The St. Louis County property tax freeze stays with the qualified senior who owns and lives in the house, so it stops working for you on that house once you sell and move.
The county sets your base year as the first year you applied and were approved, and asks you to attest every year that you still own and live there. A buyer, or you at a new county house, would read as starting a new base year.
This is general information, not legal advice. State rules vary.
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Is the senior freeze on your tax bill now?
Free. No obligation. You choose the closing date.
The St. Louis County property tax freeze belongs to the qualified senior who owns and lives in the house, so a sale changes things. The county asks you to attest every year that you still own and primarily reside at the property. Once you sell and move, you can no longer make that statement for the old house, and the frozen base year stays behind with your approval.
This guide is for owners 62 and older across St. Louis County, with examples from Florissant and North County ranch houses. It covers who qualifies, what each step of a sale means for the freeze, what the buyer starts with, what a new county house could mean, and when the yearly bill is due. Every rule here comes from the county's freeze page or the Missouri statutes behind it.
How does the St. Louis County property tax freeze work?
The St. Louis County property tax freeze holds most of the real estate tax on a senior's primary residence at the level of a base year. The county defines that base year as "the first year a qualified senior applied for and was approved for the freeze."
The program runs through the St. Louis County Department of Revenue. Its page says the freeze covers "most" of the real estate taxes, so some charges may still change. Your own tax statement is the best place to see how the credit applies to your parcel.
The state law behind it
Missouri lets each county decide whether to offer this credit. Under RSMo 137.1050, effective August 28, 2025, a county may grant it by ordinance or after a voter petition and referendum. The statute calls the credit the "eligible credit amount": this year's tax on the homestead minus the tax in your "initial credit year."
The statute also says "The amount of the credit shall be noted on the statement of tax due." That makes your yearly bill the clearest record of what the freeze is worth to you. It is worth having in hand before you talk numbers with any buyer.
A simple illustration
These numbers are made up to show the math, not taken from any county bill. Say your base-year tax was $2,000 and this year's tax on the same house, before the credit, is $2,400. The credit would be about $400, and you would pay roughly the base-year amount plus anything the freeze does not cover.
What can still change
The statute lists two things that raise the base-year figure. New construction and improvements to the homestead increase it, and so does annexation into a new taxing district (RSMo 137.1050.3). If a later year's tax comes in lower than the base year, that lower year becomes the new base.
The county page adds that the assessed value follows the property. The St. Louis County Council also plans to review the program within five years, according to the same page, so the rules could change after that review.
Who qualifies for the St. Louis County senior tax freeze?
The St. Louis County senior tax freeze covers owners who are 62 or older, own the house, and live there as their primary residence. The county lists these tests on its program page:
- Age: 62 or older.
- Ownership: you own the property.
- Residence: the house is your primary residence, and you can claim only one.
- Yearly attestation: "you must attest every year that you still own and primarily reside at the property."
State law describes the same person in its own words. An "eligible taxpayer" is a Missouri resident who is 62 or older, is an owner of record or holds a legal or equitable interest "evidenced by a written instrument," and is liable for the taxes (RSMo 137.1050.1).
Applying and approval
The county's page now tells applicants to check the website for the current application period. It also says in-person help starts February 1, 2027. Final approvals wait for the Assessor's new-construction list, which the county says is posted July 1.
County or City of St. Louis?
The City of St. Louis runs a separate senior freeze through its City Assessor's Office, and that page directs St. Louis County residents to the County's website. Florissant, Hazelwood, Ferguson, and Black Jack are all in St. Louis County. Our St. Louis City vs County guide explains how the two jurisdictions differ at a sale.
What happens to the freeze when you sell?
When you sell, the freeze stops working for you on that house, because you no longer own it and live there. The rules tie the base year to a qualified senior's approval and to one primary residence, so the frozen figure does not appear to travel with you or pass to the buyer.
