Who pays for the owner’s policy in Hillsborough County?
The seller customarily pays for the owner’s title policy in Hillsborough County.
Owner’s policy The title policy that protects the buyer, issued for the full insurable value of the property, in a sale ordinarily the price. More in the glossary: Owner’s policy
Custom is not law. The purchase contract decides it, and in a negotiated deal either side can end up paying. Read the contract before assuming which line it falls on.
That is the custom as we see it on our own files, confirmed on September 24, 2026. It is a report of what is usual, not a rule, and not a promise about your contract.
How the custom runs in the other counties is on who pays for title insurance in Florida.
What does title insurance cost in Hillsborough County?
The same as anywhere in Florida — the premium is promulgated.
Premium The price of a title insurance policy. In Florida it is set by rule, applies throughout the state, and no one may knowingly quote, charge or collect a different one; it runs per $1,000 of coverage, in bands. More in the glossary: Premium
- Owner’s policy, $500,000
- $2,575
- Original rate, R. 69O-186.003(1)(a)
- At the reissue rate
- $1,530
- Where the prior title was insured and conditions are met
- Lender’s policy alongside
- $125
- Our charge; the rule’s minimum is $25
The Office of Insurance Regulation sets the premium by rule under Fla. Stat. § 627.782, and an owner’s policy is written for the full insurable value of the property. The Florida title insurance rates, both schedules, are printed in full on the calculator; what each side pays is on the buyer closing costs and seller closing costs pages.
More detail on what title insurance costs
The reissue rate applies where the owner’s or the seller’s own title was insured and the rule’s conditions are met. The rule sets $25 as the least a lender’s policy issued at the same time can be. That $25 is a minimum, not a price: Bayit Title charges $125 to issue the policy alongside the owner’s, and that is the figure the estimate prints. Where the loan is larger than the owner’s amount, the coverage above it adds the difference between the original rate at the loan amount and at the owner’s amount.
Read from Fla. Admin. Code R. 69O-186.003 on September 14, 2026. The rule was last amended January 27, 2002. Tell us if a figure here does not match what you are quoted and we will check it against the rule again.
Documentary stamp tax on a Hillsborough County sale
The deed is taxed by the state, not by the county.
Documentary stamp tax Florida’s tax on documents, paid at the closing. More in the glossary: Documentary stamp tax
The deed rate here is the rate in 66 of the 67 counties — Miami-Dade is the exception. The stamps are charged on each part of $100, so they round up. Which side pays is decided by the contract, not the statute.
A cash closing carries neither mortgage tax. The Florida doc stamp tax calculator works it out for a specific price and loan.
More detail on documentary stamp tax
Deed stamps. 70¢ per $100 of consideration, or part of $100. Charged on each part of $100, so the figure rounds up, not down.
Mortgage stamps. 35¢ per $100 of the amount secured, or part of $100. The $2,450 cap in § 201.08(1)(a) is on the tax on a note or other written obligation to pay money. There is no cap on the tax on a mortgage recorded against Florida property.
Intangible tax. 2 mills on each dollar secured — $2 per $1,000. One time, on the obligation the mortgage secures.
Each figure was read from the statute that sets it on September 14, 2026 and is linked to its section. Which county ch. 83-220 describes comes from the Department of Revenue’s documentary stamp tax guidance. Rates change by act of the Legislature — if one of these no longer matches what you are being charged, tell us and we will correct it.
Recording in Hillsborough County
Deeds and mortgages record with the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Recording Entering a document in the county’s official records, which makes it notice to everyone. More in the glossary: Recording
We e-record in this county, so a document usually posts without a courier trip.
- First page
- $10.00
- Then $8.50 a page
- A 3-page deed
- $27
- Same at every office
- A 25-page mortgage
- $214
- Same at every office
Set by statute and charged by the page — Fla. Stat. § 28.24(13) — so a Hillsborough County deed and a Levy County deed of the same length record for the same money.
Recording in person is the ONLY option to guarantee same-day service.
