California Property Tax Due Dates: Deadlines, Penalties & Late Payment Help
California’s regular secured property-tax calendar has two installment due dates and two later delinquency deadlines. The first installment is due November 1 and becomes delinquent after December 10; the second is due February 1 and becomes delinquent after April 10, subject to the statewide weekend and legal-holiday rule.
Those dates do not cover every bill. Supplemental assessments, unsecured property, tax-defaulted balances and certain corrected bills can follow different timelines, so the bill type must be identified before you rely on a date.
Quick Answer: California Property Tax Deadlines
For a normal California annual secured real-estate tax bill, the first installment is due November 1 and must generally be paid by December 10 to avoid delinquency. The second installment is due February 1 and must generally be paid by April 10.
The due date is not the same as the delinquency deadline. You can therefore have an installment that is legally due but has not yet triggered the statutory late penalty.
Due November 1. Pay by the December 10 delinquency deadline to avoid the normal 10% late penalty.
Due February 1. Pay by the applicable April delinquency deadline to avoid a 10% penalty and additional delinquent-processing cost.
If your bill says “due November 1,” that does not mean a 10% penalty automatically starts November 2. The December delinquency deadline is the date to watch for regular first-installment penalty exposure.
California Property Tax Due Dates for the 2026–27 Cycle
The 2026–27 annual secured bill generally covers the California fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. Regular secured bills are prepared by county tax collectors and generally mailed by November 1.
The first half of the regular secured bill becomes due and payable.
Payment must be timely under the applicable county payment or California postmark rules to avoid the normal 10% penalty.
The second installment becomes due and payable.
California’s next-business-day rule applies when April 10 falls on a weekend or legal holiday. Verify the effective deadline shown by your county.
Current secured taxes still unpaid at the end of the fiscal year can enter the default process.
Applicable redemption penalties, fees and other collection consequences can begin after secured taxes become tax-defaulted.
- Open the California Property Tax Function Important Dates page.
- Confirm whether you are checking secured, unsecured or another property-tax deadline.
- Open your county tax collector’s current bill after reviewing the statewide date.
- Match the Assessor’s Parcel Number, fiscal year and installment.
- Save the county payment confirmation after paying.
Use the statewide calendar to understand the rule, then use the county tax bill to complete the actual payment.
Due Date vs Delinquency Date: Why the Difference Matters
California uses both terms on secured tax bills. Confusing them can make an owner think the bill is already penalized when it is only due, or assume there is extra time after the actual delinquency deadline.
For regular secured taxes, this is November 1 for the first installment and February 1 for the second.
For regular secured taxes, this is normally December 10 for the first installment and April 10 for the second.
Delinquent secured real property can move into tax-default status after the fiscal year ends if the balance remains unpaid.
Tax-sale authority arises only after the applicable statutory default period and required notices, not immediately after missing December 10 or April 10.
Read all three statuses separately: due, delinquent and tax-defaulted. They describe different stages and can carry very different costs.
What If December 10 or April 10 Falls on a Weekend?
California’s State Controller states that when December 10 or April 10 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the delinquency time moves to 5 p.m. or close of business, whichever is later, on the next business day.
2026–27 example: December 10, 2026 falls on a Thursday, so the normal first-installment deadline applies. April 10, 2027 falls on a Saturday, so the statewide next-business-day rule becomes relevant for the second installment.
Do not rely only on a calendar app. Check your county tax collector’s published 2026–27 deadline because office closures, county instructions and the payment method can affect how a last-day payment should be completed.
When a statutory date lands on a weekend or holiday, confirm the effective county deadline before waiting until Monday.
California Property Tax Mail and USPS Postmark Rules
California Revenue and Taxation Code §2512 generally treats a qualifying payment sent through U.S. mail as received on the date shown by the postal cancellation mark when the envelope is properly addressed and postage is prepaid.
If there is no postmark, the payment is generally treated as received when delivered unless acceptable proof supports an earlier mailing date.
Ask for a manual postmark, certificate of mailing or another form of dated USPS proof when mailing close to December 10 or April 10.
A machine-applied postmark may not necessarily show the same date you placed the envelope into a collection box.
