Oklahoma · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure
State Question 847 (Legislative Referendum 381): what your vote means
Property value increase limits and the senior homestead freeze. On every Oklahoma ballot. Official sources checked October 21, 2026.
State Question 847 (Legislative Referendum 381) · Legislatively referred constitutional amendment
Property value increase limits and the senior homestead freeze
Heads up: voting YES on this measure removes the current ban on any increase in homestead value for qualifying seniors and replaces it with annual limits of 0% to 1.75% based on household income.
This measure amends article 10, sections 8B and 8C of the Oklahoma Constitution. Currently, section 8B limits annual growth in fair cash value to 5% for most real property or 3% for homesteads and agricultural land. If approved, the measure would limit annual growth in fair cash value for tax year 2027 and after to 4% for most real property or 1.75% for homesteads and agricultural land. Currently, section 8C prohibits any increase in fair cash value of homestead property for persons age sixty-five (65) or older whose income does not exceed certain limits, sometimes referred to as the “senior freeze.” Instead of prohibiting any increase in fair cash value for these homesteads, there would be an annual limit of 1.75%. The measure eliminates the income cap on gross household income to qualify for the senior freeze. If approved, the annual limit on an increase in fair cash value would be tied to how much gross household income the homestead owner had in the preceding year. If a homeowner’s gross household income from the previous year was at or below the median income for their county or area (as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s estimated median income amount for the county or metropolitan statistical area), a homeowner’s homestead fair cash value cannot be increased. If the income amount was in excess of certain thresholds, the limit on increases in fair cash value for homesteads owned by persons age 65 or older could be 0.35% (income over 100% up to 120%); 0.7% (income over 120% up to 140%); 1.05% (income over 140% up to 160%); 1.4% (income over 160% up to 180%); or 1.75% (income over 180%). If passed, this measure would have a fiscal impact on the state, but the exact impact is unknown. Shall the proposal be approved?
Final ballot title as rewritten by the Attorney General and certified by the Secretary of State.
A YES vote means:
Starting in tax year 2027, annual growth in taxable property value would be capped at 4% for most property and 1.75% for homesteads and farmland, and the senior freeze would become income-based limits from 0% to 1.75% with no income cap to qualify.
A NO vote means:
Current caps stay at 5% for most property and 3% for homesteads and farmland, and qualifying seniors under the income limit keep a full freeze on their homestead value.
What it would change
- Who is affected: property owners, homeowners age 65 or older, and local governments and schools funded by property taxes.
- Senior freeze: owners at or below area median income would see no increase; above that, limits rise in steps up to 1.75%.
- Income measure: based on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development median income estimates for the county or metro area.
- Fiscal impact: According to the ballot title, the measure would have a fiscal impact on the state, but the exact impact is unknown.
Who supports it and who opposes it
These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed. Lists checked October 30, 2026.
Who supports it
- Oklahoma Farm Bureau 2026 Oklahoma Farm Bureau voter guide
Who opposes it
- Oklahoma Policy Institute Oklahoma Policy Institute: Vote NO on SQ 845 and SQ 847
Official sources
- Oklahoma Secretary of State: SQ 847 ballot title and supporting documents
- Full text: Senate Joint Resolution 39 (certified copy in SQ 847 documents)
- Oklahoma State Election Board: state questions
- Fiscal statement in the Attorney General’s final ballot title (SQ 847 documents)
SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.