Kern County Unsecured Property Taxes Are Due by 5 P.M. Today; Late Bills Face 10% Penalty

The penalty-free deadline is 5 p.m. Monday

BAKERSFIELD — Kern County taxpayers with bills on the unsecured roll have until 5 p.m. Monday, August 31, to pay without a delinquency penalty. The county's official 2026 calendar identifies August 31 as the last day to pay unsecured taxes without penalty.

The Treasurer-Tax Collector says a 10% penalty applies after the delinquency date. An additional penalty of 1.5% per month then accrues on the principal amount of unpaid delinquent taxes. If the county records a lien, another fee is required to release it.

Not receiving a tax bill does not eliminate the obligation or provide grounds for canceling a penalty, according to the county. Anyone who believes a bill may be outstanding should verify the account through the official Treasurer-Tax Collector website rather than wait for another notice.

This is not the regular tax bill secured by a home

Unsecured taxes generally apply to taxable property that is not secured by real estate. Kern County's bill legend includes office furniture and equipment, store and restaurant equipment, machinery, fixtures, leasehold improvements, leased equipment, farm equipment, livestock and construction equipment.

The roll can also include hotel and apartment equipment, possessory interests, oil and gas equipment, pipelines, aircraft and boats. A homeowner looking for the ordinary secured-property installment deadline should not assume this August 31 notice applies to that separate bill.

Ownership on the January 1 lien date determines the obligation described by the county. Selling or disposing of property after that date does not automatically relieve the person assessed of the tax liability.

How to verify a bill or payment

The safest starting point is the official Kern County Treasurer-Tax Collector website, which links taxpayers to county payment services. The office lists 661-868-3490 for tax-payment status questions.

Questions about property values, exemptions or the mailing address shown on a tax bill go to the Assessor-Recorder at 661-868-3485. A taxpayer who disputes an assessed value should not assume that a phone call or appeal automatically postpones the payment deadline.

Use a county web address ending in kern.ca.us or kerncounty.com and independently confirm phone numbers before providing account or payment information. Unsolicited texts or emails demanding immediate property-tax payment should not be trusted merely because they mention the real deadline.

What happens after the deadline

The county says delinquent unsecured taxes may ultimately be collected through seizure and sale of personal property, improvements or possessory interests belonging to or assessed to the taxpayer. That enforcement authority is separate from the immediate 10% penalty and monthly accrual.

For taxpayers who can pay Monday, confirmation before 5 p.m. can prevent the first penalty. Those who cannot resolve a balance should contact the Treasurer-Tax Collector directly for accurate account information instead of relying on unofficial tax-relief solicitations.

Limits and what to watch

The deadline concerns unsecured property-tax bills and should not be confused with the separate installment schedule for secured real-estate taxes. Individual classifications and balances depend on county records.

The next development to watch is confirmation of payment before 5 p.m. August 31 and the county's application of delinquency penalties after the deadline.