County guidance warns that private meter dates should not be treated as equivalent to the qualifying U.S. Postal Service postmark.
California law provides rules for authorized electronic payments, and proof of completion can matter if posting is later disputed.
2026 mail warning: California tax officials have warned that USPS processing changes can cause machine-applied postmarks to reflect a later processing date rather than the day mail was dropped off. Mailing several days early or obtaining counter proof reduces that risk.
If the deadline is close, an official county electronic payment or a USPS counter transaction with dated proof is safer than hoping a blue-box envelope receives the expected postmark.
California Property Tax Late Penalties
The initial secured-tax penalty is set by state law, but some added delinquent costs are administered locally. Do not copy a second-installment administrative charge from another county and assume your county uses the same amount.
A regular secured first installment unpaid after the applicable December delinquency deadline generally receives a 10% penalty.
A regular secured second installment unpaid after the applicable April delinquency deadline generally receives a 10% penalty.
The second installment may also receive a county cost for preparing delinquent records and giving notice. Verify the actual amount locally.
Once secured real property becomes tax-defaulted, California’s redemption system generally adds a 1.5% monthly penalty to unpaid tax.
Most residential tax-defaulted property generally becomes subject to power-of-sale rules after the applicable statutory period, commonly five years.
Once tax is delinquent or defaulted, search or request the current county payoff rather than paying the amount from an old bill.
Do not calculate a defaulted payoff yourself. Redemption penalties, fees, prior-year balances and current taxes can make the amount substantially different from the original installment.
A missed December or April deadline is expensive, but it is still different from tax default. Address the balance early before additional monthly redemption charges begin.
What to Do If You Missed a California Property Tax Deadline
Do not send the original installment amount automatically. The county record may already include a penalty, processing cost, payment credit or another adjustment.
- Open the State Controller’s county tax collector website list.
- Select the county where the property is located.
- Search the live account using the county’s parcel identifier.
- Confirm the tax year, installment and current delinquent balance.
- Use the county’s official payment or redemption instructions.
- Save the final receipt and recheck the account after processing.
Once a deadline is missed, the live county balance—not the original bill—is the number that matters.
California Supplemental Property Tax Due Dates
A supplemental bill is separate from the annual secured bill and commonly follows a change in ownership or completed new construction. Mortgage escrow does not always pay supplemental bills automatically.
- First installment generally becomes delinquent December 10.
- Second installment generally becomes delinquent April 10.
- Weekend and holiday rules can still affect the effective deadline.
- First installment generally becomes delinquent on the last day of the month following the mailing month.
- Second installment generally becomes delinquent on the last day of the fourth month following the month in which the first installment became delinquent.
- The exact dates printed on the bill should control your payment planning.
New-owner mistake: Paying the regular annual secured bill does not automatically satisfy a later supplemental assessment. A delinquent supplemental bill can create serious collection consequences even when the annual bill was paid.
- Find the mailing date printed on the supplemental bill.
- Check the first and second installment delinquency dates.
- Compare the parcel number with your annual secured bill.
- Ask your mortgage servicer whether supplemental bills are paid from escrow.
- Search the county account before sending payment.
Never replace the dates printed on a supplemental bill with the annual November/February schedule without checking the bill’s mailing month.
Unsecured Property Tax Uses a Different Deadline
Unsecured property commonly includes certain business personal property, fixtures, boats, aircraft and possessory interests rather than ordinary owner-occupied real estate secured by a lien on the land.
California’s 2026 state calendar lists August 1 as the date unsecured property taxes are due and payable and August 31 as the deadline to pay by 5 p.m. or close of business, whichever is later, to avoid a late penalty.
Do not use the December 10/April 10 secured schedule for an unsecured bill. Read the bill and county instructions because late-issued unsecured bills can use adjusted delinquency dates.
The word “property tax” is not enough to determine the deadline. First identify whether the account is secured or unsecured.
What If You Never Received the California Property Tax Bill?
Failure to receive a regular secured tax bill generally does not eliminate the obligation to pay or automatically erase a late penalty. New owners are especially vulnerable because county ownership or mailing records may still be updating when bills are prepared.
Use your county tax collector’s current bill lookup instead of waiting for another paper copy.
