Not quite 80 percent of eligible property owners in St. Lawrence County have signed up for the STAR property tax exemption for the primary residence of homeowners with annual incomes under $500,000 – leaving 20 percent who have not signed up yet.

Local legislators have been getting the word out, and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance said Tuesday that more than 2 million qualified homeowners statewide have now registered for the STAR property tax exemption. The deadline is Dec. 31.

“STAR saves homeowners an average of $700 every year, but time is running out,” said Commissioner Thomas H. Mattox. “If you’re eligible and haven’t registered yet, take a little time from your busy holiday schedule and register today. It only takes between two and four minutes to complete the process online.”

The Tax Department, which has hosted more than 200 in-person registration events across the state, has directly mailed at least once all of the nearly 2.7 million New York homeowners who claimed the exemption last year. In November, the department sent reminder postcards to 900,000 who had not yet registered.

The registration is a one-time process – assuring that homeowners will get the Basic STAR exemption in 2014 and beyond. Senior citizens receiving the Enhanced STAR exemption are not impacted by the new registration program.

The Basic STAR exemption is available on the primary residence of homeowners with incomes under $500,000.

The registration requirement stems from a Tax Department investigation that found thousands of taxpayers receiving STAR exemptions on more than one property,, which is not allowed.

People may register online or by phone.

To register, visit www.tax.ny.gov or call (518) 457-2036. Online information is available in six different languages and translators stand ready to assist via telephone. The Department is offering extended STAR Hotline hours through Dec. 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 8p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The following list shows municipalities in St. Lawrence County, the percent of eligible homeowners who have registered, and the number of eligible properties that are not registered:

St. Lawrence County 79% 4,471

City of Ogdensburg 83% 308

Town of Brasher 79% 112

Town of Canton 79% 353

Town of Clare 75% 5

Town of Clifton 73% 42

Town of Colton 79% 77

Town of Dekalb 73% 127

Town of De Peyster 65% 70

Town of Edwards 72% 64

Town of Fine 79% 71

Town of Fowler 79% 111

Town of Gouverneur 77% 243

Town of Hammond 77% 64

Town of Hermon 78% 52

Town of Hopkinton 71% 75

Town of Lawrence 73% 114

Town of Lisbon 79% 197

Town of Louisville 81% 147

Town of Macomb 76% 51

Town of Madrid 79% 78

Town of Massena 79% 483

Town of Morristown 73% 131

Town of Norfolk 80% 194

Town of Oswegatchie 81% 186

Town of Parishville 73% 122

Town of Piercefield 74% 19

Town of Pierrepont 77% 155

Town of Pitcairn 79% 38

Town of Potsdam 82% 379

Town of Rossie 69% 50

Town of Russell 83% 68

Town of Stockholm 78% 194

Town of Waddington 81% 91