Fresno County secured property taxes are paid in two installments: the first is due November 1 and becomes delinquent after 5:00 p.m. on December 10, and the second is due February 1 and becomes delinquent after 5:00 p.m. on April 10. Miss either deadline and a flat 10% penalty attaches immediately. Let the bill sit unpaid past June 30 and the account goes into default, with 18% annual interest and, eventually, the risk of a county tax sale.
The Two Installment Deadlines
California’s property tax year runs from July 1 through June 30. Your annual bill typically arrives in October and covers the full fiscal year, split into two installments with separate due dates and separate delinquency deadlines.
The first installment covers July 1 through December 31. It becomes due on November 1, and you have until 5:00 p.m. on December 10 to pay without penalty.1California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 2617 The second installment covers January 1 through June 30. It becomes due on February 1, with a delinquency deadline of 5:00 p.m. on April 10.2California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 2618
When December 10 or April 10 falls on a weekend or county holiday, the deadline extends to 5:00 p.m. on the next business day. In 2026, both dates fall on weekdays, so no extensions apply. If you prefer to handle the whole year at once, you can pay both installments together in November.
What a Late Payment Costs
Miss December 10 and a 10% penalty attaches to your first installment balance right away.1California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 2617 The same 10% penalty applies to the second installment if it remains unpaid after April 10.2California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 2618 On a $3,000 installment, that penalty alone is $300. There is no grace period and no waiver for forgetting or mailing late.
The postmark rule is what catches people. A mailed payment counts as on time only if the envelope carries a United States Postal Service postmark dated on or before the delinquency date.3County of Fresno. Make a Property Tax Payment A private postage-meter stamp does not count. If you’re mailing close to the deadline, take the envelope to the post office counter and get it hand-stamped.
Default After June 30
If either installment is still unpaid when the fiscal year ends on June 30, the stakes climb sharply. At 12:01 a.m. on July 1, unpaid taxes are declared in default by operation of law.4California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 3436 Additional interest of 1.5% per month then begins accruing on the unpaid balance, which works out to 18% per year.5California State Controller’s Office. County Tax Collectors Reference Manual – Chapter 5000 A redemption fee also attaches to the account.
Property that stays in default for five or more years becomes subject to the tax collector’s power to sell. At that point the county can auction the property to recover the unpaid taxes, penalties, and accumulated interest. You keep the right to redeem by paying everything owed up until the day before the actual sale, but by then years of compounding 18% interest have piled onto the original penalty. Setting up an installment plan within the first five years of default can keep the property out of auction, though the interest continues to run.
Unsecured and Supplemental Bills Have Their Own Deadlines
Unsecured property taxes cover assets like business equipment, boats, and aircraft that aren’t tied to real estate. Those bills are mailed in July with a single payment deadline of August 31, and there is no two-installment option.6County of Fresno. Property Tax Information A 10% penalty attaches to any unsecured bill not paid by the delinquency date, and continued nonpayment can lead to a recorded lien, wage garnishment, or seizure of other assets.
Supplemental bills are the ones that blindside new homeowners. When a property changes hands or new construction is completed, the assessor reappraises the property, and the difference in assessed value generates a supplemental bill for the remainder of the fiscal year. These bills don’t follow the November and February pattern. The delinquency dates are calculated from the mailing date: the first installment becomes delinquent at the end of the month following the mailing, and the second installment becomes delinquent four months after that. A bill mailed in February, for example, has delinquency dates of March 31 and July 31. Both dates are printed on the bill itself.7California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code RTC 75.51 Check the dates on every tax notice from the county, even if you’ve already paid the regular annual bill.
Paying Before the Deadline
Fresno County accepts payments through several channels. You’ll need your Assessor’s Parcel Number, which appears on your tax bill, for any payment method.3County of Fresno. Make a Property Tax Payment
The county’s online portal accepts credit cards, debit cards, and electronic checks, with fees that vary sharply by payment type:8County of Fresno. Frequently Asked Questions
- E-check: $0.50 per transaction
- Debit card: $3.29 per transaction
- Credit card: 2.30% of the payment amount
On a $3,000 payment, the credit card fee comes to $69. E-check is by far the cheapest online option. Complete the transaction through the final confirmation screen; backing out earlier means the payment never processes.
To pay by mail, send your check with the payment stub to the Fresno County Tax Collector, and remember the USPS-postmark requirement. Write your parcel number on the check itself in case the stub gets separated. In-person payments and after-hours drop-box payments go to the Treasurer-Tax Collector office at 2281 Tulare Street, Room 105, in Fresno. As April 10 approaches, the office extends its hours; in 2026, weekday hours start at 7:30 a.m. from March 30 through April 10, and the office is open Saturday, April 4 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.9County of Fresno. Contact Information
If Your Mortgage Servicer Pays Your Taxes
Most homeowners with a mortgage have property taxes paid through an escrow account managed by their loan servicer. A portion of each monthly mortgage payment goes into escrow, and the servicer disburses funds to the county when taxes come due. Federal law requires the servicer to make those payments by the delinquency deadline so you don’t get hit with penalties.10Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Escrow Accounts
Servicer errors happen more often than you’d expect. A payment can go to the wrong parcel number, land in the wrong county, or simply arrive late. If the county shows a delinquency, you deal with the consequences even though the servicer caused the problem. Check your account on the Fresno County website after each delinquency date to confirm the payment was received. If it wasn’t, contact your servicer immediately. Fixing a servicer mistake within a few weeks is annoying; finding it a year later, after penalties and default interest have compounded, is expensive.