Plumas 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 Plumas County Treasurer-Tax Collector and Clerk-Recorder pages and fee schedule and from the California State Board of Equalization; sources are listed at the end.

Plumas County property tax is 1 percent of your home’s assessed value plus voter-approved debt rates, billed in two installments that go late after 5 p.m. on December 10 and April 10. A late installment costs a 10 percent penalty, and the second installment adds a $20 cost.

If you sell, unpaid taxes are paid from your proceeds at closing. This guide covers the Plumas County deadlines and how to sell a house in Plumas County when you owe taxes.

Plumas County property tax at a glance

When are Plumas County property taxes due?

The first installment is due November 1. It is delinquent if it is not paid at the office or postmarked by 5 p.m. on December 10. The second is due February 1 and is delinquent after 5 p.m. on April 10.

When a due date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the delinquency deadline moves to 5 p.m. the next business day. For the 2026-27 bill, the first deadline is Thursday, December 10, 2026, and because April 10, 2027 falls on a Saturday, the second moves to Monday, April 12, 2027.

• The county mails bills on or before November 1. If you do not receive one, contact the Tax Collector.
• You can pay both installments together, but the second cannot be paid before the first.
• Mailed payments need a postmark by 5 p.m. on the deadline date.

How much is property tax in Plumas County?

The base is 1 percent of taxable value, plus the voter-approved debt rates that apply to your parcel. The State Board of Equalization explains that Proposition 13 generally limits yearly increases in a property’s base year value to 2 percent until the home changes hands or is improved. A family cabin held for decades in Quincy or Chester can carry a bill far below what a new buyer pays.

If you live in the house as your principal home, you can claim the Homeowners’ Exemption, which lowers taxable value by $7,000. It is a one-time filing with the county Assessor, and it does not apply to second homes or rentals, which matters in a county with many seasonal cabins.

Plumas County property tax late-payment calculator

Enter an unpaid installment to see the 10 percent penalty and the second-installment cost. Use the figures from your own bill.

How do I pay my Plumas County property taxes?

• In person: at the Plumas County Tax Collector’s office, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, excluding holidays.
• By mail: Plumas County Tax Collector, P.O. Box 176, Quincy, CA 95971, postmarked by the deadline.
• Online: the county lists a Public Tax Inquiry and Payments option on its secured taxes page. The page lists no payment-method fees, so confirm any fee with the office before you pay.
• By phone: the Treasurer/Tax Collector Department is at (530) 283-6260.

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

A late first installment carries a 10 percent penalty. A late second installment carries the 10 percent penalty plus a $20 cost. Those are the charges the county lists on its secured taxes page, and they are added as soon as the deadline passes: on a $1,500 installment, that is $150 on the first and $170 on the second.

The pages I reviewed do not give the default date, redemption fees or the point at which the county can sell a property for unpaid taxes. Do not assume the numbers from another county apply.

Call the Treasurer/Tax Collector at (530) 283-6260 for the redemption amount, any payment plan and the sale timeline before you decide how to proceed. California law on tax-defaulted property is statewide, but each Tax Collector sets its own procedures and costs.

What is a supplemental tax bill in Plumas County?

A supplemental bill is an extra bill issued after a sale or new construction triggers reassessment. The State Board of Equalization explains that a prorated supplemental assessment covers the rest of the fiscal year, so a higher value produces a bill and a lower value produces a refund.

The Plumas County secured taxes page does not cover supplemental bills, so ask the office at (530) 283-6260 how and when yours will arrive.

Heirs and new buyers in Plumas County see this most. If you inherited a cabin or home, read how we buy houses in Plumas County.

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

You can sell a house in Plumas County with unpaid property taxes. They are a lien on the property, so escrow pays what is owed from your proceeds and the buyer receives the property with taxes current.

1. Get your payoff figure. Call the Tax Collector at (530) 283-6260 and ask for the amount owed in the month you expect to close.
2. Expect proration. The current year’s bill is split between you and the buyer by the closing date.
3. Budget for transfer tax and recording. The county’s 2026 fee schedule lists documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value (R&T 11911). It also lists the SB 2 Affordable Housing and Jobs fee at $75 per instrument, up to $225 per transaction, unless exempt. On a $400,000 sale, the transfer tax is $440.00.
4. Plan for the Recorder. Deeds are recorded at the Clerk-Recorder, 520 Main Street, Room 102, Quincy. Recording hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a Wednesday closure from 11 a.m. to noon. Escrow normally handles this.

In a small rural market, a listing can sit for months, and a buyer’s lender may balk at a remote or older cabin. A direct cash sale avoids the loan and lets you set the date, so closing can land ahead of a tax deadline. See how we buy houses in Plumas County.

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

Estimate your transfer tax when you sell

Plumas County property tax FAQ

When are Plumas County property taxes late?

After 5 p.m. on December 10 for the first installment and after 5 p.m. on April 10 for the second. The first carries a 10 percent penalty, and the second adds a $20 cost.

Can I pay the second installment first in Plumas County?

No. The county allows both installments to be paid together, but the second cannot be paid until the first is paid.

What if my Plumas County property tax bill never arrives?

Bills are mailed on or before November 1. If you do not receive one, contact the Tax Collector at (530) 283-6260.

What is the transfer tax in Plumas County?

The county fee schedule lists $0.55 per $500 of value, plus a $75 SB 2 fee per instrument, up to $225 per transaction, unless exempt.

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

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

Sources

• Plumas County: Secured Property Taxes
• Plumas County: Important Dates
• Plumas County: Clerk-Recorder Division
• Plumas County: 2026 Clerk-Recorder fee schedule
• California State Board of Equalization: California Property Tax, An Overview

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 Plumas County Tax Collector.