The statute's definition of the house the credit applies to is what a sale changes:
"[R]eal property actually occupied by an eligible taxpayer as the primary residence. An eligible taxpayer shall not claim more than one primary residence"
RSMo 137.1050.1(3), Missouri statute defining "homestead" for the senior credit
The county page does not use the words "does not transfer." This section reads the county's tests and the statute together. For your own parcel, the St. Louis County Department of Revenue is the office that can confirm how the rules apply.
Freeze status at each step of a sale
| Step | What the rules say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before you list | The freeze holds most of your tax at the base-year level, and the credit is noted on your statement of tax due. | County freeze page; RSMo 137.1050.3 |
| Under contract | You still own and live in the house. The tests are ownership and primary residence; neither source ties anything to a signed contract. | County freeze page; RSMo 137.1050.1 |
| At closing | Title passes to the buyer. You are no longer the owner of record, and the house stops being your primary residence once you move. | RSMo 137.1050.1 definitions |
| The next tax year | You could no longer attest that you own and primarily reside at the old house. A buyer who qualifies would apply on their own. | County freeze page |
| At a new county house | You can claim one primary residence. The base year is the first year you apply and are approved, which reads as a new base year for the new house. | County freeze page; RSMo 137.1050.1 |
The buyer's side
A buyer starts with the house's own tax, not your frozen figure. If the buyer is 62 or older and moves in as a primary residence, the county's definition suggests they would apply and set their own base year. A buyer under 62, or one who does not live in the house, would not meet the age and residence tests.
The year of the sale
The county page does not say how the freeze is handled for the tax year in which a sale closes. It also does not say whether a closing should use the bill before or after the credit. The Department of Revenue and your title company are the ones who can explain how your parcel's bill will be figured that year.
Would a new St. Louis County house get its own freeze?
A new St. Louis County house could get its own freeze if you still qualify there, but the rules read as a fresh start. The county sets the base year as the first year you apply and are approved, so a new house would likely begin from its own tax, not the old house's frozen figure.
That matters when you compare houses. Zillow's typical home value for St. Louis County was about $285,676 in September 2026, up from $277,972 a year earlier. For Florissant itself, Zillow's typical value was about $195,065 that month, up 2.2% from a year before. The figures measure different areas, and a new house's bill depends on its own assessment and taxing districts.
The 2027 reassessment
Under RSMo 137.115, Missouri sets new assessed values "as of January first of each odd-numbered year," and those values carry into the following even year. That makes 2027 the next reassessment year. On a frozen house, the credit absorbs most tax changes; on a new house, any freeze would start from whatever base year you set there.
Moving out of the county
The program is St. Louis County's, so a move to St. Charles County, the City of St. Louis, or out of state leaves it behind. Another county may or may not offer its own credit under RSMo 137.1050. Our Boone County senior tax freeze guide shows how one other Missouri county runs its version.
When are St. Louis County property taxes due?
St. Louis County real estate taxes are due by December 31, because Missouri law makes taxes still unpaid on January 1 delinquent. RSMo 140.010 says real estate with taxes "unpaid on the first day of January, annually" is delinquent, and the county collector enforces the state's lien.
After January 1, the collector adds a penalty to unpaid taxes (RSMo 139.100). Delinquent real estate can be offered at the annual tax sale "on the fourth Monday in August of each year" (RSMo 140.150). Taxes, penalty, interest, and costs may be paid to the collector at any time before the property is sold.
For a senior selling late in the year, the timing can matter. A closing in November or December may land close to the due date, and a closing in January may come after it. Our Missouri property tax sale guide covers what happens if a bill goes unpaid.
Selling now or staying: what to weigh
Selling now means giving up the frozen base year on your current house, while staying keeps it as long as you still qualify. Neither choice is right for everyone, and the trade-off depends on your health, your house, and where you would move.
Some sellers in Florissant weigh the freeze against the work an older ranch house needs. Others are moving closer to family or into a smaller place, where the tax bill is only one part of the decision. A tax professional can help you compare the yearly savings with the other costs of staying.