More detail on recording
Recording, first page: $10.00. $5.00 service charge, plus $1.00 to the Public Records Modernization Trust Fund, plus $4.00. Fla. Stat. § 28.24(13)(a), (d)1., (e)
Recording, each page after the first: $8.50. $4.00 service charge, plus 50¢ to the trust fund, plus $4.00. Fla. Stat. § 28.24(13)(b), (d)2., (e)
Indexing, per name over four: $1.00. Reached by a deed with several grantors, or by a mortgage naming a trust. Fla. Stat. § 28.24(13)(c)
The office’s own fee schedule covers the other things it does — certified copies, searches, its own e-recording arrangements — and a third-party e-recording vendor may add a fee of its own, which is not the office’s charge and not this.
The turnaround above is the office’s own published statement, not a commitment it makes to us or a time we can promise you. Offices change these pages without notice. On a file where the recording date matters, ask us and we will check what the office is actually doing that week.
Read from the statute on September 14, 2026. If a charge here no longer matches what you are being charged, tell us and we will correct it.
How Hillsborough County records, in its offices’ own words
What the office that records deeds and mortgages says about how it works.
- Witness addresses
- The Clerk says each witness’s post office address must be a physical address or post office box, not an email address, and that documents without the witness addresses section 695.26 requires are not recordable and will be rejected. Source: Witness addresses
- Notices of commencement
- The Clerk offers a consumer e-recording portal for Notices of Commencement only. Once documents and payment are received, it asks to allow up to 7 business days for a notice to be recorded; one delivered in person to Official Records is recorded and returned while you wait. Source: Notices of commencement
- Same-day recording
- The Clerk says recording in person is the only way to guarantee same-day recording. It cannot guarantee same- or next-day recording for documents received by mail or through e-recording, which are processed in the order received. Source: Same-day recording
- Where to record
- The Clerk lists three recording locations: downtown Tampa (419 E. Pierce St.), Brandon (311 Pauls Drive) and Plant City (301 North Michigan Ave.). Source: Where to record
- Holiday closures
- The Clerk’s holiday schedule lists the office as closed for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Source: Holiday closures
Each line restates what the page linked beside it said when it was read, on October 7, 2026: a page of one of the county’s own offices, or one it links to. Offices change these pages without notice; on a file where one of them matters, ask us and we will check it again.
All Hillsborough topicsNext Liens and charges that stay with the property
County liens, utility charges and assessments in Hillsborough County
What the county’s offices and its code say about charges and liens a buyer can inherit.
- Code liens on other property
- A code enforcement fine order, once recorded, is a lien on the land in violation and on any other real or personal property the violator owns. No such lien lasts more than 20 years after it is recorded. Source: Code liens on other property
- Cap on code fines
- The County Code caps any code enforcement fine assessed against a real property owner, accumulated daily fines included, at 50 percent of the property’s market value as listed by the Property Appraiser on the date of the order assessing the fine. Source: Cap on code fines
- Code liens after foreclosure
- If the County’s interest is foreclosed and the property sold at a foreclosure sale, its code lien comes off that property once the court enters final judgment and the Clerk records the certificate of title. On request, the County records a partial release for a fee. Source: Code liens after foreclosure
- Code lien settlements
- The County says an owner or a buyer can apply to settle a code enforcement lien once the property is in compliance, by a notarized application to its lien settlement mailbox; a response typically takes 7 to 10 business days, and an offer must be paid within 30 days. Source: Code lien settlements
- Settlements and closing dates
- The County’s lien settlement application asks for the estimated closing date and a copy of the sales contract, and warns that there are no assurances the settlement process will meet the closing timeframe. Source: Settlements and closing dates
- Paying code liens
- Citizen Boards Support takes code board fines and liens by card online or by cashier’s check, money order, or escrow or trust account check payable to BOCC, and holds a business or personal check 60 days to clear before releasing any lien. Source: Paying code liens
- Water and sewer liens
- Unpaid county water and sewer charges are a lien on the parcel served. The Public Utilities Director may record a notice of lien, and once recorded the lien is constructive notice and bears interest at the rate in section 55.03. Source: Water and sewer liens
- Solid waste on the tax bill
- The County bills residential solid waste collection and disposal as non-ad valorem assessments on the property tax bill in its Solid Waste Service Area, and collection is mandatory. Source: Solid waste on the tax bill
- Stormwater fee in arrears
- The County’s stormwater fee, paid annually by all property owners in unincorporated Hillsborough County, covers the calendar year and is assessed in arrears; the 2026 assessment for one equivalent residential unit is $92.58. Source: Stormwater fee in arrears
- Street lighting districts
- In the County’s residential street lighting districts, property owners pay for neighborhood street lighting as a separate Consolidated Street Lighting Special Purpose District assessment on the property tax bill; the County manages 797 such districts. Source: Street lighting districts
- Unsafe building liens
- The cost of vacating, demolishing or removing an unsafe building, once assessed by resolution and filed in the public land records, is a lien ahead of all others except taxes. It bears six percent interest a year and can be foreclosed if still unpaid two years after filing. Source: Unsafe building liens
- Impact fee assessments
- No new Impact Fee Assessment Units for water and wastewater impact fees may be created, but existing ones remain until all their non-ad valorem assessments are paid in full. Those assessments are a lien that ranks with taxes. Source: Impact fee assessments
Each line restates what the page linked beside it said when it was read, on October 15, 2026: a page of one of the county’s own offices, or the county’s code. Offices change these pages without notice; on a file where one of them matters, ask us and we will check it again.
