Fresno County Property Tax Guide for Homeowners and Sellers

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team. Dates, penalties and fees come from the Fresno County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector and the Fresno County Recorder; sources are listed at the end.

Fresno County sends one property tax bill a year, due in two installments, and a late installment costs a 10 percent penalty. The first installment is delinquent at 5 p.m. on December 10 and the second at 5 p.m. on April 10. Anything still unpaid on June 30 becomes tax-defaulted and starts adding 1.5 percent a month. If you sell the house, what you owe is paid out of your proceeds at closing.

Fresno County property tax at a glance

How much is property tax in Fresno County?

California’s Proposition 13 sets the base rate at 1 percent of assessed value. Voter-approved bonds and direct levies for your parcel are added on top, so your bill is a little over 1 percent in most cases and can differ from a neighbor’s.

Your assessed value starts at the purchase price and can rise by no more than 2 percent a year until the property is sold or improved. A long-time owner in Fresno or Clovis can therefore pay far less than a recent buyer of a similar house.

When are Fresno County property taxes due?

The county says the first installment is due November 1 and becomes delinquent at 5 p.m. on December 10. The second is due February 1 and becomes delinquent at 5 p.m. on April 10. When either date lands on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. For the 2026-27 bill, that means Thursday, December 10, 2026 and Monday, April 12, 2027, because April 10 falls on a Saturday.

• Mailed payments count if the U.S. Postal Service postmarks them on or before the delinquency date.
• Do not send cash. Make checks payable to the Fresno County Tax Collector and write the Assessor’s Parcel Number on the check.
• Not receiving the bill does not cancel a penalty. The county says to call the Tax Collection Division if it has not arrived by November 10.
• If a lender pays from an impound account, check that the payment posted, because supplemental bills are not sent to lenders.

Fresno County property tax calculators

Estimate your annual bill and the cost of paying late, then the transfer tax on a sale. Use the figures on your own bill for the closest result.

How do I pay my Fresno County property tax bill?

You can pay by mail, in person at the Treasurer Division of the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office, or online and by phone through the county’s payment system. Bring the whole tax bill if you pay in person so you get a receipt.

The county charges convenience fees for online and phone payments, and it says it gives no extensions or penalty waivers for a service outage, so do not leave an online payment to the last hour. Questions about your balance go to the Tax Collection Division at (559) 600-3482.

The Assessor’s Office, at (559) 600-3534, handles exemptions such as the homeowner and veteran exemptions.

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

A late first installment gets a 10 percent penalty, and a late second installment gets 10 percent plus $10.00. If a balance is still unpaid at 5 p.m. on June 30, the property is tax-defaulted.

A $15.00 redemption fee is added, and a penalty of 1.5 percent of the unpaid tax is added on the last day of every month after that. That is 18 percent a year, which is why a $2,500 installment left unpaid for a year costs about $250 plus $450 in monthly penalties plus the redemption fee.

The county’s redemption amount covers all delinquent years together, with the 10 percent penalties, the $10.00 charges, the monthly penalties and the $15.00 fee. Taxes can stay unpaid for a maximum of five years after default. After that the Tax Collector has power of sale, and the property may be auctioned or acquired by a public agency. Paying before the sale date stops the process.

There is a payment option. The installment plan of redemption lets you pay off defaulted taxes over five years. To open one you pay at least 20 percent of the redemption amount, a $135.00 setup fee and the current year’s taxes. Each year by April 10 you make another payment of at least 20 percent, plus interest, and the current taxes must be paid on time. Miss either and the plan defaults.

What is a supplemental tax bill in Fresno County?

A supplemental bill is an extra bill issued after a sale or new construction changes a property’s assessed value. The county mails them throughout the year and does not send them to lenders. If one is mailed from July 1 through October 30, its delinquency dates match the annual bill.

If it is mailed from November 1 through June 30, the first installment is delinquent at 5 p.m. on the last day of the following month, and the second is delinquent on the last day of the fourth month after that.

Buyers and heirs are the ones who get caught by this, so budget for it if you inherit a house in the county. See our page on how to sell an inherited house in Fresno County.

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

You can sell a house in Fresno County with unpaid property taxes. Taxes are a lien on the property, so escrow pays the amount owed out of your proceeds at closing and the buyer receives it with the taxes cleared.

1. Get the payoff. Call the Tax Collection Division at (559) 600-3482 and ask for the amount due in the month you expect to close. Defaulted amounts grow every month.
2. Expect proration. The current year’s bill is split between you and the buyer by the closing date.
3. Budget for transfer tax. The Fresno County Recorder charges $0.55 per $500 of value when the deed is recorded. On a $400,000 sale that is $440. The contract sets who pays.
4. Watch the calendar. Closing before December 10 or April 10 avoids the penalty on that installment, and closing before June 30 avoids default charges. If the property is near the five-year power of sale, the sale must close before the sale date.

A cash sale helps when time is short. There is no loan approval to wait for, so closing can be set ahead of a deadline. See how we buy houses in Fresno County, or read our California transfer tax report.

Behind on Fresno County property taxes and thinking about selling? Call (424) 435-2326 or request a cash offer. There is no cost and no obligation.

Fresno County property tax FAQ

When are Fresno County property taxes delinquent?

The first installment is delinquent at 5 p.m. on December 10 and the second at 5 p.m. on April 10, moving to the next business day if the date falls on a weekend or holiday.

What is the penalty for paying Fresno County property taxes late?

The penalty is 10 percent of the unpaid installment, plus $10.00 on a late second installment. Taxes unpaid after June 30 add a $15.00 redemption fee and 1.5 percent a month.

Can I set up a payment plan for Fresno County property taxes?

Only for defaulted taxes. The installment plan of redemption runs five years and starts with at least 20 percent of the redemption amount and a $135.00 setup fee.

How long before Fresno County can sell a house for unpaid taxes?

Taxes can remain unpaid for a maximum of five years after default. After that the property is subject to the Tax Collector’s power of sale.

How do I sell a house in Fresno County with delinquent property taxes?

Get the payoff amount from the Tax Collection Division and give it to escrow, and the delinquent taxes are paid from your proceeds at closing.

Sources

• Fresno County: Property Tax Information FAQ
• Fresno County Recorder: Copy of Recorded Documents

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 Fresno County Tax Collector.