Check the assessor and tax collector records after a purchase, move or ownership change.
Use the Assessor’s Parcel Number from the deed, closing papers, assessment notice or prior bill.
A new buyer may receive one or more bills separate from the regular annual bill.
A lender may receive or pay the bill even when you receive an informational copy.
Keep emails, call notes and copies of requested duplicate bills if a dispute later develops.
If the annual bill has not appeared by early November, search the county account rather than assuming no tax is due.
Mortgage Escrow and California Property Tax Deadlines
A mortgage servicer may collect property-tax money monthly and send the secured installments to the county. You should still check whether the payment actually posted before a delinquency deadline.
Review the servicer’s scheduled disbursement and the county tax account before making a personal payment.
Supplemental bills can arrive separately after a purchase or construction and may require direct owner action.
A transfer between mortgage servicers can create confusion over which company is responsible for the next installment.
If both you and the lender pay, a credit or refund process may be needed.
An escrow account reduces the work, but it does not remove the need to verify posting before December or April delinquency deadlines.
Can a California Property Tax Late Penalty Be Cancelled?
Sometimes, but penalty cancellation is not automatic and the tax collector needs statutory authority to grant it. California rules allow relief in certain situations, including qualifying circumstances beyond the taxpayer’s control despite ordinary care.
USPS documentation may help when payment was mailed on time but the payment was posted as late.
Errors attributable to government processing can fall under separate statutory cancellation provisions.
Relief may be possible when the facts meet California’s statutory standard and the taxpayer provides supporting evidence.
County guidance commonly states that simply forgetting, being confused about the due date or not receiving the bill does not by itself justify cancellation.
- Pay or confirm the principal amount required under your county’s instructions.
- Download the county’s penalty cancellation or refund form.
- Identify the statutory reason that applies to your facts.
- Attach USPS records, medical evidence, county correspondence or other supporting documentation when relevant.
- Keep a complete copy of the request and proof of submission.
- Do not assume approval until the tax collector confirms it.
Ask for penalty cancellation only when you can connect the facts to an allowed California rule and support the request with evidence.
What Happens After June 30: Tax Default and Redemption
California secured real property with unpaid taxes, assessments, penalties and costs can generally be declared tax-defaulted at the beginning of July after the fiscal year closes. Title does not immediately transfer to someone else.
The balance enters the redemption system and additional statutory charges can apply.
The unpaid tax generally accrues a monthly redemption penalty while the default remains unresolved.
The county tax collector can provide the current redemption amount and instructions.
California law provides an installment-plan process for qualifying tax-defaulted property before the property becomes subject to sale.
Residential and many other properties generally have a multi-year statutory period before becoming subject to the tax collector’s power to sell.
Bankruptcy, probate, foreclosure, trust disputes or an active power-to-sell notice can require legal or tax advice beyond a general guide.
Do not wait for a tax-sale notice. Redemption becomes more expensive as monthly penalties and costs accumulate, and installment-plan eligibility has timing limits.
- Search your county’s delinquent or redemption account.
- Request a payoff calculated through the intended payment date.
- Ask whether an installment plan of redemption is available.
- Continue paying current-year taxes on time while resolving old taxes.
- Get qualified help if a sale, bankruptcy, estate or title deadline is involved.
A property becoming tax-defaulted does not mean it was instantly sold, but it is the point where delaying becomes much more expensive and risky.
California Property Tax Postponement: Check Before You Become Delinquent
The State Controller’s Property Tax Postponement Program can allow certain qualifying homeowners who are age 62 or older, blind or disabled to defer current-year property taxes on a principal residence. The postponed amount becomes a lien and must eventually be repaid.
The State Controller lists September 2026 for application availability and October 1 as the opening of the 2026–27 filing period.
The current State Controller guidance lists this household-income limit, subject to all other program requirements.
The homeowner must meet the program’s equity requirement.
The current program rules state that a reverse mortgage prevents eligibility.
PTP does not erase tax. It is a deferment, carries interest and is secured by a lien. The program also does not pay prior-year delinquent or defaulted taxes.
- Open the State Controller’s current PTP page.
- Confirm the 2026–27 filing window.
