Certificate of Trust – Palm Beach County, FL

The Certificate of Trust is the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser form in which the beneficiary or beneficiaries of a trust certify that they are entitled to use and occupy a named property for their lifetime(s) under the terms of that trust, and therefore have sufficient equitable title to claim homestead exemption.

The certification cites Section 196.041(2), Florida Statutes, and Chapter 12D-7.011 of the Florida Administrative Code. The form identifies the trust by its name, which must match the trust name on the current deed, and by the date of the trust. It also records each applicant's email and the last 4 digits of the Social Security number, plus the property's Location Address, Municipality and Parcel Control Number. The form tells you to find those three property items in the Property Detail section for your property at www.pbcpao.gov, so the exemption is placed on the correct property.

By signing, each applicant acknowledges that under section 196.131(2), F.S., knowingly and willfully giving false information to claim homestead exemption is a misdemeanor of the first degree, and certifies that the information is true and correct to the best of their knowledge as of January 1 of this year.

The form has room for two applicants. If there are more than two beneficiaries, an additional Certificate of Trust is attached.

Beneficiaries of a trust who are entitled to the use and occupancy of a property for their lifetime(s) under the terms of that trust, and who are claiming homestead exemption on it, complete this form. The form calls them the Beneficiary(ies)/Homestead Applicant(s).

• One or two applicants: the form has lines for Applicant 1 and Applicant 2, each with a printed name, the last 4 digits of the Social Security number, an email address, a signature and a date.
• More than two beneficiaries: attach an additional Certificate of Trust. The Property Appraiser says additional forms are available at www.pbcpao.gov.

The form states that the certification supports a claim under Section 196.041(2), Florida Statutes, and Chapter 12D-7.011 of the Florida Administrative Code. It does not describe other uses, and it says nothing about anyone signing for a beneficiary. For questions, the office lists (561) 355-2866.

Complete this form when you claim homestead exemption on a property that is held in a trust and you occupy it as a beneficiary. The certification on the form is made as of January 1 of the current year, so the facts you state must be true on that date. No separate due date, filing window or processing time is printed on the form. For questions about timing or the exemption application it supports, call the Property Appraiser's office at (561) 355-2866.

The form names one channel: email.

• By email: return the completed form to [email protected].
• Questions: the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser asks you to contact the office at (561) 355-2866 for any questions about this form.

The form is signed and dated by each applicant (Applicant 1 and, if there is one, Applicant 2). If you have more than two beneficiaries, attach an additional Certificate of Trust; additional forms are available at www.pbcpao.gov. The form prints no mailing address, portal or in-person option, and no fee. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channel above.