What the market looks like
Redfin's Florissant market data shows a median sale price of $188,610 for the three months ending September 2026, up about 2% from a year earlier. The median house spent 23 days on the market, five days longer than a year before, and 209 houses sold in that window.
A cash sale as one option
Some downsizing sellers list with an agent, and others prefer a direct sale with fewer steps. Propcash is a direct cash buyer: we make one written cash offer on the house as it is, and sellers pay no fees to Propcash. A cash sale can close in as few as 7 days after the contract is signed, or on a later date you choose.
If you want to see a number before deciding, you can get a cash offer or read how Propcash buys on our Florissant sell-house-fast page. Florissant's own city rules at a sale, like the occupancy permit, are covered in our Florissant occupancy permit guide.
What to gather before you list or sign
A few papers can make the freeze easy to explain to a buyer, a title company, or a tax professional. Each item below ties back to a rule in this guide.
| Item | Why it helps | Rule behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Your latest tax statement showing the credit | Shows the gross tax and the credit side by side | RSMo 137.1050.3: the credit is noted on the statement of tax due |
| The year your freeze was approved | That year is your base year | County freeze page |
| Your most recent yearly attestation | Confirms the freeze was current before the sale | County freeze page |
| Permits for any additions or major improvements | New construction and improvements raise the base-year figure | RSMo 137.1050.3 |
| Proof this year's bill is paid, or the amount owed | Taxes unpaid on January 1 are delinquent | RSMo 140.010 |
| The latest assessment notice | New values are set in odd years, and 2027 is next | RSMo 137.115 |
If the house is being sold after an owner's death, the questions shift to the estate. Our guide to selling an inherited Florissant house covers that path.
Common questions about the St. Louis County senior freeze and selling
Did St. Louis County freeze property taxes for seniors?
Yes. St. Louis County runs a Senior Property Tax Freeze through its Department of Revenue, and it freezes most of the real estate taxes on a qualified senior's primary residence at the base-year level. Missouri law, RSMo 137.1050, is what lets a county offer this credit. The freeze covers owners 62 or older who own and primarily live in the house and are approved through the county's application.
Can a buyer take over my frozen base year?
The rules read as though a buyer cannot step into your base year. St. Louis County sets the base year as the first year a qualified senior applied for and was approved, so it is tied to that senior's own approval. A buyer who is 62 or older and lives in the house as a primary residence would apply on their own, and the St. Louis County Department of Revenue can confirm how that works.
Is the City of St. Louis senior freeze the same program?
No. The City of St. Louis is a separate jurisdiction, and its senior freeze is run by the City Assessor's Office with its own application window. The City's page directs St. Louis County residents to the County's website. A house in Florissant, Hazelwood, or any other St. Louis County city falls under the County program.
Do I have to renew the St. Louis County freeze each year?
St. Louis County says you must attest every year that you still own and primarily reside at the property. That yearly step is how the county confirms you still qualify. The County's website lists the current application period, and the county says in-person help starts February 1, 2027.
Does the freeze stop my assessed value from changing?
The freeze works on the tax bill, and the house keeps being assessed. Missouri sets new assessed values as of January 1 of each odd-numbered year under RSMo 137.115, so 2027 is the next reassessment year. Under RSMo 137.1050, new construction and improvements also raise the base-year tax figure.
Can you sell a Florissant house that carries the senior freeze?
Yes. The freeze is a credit for the qualified owner who lives in the house, and nothing in the county page or RSMo 137.1050 limits a sale. The credit stops applying once you no longer own and live there. Any unpaid taxes still need to be settled, and taxes left unpaid on January 1 become delinquent under RSMo 140.010.
Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer, not a law firm or tax advisor. The rules here come from the St. Louis County Senior Property Tax Freeze page and RSMo 137.1050, 137.115, 139.100, 140.010, and 140.150 on revisor.mo.gov, read November 2026. For your own parcel, the St. Louis County Department of Revenue or a tax professional can explain what applies.
Reviewed by the Propcash Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Published by Propcash, a direct cash buyer of houses. This guide is general information. Laws, fees, and market figures change, so check the current rules for your state.
