Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) 

In April 1974, the Ohio General Assembly passed a law implementing a constitutional amendment allowing land devoted exclusively to agricultural use to be valued at its current value for such use. Thus began the Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) program. 

An owner of land devoted exclusively to agricultural use may request that his land be valued on the basis of its agricultural use rather than its true market value by filing an application with the County Auditor and renewing that application each year.

The sign-up period each year is after the first Monday of January and prior to the first Monday in March of any year that the valuation is asked. A filing fee of $25 is required on the date the application is filed.

Land that is qualified for current agricultural use value is land totaling 10 acres or more and which during the three calendar years prior to application were devoted to:

     1. Commercial animal or poultry husbandry. 
     2. Commercial production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, nursery stock, ornamental trees, sod, flowers or timber.
     3. Qualified for payments or other compensation under a land retirement or conservation program under an agreement with an agency of the federal government.

Land totaling less than 10 acres must produce an average yearly gross income of at least $2,500 from the above mentioned activities. 

If land previously taxed under CAUV no longer meets the requirements of the program, a portion of the accumulated tax savings on the converted land must be recouped. This recoupage is the tax savings on the converted land from the three years immediately preceding the year of conversion.

This recoupage charge constitutes a lien of the state upon the converted land and is added to the taxes of that land.

Download the Initial Application for the Valuation of Land at its Current Agricultural Use form DTE 109

Return completed forms and the $25.00 application fee to:
Butler County Auditor
Attn: CAUV
130 High Street
Hamilton, Ohio45011

Download the CAUV Renewal Application form DTE109A
Agricultural Land Definitions (Ohio Revised Code)

Information About Agricultural Districts (Ohio Department of Agriculture)

Agricultural District Application Form (Ohio Department of Agriculture)

Agricultural Districts Defined (Ohio Revised Code)

If you have any questions concerning CAUV or recoupages, please contact Berkley Rose in our office at 513-887-3953.

CAUV Fact Sheet, Ohio State University Extension
2020 CAUV table and other information, Ohio Dept. of Taxation
CAUV New Values Meeting (July 2014)
2014 CAUV Land Values (Ohio Department of Taxation)
2011 CAUV Values of Land, Ohio Dept. of Taxation
Farm Bureau Presentation on CAUV, August 10, 2011
Farm Bureau Summary on 2011 CAUV Value Increase