All 67 counties
Who pays for title insurance in every Florida county?
The short answer
It depends on the county, and the purchase contract decides it in every case. By local custom the buyer pays for the owner’s policy in 9 counties, Broward and Miami-Dade among them, and the seller in 46 counties, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Orange and Duval among them; in the other 12 it varies. The lender’s policy is ordinarily on the borrower’s side. The premium is the same either way: it is promulgated statewide.
- Buyer pays
- 9 counties
- Seller pays
- 46 counties
- Varies
- 12 counties
- Buyer pays9 counties
- Seller pays46 counties
- Varies within the county12 counties
Custom, not law: the purchase contract decides it on every sale. County lines: U.S. Census Bureau.
Where each side pays
By local custom, county by county. Each county links to its own page: the deed stamp rate there, the recording office and what the promulgated premium comes to. The same list is a CSV download.
The buyer pays
in 9 counties
The seller pays
in 46 counties
- Alachua
- Baker
- Bay
- Bradford
- Brevard
- Calhoun
- Charlotte
- Citrus
- Clay
- DeSoto
- Duval
- Flagler
- Franklin
- Gilchrist
- Glades
- Gulf
- Hardee
- Hendry
- Hernando
- Highlands
- Hillsborough
- Holmes
- Indian River
- Jackson
- Lake
- Lee
- Levy
- Manatee
- Marion
- Nassau
- Okaloosa
- Okeechobee
- Orange
- Osceola
- Palm Beach
- Pasco
- Pinellas
- Polk
- Putnam
- Seminole
- St. Johns
- St. Lucie
- Sumter
- Union
- Volusia
- Washington
It varies
in 12 counties, with no single custom for the whole county
How it varies, county by county
- Columbia County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as around Tallahassee, and the seller on others, as around Gainesville.
- Dixie County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as around Tallahassee, and the seller on others, as around Gainesville.
- Escambia County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as in Santa Rosa County next door, and the seller on others, as in most of Florida.
- Hamilton County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as around Tallahassee, and the seller on others, as around Gainesville.
- Lafayette County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as around Tallahassee, and the seller on others, as around Gainesville.
- Liberty County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as around Tallahassee, and the seller on others, as in Franklin and Calhoun counties next door.
- Madison County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as around Tallahassee, and the seller on others, as around Gainesville.
- Martin County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as in Broward and Miami-Dade, and the seller on others, as in Palm Beach and St. Lucie on either side of it.
- In Monroe County who pays for the owner’s policy depends on where in the Keys the property is. Islamorada and the Upper Keys follow the buyer-pay custom of the counties to the north, Marathon and the Middle Keys are a seller-pay area, and Key West and the Lower Keys are a mix of the two.
- Suwannee County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as around Tallahassee, and the seller on others, as around Gainesville.
- Taylor County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales, as around Tallahassee, and the seller on others, as around Gainesville.
- Walton County has no settled custom for the owner’s policy: the buyer pays on some sales and the seller on others.
On a file in any of these counties, ask us and we will tell you what we are seeing.
Custom is not law
Custom is the starting point, not a rule. The purchase contract decides who pays for the owner’s policy, and in a negotiated deal either side can end up paying, so read the contract before assuming which line it falls on.
What the owner’s policy costs
The same in every county. The premium comes off the schedule the Office of Insurance Regulation promulgates by rule, and the Florida title insurance calculator works it out for a specific price, with the lender’s policy beside it. What each side pays at the closing, line by line, is on the buyer and seller closing cost pages.
Common questions
Who pays for title insurance in Broward County?
By local custom, the buyer pays for the owner’s policy in Broward County. Custom is not law: the purchase contract decides it, and in a negotiated deal either side can end up paying.
Who pays for title insurance in Palm Beach County?
By local custom, the seller pays for the owner’s policy in Palm Beach County. Custom is not law: the purchase contract decides it, and in a negotiated deal either side can end up paying.
Who pays for title insurance in Miami-Dade County?
By local custom, the buyer pays for the owner’s policy in Miami-Dade County. Custom is not law: the purchase contract decides it, and in a negotiated deal either side can end up paying.
Who pays for title insurance in Hillsborough County?
By local custom, the seller pays for the owner’s policy in Hillsborough County. Custom is not law: the purchase contract decides it, and in a negotiated deal either side can end up paying.
Who pays for title insurance in Orange County?
By local custom, the seller pays for the owner’s policy in Orange County. Custom is not law: the purchase contract decides it, and in a negotiated deal either side can end up paying.
Who pays for title insurance in Duval County?
By local custom, the seller pays for the owner’s policy in Duval County. Custom is not law: the purchase contract decides it, and in a negotiated deal either side can end up paying.
In which Florida counties does the buyer pay for title insurance?
By local custom the buyer pays for the owner’s policy in 9 counties: Broward, Collier, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Miami-Dade, Santa Rosa, Sarasota and Wakulla. The seller pays in 46, and in 12 it varies. The purchase contract decides it on every sale.
Can the contract put the owner’s policy on the other side?
Yes. Custom is only the starting point. The purchase contract decides who pays, and in a negotiated deal either side can end up paying. Read the contract before assuming which line it falls on.
Who pays for the lender’s title policy?
The lender’s policy protects the lender and is ordinarily on the borrower’s side of the statement. A cash purchase has no lender’s policy.
Is the premium different depending on who pays?
No. The premium is promulgated statewide by the Office of Insurance Regulation, so the figure is the same whichever side of the statement it lands on. Custom decides the side, not the price.
More to send a client: the Bayit Title guides, on Florida title insurance, the problems that delay a closing and more.