CAUV / Agricultural District
1. CAUV

When to apply: January 1st - to the First Monday in March

Items Required:

  • Initial Application
  • $25.00 non-renewable application fee
  • Woodland Management Plan (when the majority of Acreage is woods)

Renewal: Required annually (no cost)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is required to be eligible for the CAUV reduction?

Any tract of agricultural land 10 acres or more which has been in commercial agricultural use for the last 3 years is eligible. A smaller tract may be included under this section if the tract produced an average gross income of $2,500 or more from sales of agricultural products during the previous three years and if there is anticipated gross income of such amount.

  1. The tract of land must be devoted exclusively to agricultural use.
  2. Land used exclusively for commercial animal or poultry husbandry, aquaculture, apiculture, the commercial production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, timber, nursery stock, ornamental trees, sod or flowers.

Land devoted to and qualified for payment or other compensation under a land retirement or conservation program with an agency of the federal government.

What does the “Commercial Production of Timber” mean?

Land devoted to the commercial production of timber means woodland of at least 10 acres which is being managed and maintained as directed by a Woodland Management Plan (a copy of which must be attached to your application) prepared by a service forester through ODNR or by a consulting forester, so as to result in the eventual harvest of that timber. A list of consulting foresters and their contact information can be found at the following link www.osafdirectory.com

Can non commercial “Woodland” qualify for the program?

Woodland acreage on which no commercial timber is being grown may qualify for the program under certain circumstances. If the farm listed on the application has ten acres or more of qualified land and the wooded land is part of or adjacent to that tract, the wooded property may also qualify for the program. Wooded acreage that is not in commercial production and is part of a farm with fewer than then ten acres of qualified land does not qualify for this program.

What if my tract of land has multiple uses, can I still apply for CAUV?

Some applicants may own mixed-use parcels where only a portion of the land is qualified for the program. These parcels may be enrolled in the program as long as the areas are independently qualified under the above guidelines and are appropriately identified to the auditor.

Do I have to reapply each year?

Yes. The owner must file a renewal application each year to continue reduction. A blank renewal application will be mailed from the auditor's office in January of each year.

What happens if I don't reapply?

There is a recoupment penalty equal to the tax savings for the past 3 years if land use changes to nonagricultural use or there is a failure to reapply.

How much will it reduce my taxes?

The actual reductions are dependent on the current agricultural use value (CAUV) which is placed upon the land. Major factors affecting the value are soil type, soil region and land capability class. Agricultural commodity prices also enter into the CAUV value. These values are set by the State and vary according to soil type. The resulting CAUV value replaces the appraised market value. Tax value is set at 35% of the CAUV value. The CAUV values are readjusted on a three year cycle by the State Tax Commissioner to account for changing agricultural production costs and commodity.

2. Agricultural District

 Agricultural District Resources

When to apply: January 1st - December 31st 

Items Required:

Renewal: Required every 5 years (no cost) between January 1st - to the First Monday in March


Frequently Asked Questions

Who May File?

Any owner of land used for agricultural production may file an application to have the land placed in an agricultural district.

Where to File? 

The completed application must be filed with the auditor of the county where the land is located. The applicant will be notified of action taken by the county auditor within 30 days of the filing of the application if the land is not within a municipal corporation or an annexation petition has not been filed. If the land for which an application has been made lies within a municipal corporation limit or if an annexation petition that includes the land has been filed with the Board of County Commissioners under Section 709.02 of the Ohio Revised Code, a copy of the application must also be filed with the Clerk of the legislative body of the municipal corporation. The legislative body is required to conduct a public hearing on the application within 30 days after the application has been filed with the Clerk. Within 30 days of the hearing, the legislative body may approve the application, modify and approve the application as modified, or reject the application.

When to File and Renewal?

The original application may be filed at any time for placement of land in an agricultural district for a five-year period. If at the end of five years, the owner decides to keep some or all of his or her land in a district, he or she shall submit a renewal application and must meet the same land requirements and use the same application process as the original application. The renewal application may be filed at any time after the first Monday in January and prior to the first Monday in March of the year during which an agricultural district terminates, for a period of time ending on the first Monday in April of the fifth year following the renewal application.

What is "Land Used for Agricultural Production?"

  1. In accordance with Section 929.01(A) of the Revised Code, land is devoted to "agricultural production" when it is used for commercial aquaculture, apiculture, animal husbandry, poultry husbandry; the production for a commercial purpose of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, timber, nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees; flowers or sod; the growth of timber for a noncommercial purpose if the land on which the timber is grown is contiguous to or part of a parcel of land under common ownership that is otherwise devoted exclusively to agricultural use; or any combination of such husbandry, production, or growth; and includes the processing, drying, storage and marketing of agricultural products when those activities are conducted in conjunction with such husbandry, production, or growth.
  2. "Agricultural production" includes conservation practices provided that the tracts, lots, or parcels of the land or portions thereof that are used for conservation practices comprise not more than twenty-five percent of tracts, lots, or parcels of land that are otherwise devoted exclusively to agricultural use and for which an application is filed.
  3. "Conservation practices" are practices used to abate soil erosion as required in the management of the farming operation, and include, but are not limited to, the installation, construction, development, planting, or use of grass waterways, terraces, diversions, filter strips, field borders, windbreaks, riparian buffers, wetlands, ponds, and cover crops for that purpose.

What Does Tracts, Lots, or Parcels of Land" Mean?

Tracts, lots, or parcels mean distinct portions of pieces of land (not necessarily contiguous) where the title is held by one owner, as listed on the tax list and duplicate of the county, is in agricultural production and conforms with the requirements of either 1, 2, or 3 below.

Are There Any Other Requirements?

  1. The land for which the application is made must have been used exclusively for agricultural production or devoted to and qualified for payments or other compensation under a land retirement or conservation program under an agreement with a federal agency for the three consecutive calendar years prior to the year in which application is made. Evidence must be shown on the application. If the land contains timber which is not being grown for commercial purposes the land on which the timber is growing must be contiguous to or part of a parcel under common ownership that is otherwise devoted exclusively to agricultural use.
  2. If the total amount of land for which application is made is less than 10 acres, there is an additional requirement that the applicant submit evidence with his application that the activities conducted on the land have produced an average yearly gross income of at least twenty-five hundred dollars over the three years immediately preceding the year in which application is made or that the land will produce an anticipated annual gross income of that amount.
  3. Evidence of annual gross income may be satisfied by attaching to the application form a short statement stating the number of animals by species and anticipated market value, number of acres of crops to be grown, their expected yield and price per bushel or similar specific information.

Is There a Penalty for Early Withdrawal?

Land removed from this program before the 5-year enrollment period is subject to penalty, per Section 929.02(D) of the Ohio Revised Code. See County Auditor's Office for details on how the amount of the withdrawal penalty is determined.

Appeal of Application

The applicant may appeal the denial of the application to the court of common pleas of the county in which the application was filed within thirty days of the receipt of the notice denying the application. When the land lies within a municipality the applicant may also appeal a decision to modify or reject an application to the court of common pleas of the county in which the application was filed within thirty days of the receipt of the notice of modification or rejection. In addition, the applicant may withdraw an application modified by a legislative body if he or she disapproves of the modifications.