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Proposition 19

Base year transfers and parent-child/grandparent-grandchild exclusions.

For more information, please visit the Board of Equalization website. For frequently asked questions and more, check out their Prop 19 fact sheet.

What is Proposition 19?

Prop 19

Proposition 19, or the Home Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters Act, is a Constitutional Amendment which changed two programs currently administered by county assessors:

 

 

 

 

Base Year Value Transfers

Proposition 19 lets some homeowners transfer the assessed value of their primary home to a new home. Property owners may qualify if they are:

  • Age 55 or older;
  • Severely disabled;
  • A victim of a wildfire or natural disaster.

Eligible property owners can transfer their tax base to a newly purchased or newly built primary home anywhere in California. This can be done:

  • Up to 3 times per lifetime, or
  • Once per disaster, if the home was damaged or destroyed.

Intergenerational Transfers

When someone passes away in California, their property is reassessed based on the owner's date of death. Under Proposition 19, some children or grandchildren may qualify for a reduced reassessed value, based on the prior owner's tax base. To qualify, the following must be true:

  • The property was the parent’s or grandparent’s primary residence.
  • The child or grandchild makes it their primary residence within one year, as shown by an approved homeowners' exemption.
  • For grandparent-to-grandchild transfers only, the child of the grandparent (the grandchild’s parent) must have passed away before the transfer.

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Page updated June 26, 2025