California property tax bills can be confusing because they list two dates for each installment: when it's due and when it becomes delinquent. The second date is the one that matters.
First Installment: Due Nov. 1, Delinquent After Dec. 10
The first half of your 2026–27 secured property tax bill became due on November 1. It doesn't become delinquent until 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2026. Pay anytime before then and you owe nothing extra.
Miss it and a 10% penalty is added to the first installment immediately. On a $4,000 annual bill, that's $200 for missing the first-half deadline by a single day.
Second Installment: Due Feb. 1, Delinquent After April 10
The second half becomes due February 1, 2027 and delinquent after April 10, 2027. April 10, 2027 is a Saturday; when a California delinquency date falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day, so the effective deadline is Monday, April 12. A late second installment gets a 10% penalty plus a $10 cost.
You can pay both installments together by December 10 if you'd rather handle it once.
Paying by Mail
California county tax collectors accept a U.S. Postal Service postmark as the payment date. A check postmarked on or before December 10 is on time even if it arrives later. A postage-meter date from a home or office machine generally doesn't count — only a USPS postmark does. If you're mailing close to the deadline, take it to a post office counter.
Supplemental Bills Are Separate
If you bought your home or finished new construction in the last year or so, you may also get a supplemental tax bill — a separate bill covering the increase in assessed value from the date of the change. It has its own due and delinquency dates printed on it, and mortgage escrow accounts often don't pay supplemental bills automatically. New homeowners miss these more than any other California property tax bill.
Escrowed? Confirm It Posted
If your lender pays your taxes, check your county's online lookup after December 10 to make sure the first installment posted. You're the one who owes the penalty if it didn't.
Find your county tax collector on our California property tax page, including Los Angeles County.