Yuma County property taxes are due in two installments. The first half is due October 1 and becomes delinquent after 5:00 p.m. on November 1. The second half is due March 1 and becomes delinquent after 5:00 p.m. on May 1 of the following year. You can also pay the full year in one payment by December 31 and avoid any interest on the first half.1Yuma County. Treasurer’s Information
The Two Installment Deadlines
Yuma County follows Arizona’s statewide two-installment schedule. The first half of your annual bill is due October 1 and must be received or postmarked by 5:00 p.m. on November 1 to avoid delinquency.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 42-18052 – Due Dates and Times; Delinquency The second half is due March 1 and becomes delinquent after 5:00 p.m. on May 1.1Yuma County. Treasurer’s Information
So the practical calendar most property owners work from is simple. Pay by November 1 to stay current on the first half. Pay by May 1 to stay current on the second half. Or pay the whole bill by December 31 and be done for the year without owing any interest on the first installment.1Yuma County. Treasurer’s Information
Small Bills Pay Once
If your total tax bill is $100 or less, the two-installment option doesn’t apply. The full amount is due October 1 and becomes delinquent after 5:00 p.m. on December 31.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 42-18052 – Due Dates and Times; Delinquency
Weekends and Holidays
When a delinquency date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the 5:00 p.m. cutoff rolls to the next business day.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 42-18052 – Due Dates and Times; Delinquency Check the calendar each year rather than assuming you have until the statutory date on the dot.
How to Pay
You’ll need your parcel number, sometimes called the Book-Map-Parcel number, before you pay. It appears on your tax statement and ties your payment to the correct account. Verify your balance online before paying so prior-year adjustments or accrued interest don’t leave you short.
In person, the Yuma County Treasurer’s Office is at 197 S. Main St., Suite 203, Yuma, AZ 85364.3Yuma County. Treasurer By mail, send a check or money order with a United States Postal Service postmark on or before the deadline. The Treasurer’s Office goes by the postmark date, not the date the envelope arrives.
Online, the county’s portal takes credit cards and electronic checks, and card transactions carry a convenience fee. By phone, call 1-877-690-3729 and use jurisdiction code 1311.3Yuma County. Treasurer Save the confirmation number as your proof of payment.
What a Late Payment Costs
Delinquent property taxes accrue simple interest at 16% per year under Arizona law. Any fraction of a month counts as a full month, so being one day late means owing interest for the whole month.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 42-18053 – Interest on Delinquent Taxes; Exceptions; Waiver On a $2,000 balance that works out to roughly $27 per month.
The Annual Tax Lien Sale
If taxes remain unpaid, Yuma County holds an annual tax lien sale in February.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 42-18112 – Time of Sale Investors bid by offering to accept the lowest interest rate on the delinquent amount. The winning bidder pays off your tax debt and receives a certificate of purchase, and the lien attaches to your property.6Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 42-18114 – Successful Purchaser
You can redeem the lien at any point by repaying the investor the full amount plus accrued interest. But if the lien goes unredeemed for three years, the lien holder can file a foreclosure action in superior court. If the court finds the sale was valid and no redemption occurred, it will order the county treasurer to execute a deed transferring the property.7Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 42-18201 – Action to Foreclose Right to Redeem; Subsequent Certificates of Purchase by Assignment This is how people lose homes over unpaid taxes. If you’re behind, deal with it before February.
If Your Mortgage Includes Escrow
When your mortgage includes an escrow account, your lender collects a portion of your estimated property taxes with each monthly payment and sends payment to the Treasurer’s Office on your behalf. Most government-backed loans require escrow and don’t let you opt out. Many conventional lenders require it too, unless you’ve built substantial equity.
Escrow doesn’t relieve you of responsibility. If your lender pays late or misses a payment, the county still attaches penalties and interest to your property. Check your annual escrow statement, and compare it against what the Treasurer’s Office shows as paid. Catching a discrepancy early is far easier than sorting it out after a lien has been recorded.