement without showing cause when no agent is designated, and it must postpone a hearing that starts two or more hours late or is reassigned to a different ARB panel.
Evidence to review: GCAD's guidance ties evidence to the ground raised: an excessive-value protest benefits from blueprints, deed records, photographs, a survey, contractor or builder statements, or an independent appraisal, along with comparable sales gathered from neighbors, real estate professionals, or GCAD's own sales data; an unequal-appraisal protest instead compares district appraisal records for similar area properties. An owner does not have to appear in person to present evidence: GCAD allows submitting an Affidavit of Evidence to the Appraisal Review Board, or appearing by telephone or videoconference while evidence is offered by affidavit. FairPath can help organize owner-selected GCAD records, comparable sales, and condition documentation into a file suited to whichever method the owner chooses to present; it does not select the protest ground, prepare the affidavit, or predict how GCAD or the ARB will rule.
Current deadline guidance: The 2026 window closed under the May 15 / 30-day rule; GCAD has not yet published a 2027 notice-mailing date or deadline. Galveston Central Appraisal District's Informal Meetings page states that a notice of protest must be filed by May 15 or no later than 30 days after the appraisal district mailed the notice of appraised value, whichever date is later, and notes that the 30 days runs from the mailing date, not the date the notice was received, consistent with Texas Tax Code §41.44. GCAD's page also identifies narrower deadlines and exceptions: a notice that land is no longer in agricultural use must be protested within 30 days of that certified-mail notice, and off-shore workers or owners on full-time military duty may be entitled to file a late protest. As of this review, GCAD's reviewed materials do not identify a 2027 notice-mailing schedule or protest deadline; verify the 2027 protest deadline on the property's notice and in current appraisal-district guidance.
GCAD's online protest portal is available only to properties with a homestead exemption; an owner without that exemption should plan to file in person or by mail instead of assuming online filing is available.
GCAD schedules the informal meeting and, if needed, the formal ARB hearing for the same day for in-person and mailed protests, so an owner should bring all planned evidence to that appointment rather than expecting a separate later date.
GCAD's HB 201 evidence request must be answered at least 14 days before the scheduled hearing, but GCAD notes the timing follows the hearing schedule, so an owner may receive the district's evidence closer to the hearing date even after an early request.
GCAD allows an owner to skip appearing in person altogether by submitting a notarized Affidavit of Evidence or by appearing through a telephone or videoconference while evidence is offered by affidavit, which can matter for an owner who cannot travel to a scheduled hearing.
Official filing authority: Galveston County Appraisal Review Board. https://galvestoncad.org/informal-meetings/
Source: Galveston Central Appraisal District, Informal Meetings, https://galvestoncad.org/informal-meetings/. Reviewed 2026-09-22.
Source: Galveston Central Appraisal District, Galveston Central Appraisal District, https://galvestoncad.org/. Reviewed 2026-09-22.
Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Appraisal Protests and Appeals, https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/protests/. Reviewed 2026-09-22.
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