Tehama County Property Tax Guide for Homeowners and Sellers

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team. Figures come from the Tehama County Treasurer-Tax Collector; sources are listed at the end.

Tehama County property taxes are paid in two installments, due November 1 and February 1, and they are delinquent after December 10 and April 10. A late installment carries a 10 percent penalty, and a late second installment adds a $25 cost.

If you sell the house, anything still owed is paid from your proceeds at closing. This guide covers the dates, the ways to pay, tax-defaulted property and how to sell a Tehama County house when you owe taxes.

For how selling works across the county, see our Tehama County cash home buyers page.

Tehama County property tax at a glance

When are Tehama County property taxes due?

The county mails one annual secured bill. Half is due November 1 and half is due February 1. The first half is delinquent after December 10, and the second half after April 10. When a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

How do I pay my Tehama County property taxes?

• Online: at tax.tehama.gov.
• By phone: 833-705-3760.
• By mail: a check to P.O. Box 769, Red Bluff, CA 96080.
• In person: cash or check at 444 Oak Street, Room D, Red Bluff.
• Monthly: the county lists EasySmartPay as a payment option.

What happens if I don’t pay Tehama County property taxes?

A late installment first brings the 10 percent penalty, plus the $25 cost on the second installment. Each year the Tax Collector prepares a list of tax-defaulted property as of June 30 and publishes it in the Red Bluff Daily News around the first week of September.

Property becomes eligible for a tax sale five years after the first year of delinquency. Auctions are held as needed, and the parcel list is posted about 30 days before. We did not find the default interest rate on the county’s page, so ask the office for an exact payoff.

If you are also behind on the mortgage, read about selling a house in foreclosure.

How to sell a house in Tehama County when you owe property taxes

You can sell a house in Tehama County with unpaid property taxes. Taxes are a lien on the property, so the escrow company pays what is owed from your proceeds at closing, and the buyer receives the home with the taxes cleared.

1. Get a payoff figure. Ask the Tax Collector for the amount due in the month you expect to close.
2. Give it to escrow. Escrow lists the taxes with your mortgage and other liens and pays them at closing.
3. Budget for transfer tax. California’s statutory county rate is $0.55 for each $500 of value; use the calculator below. The contract decides who pays.
4. Watch the calendar. Closing before December 10 or April 10 avoids the penalty on that installment.

A cash sale helps when time is the problem, because there is no loan approval to wait for. Call (424) 435-2326. If you inherited the house, read how to sell an inherited house.

Tehama County tax and transfer tax calculators

Use these to estimate the cost of a late payment and the transfer tax on a sale. Enter the figures from your own bill for the closest result.

Tehama County property tax FAQ

When is the Tehama County property tax deadline?

The first installment is delinquent after December 10 and the second after April 10. A weekend or holiday moves the deadline to the next business day.

How much is the late penalty on Tehama County property taxes?

It is 10 percent of the unpaid installment. A late second installment also carries a $25 cost.

When can Tehama County sell a property for unpaid taxes?

Property is eligible for a tax sale five years after the first year of delinquency. Auctions are held as needed, and the parcel list is posted about 30 days before.

How do I sell a house in Tehama County when I owe property taxes?

Get the payoff from the Tax Collector and give it to escrow. The taxes are paid from your proceeds at closing, so the buyer gets the house with the taxes cleared.

Sources

• Tehama County Treasurer-Tax Collector (tehama.gov)
• Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder: statutory transfer tax rate (Revenue and Taxation Code 11911)

This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rates, fees and dates can change; confirm the amount on your own bill with the Tehama County Tax Collector. We did not find a Tehama County Recorder page confirming the transfer tax, so ask escrow to confirm it.