- Review age/disability, principal-residence, household-income, equity and mortgage requirements.
- Download the current application when available.
- Submit early because program funding is limited.
- Do not skip a tax deadline while assuming an application will be approved.
If you may qualify for postponement, investigate it before delinquency rather than after penalties have already attached.
California Deadline-Day Payment Checklist
Confirm the property is in the county whose payment site you opened.
Match the Assessor’s Parcel Number with the current property.
Do not accidentally pay an old delinquent or future installment instead.
Annual secured, supplemental, unsecured and redemption accounts use different rules.
Verify first versus second installment and whether the other installment is already paid.
Look for a mortgage-servicer payment before paying personally.
Card and electronic payment fees vary by county and processor.
Check weekend, holiday and payment-method timing.
Keep confirmation, receipt, USPS record or bank evidence.
Return to the official account after processing and confirm the balance changed.
Ten seconds spent checking APN, year, installment and escrow can prevent a duplicate or wrong-property payment that takes far longer to fix.
Related California Property Tax Guides
These CountyPropertyTaxes.us pages were verified as live during the internal-link audit and cover related intents without replacing this deadline-specific guide.
Use this page for California’s statewide timing rules, then move to the county guide when you need an account-specific payment route or county fee.
Official California Property Tax Deadline Resources
State sources explain the rule; the county tax collector’s live account supplies the property-specific balance and final payment route.
California Property Tax Deadline Terms
- Due Date
- The date an installment becomes due and payable. It is not necessarily the date a delinquency penalty begins.
- Delinquency Date
- The statutory payment deadline after which the installment becomes delinquent and late penalties apply.
- Secured Property Tax
- Tax secured by a lien against real property, commonly a home, land or commercial real estate.
- Supplemental Tax
- A separate tax bill triggered by qualifying changes in ownership or completed new construction.
- Unsecured Property Tax
- A separate roll commonly involving certain business personal property, fixtures, boats, aircraft or possessory interests.
- Tax Default
- A later stage when secured real-property taxes remain unpaid through the end of the fiscal year and enter California’s redemption process.
- Redemption Penalty
- A monthly penalty added while tax-defaulted property remains unpaid.
- APN
- Assessor’s Parcel Number, the property identifier commonly used by California counties to connect assessment and tax records.
If you know which of these terms appears on the bill, you can usually tell which deadline and office apply.
California Property Tax Due Date FAQs
When are California secured property taxes due for 2026–27?
The first installment is due November 1, 2026 and normally must be paid by December 10, 2026 to avoid delinquency. The second installment is due February 1, 2027. The statutory April 10, 2027 date falls on a Saturday, so California’s next-business-day rule applies; verify the effective deadline with your county tax collector.
What happens if December 10 or April 10 falls on a weekend or legal holiday?
California’s State Controller states that when either delinquency date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the deadline moves to 5 p.m. or close of business, whichever is later, on the next business day. Confirm the actual date shown by your county.
What is the penalty for paying California property tax late?
A late regular secured installment generally receives a 10% penalty. The second installment can also receive an additional county delinquent-processing cost, so check your county’s current balance rather than assuming one statewide dollar amount.
Are California supplemental property tax bills always due December 10 and April 10?
No. Bills mailed from July through October generally use the regular December and April delinquency dates. Supplemental bills mailed from November through June follow mailing-date-based deadlines, so use the dates printed on the actual bill.
What happens if California property taxes are still unpaid after June 30?
Secured real property can generally become tax-defaulted after the fiscal year ends. A 1.5% monthly redemption penalty and applicable fees can accrue, and the property can eventually become subject to sale if it is not redeemed within the statutory period.
Bottom Line
For a normal California secured real-property bill, remember four dates: November 1, December 10, February 1 and April 10. The first two describe the first installment’s due and delinquency stages; the second pair do the same for the second installment.
Before paying, confirm the APN, fiscal year, bill type, installment, live balance, escrow status and effective deadline with the county tax collector. If you are already late, search the current balance immediately and address the delinquency before it reaches tax-default status.
2026–27 Calendar Late Penalties Late Payment Help Supplemental Dates Official SourcesMaterially researched and updated: August 31, 2026.