All Hillsborough topicsNext Property tax and the Tax Collector
Property tax and the Tax Collector in Hillsborough County
What the county’s offices say about collecting the property tax and what goes on the bill.
- Bill in the prior owner’s name
- The Tax Collector says a buyer who did not own the property before the tax roll was certified may get a tax notice in the previous owner’s name, because the deed may not have reached the Property Appraiser in time, and that the name of record does not prevent payment. Source: Bill in the prior owner’s name
- Paying delinquent taxes
- The Tax Collector does not accept partial payments on delinquent real estate taxes, and once a certificate holder starts a tax deed foreclosure, all outstanding taxes must be paid, in certified funds. Source: Paying delinquent taxes
Each line restates what the page linked beside it said when it was read, on October 15, 2026: a page of one of the county’s own offices, its code or its charter. Offices change these pages without notice; on a file where one of them matters, ask us and we will check it again.
All Hillsborough topicsNext Exemptions and the Property Appraiser
Exemptions, ownership records and parcel numbers in Hillsborough County
What the county’s offices say about exemptions, ownership records and the parcel when a property sells.
- Exemption ends on a sale
- The Property Appraiser says that once a property is conveyed it is raised to full market value on January 1 of the following year, that the homestead exemption and the assessment limitation both expire then, and that the new owner must apply for and receive homestead exemption. Source: Exemption ends on a sale
- Homestead exemption liens
- If an owner was not entitled to a homestead exemption, the property is subject to a lien for the taxes exempted within the prior 10 years, plus 50% penalties and 15% interest, the Property Appraiser says. Its examples include a buyer whose TRIM notice or tax bill is still in the prior owner’s name. Source: Homestead exemption liens
- Local senior exemptions
- The Property Appraiser lists the City of Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough County (up to $50,000 each) and Temple Terrace (up to $25,000) as applying the low-income senior exemption to their taxes, and only Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough the long-term residency senior exemption. Source: Local senior exemptions
- Reported sinkholes
- The Property Appraiser’s subsidence search maps parcels with a symbol for remediated or unremediated subsidence, and the office says it covers only subsidence activity reported to it and does not include unreported sinkholes. Source: Reported sinkholes
- Death of a homestead owner
- When the sole owner of a homestead property dies, the Property Appraiser asks to be told. It says the exemption belonged only to the deceased owner, and new owners must update the status to avoid potentially costly liens from undeserved exemptions. Source: Death of a homestead owner
Each line restates what the page linked beside it said when it was read, on October 15, 2026: a page of one of the county’s own offices, or one it links to. Offices change these pages without notice; on a file where one of them matters, ask us and we will check it again.
All Hillsborough topicsNext Permits and building inspections
Building permits and safety inspections in Hillsborough County
What the county’s building officials publish about permits and building inspections.
- Permit records by year
- The County says building permit records from 1976 to 2004 are not online and need a records request, records from 2005 to January 19, 2021 are on its Building Permits Reports page, records from January 20, 2021 are in HillsGovHub, and no certificates of occupancy exist for permits issued before 2012. Source: Permit records by year
- Expired permits
- The County’s building permit fee schedule, effective October 5, 2024, charges $50 to reinstate an expired residential permit and $50 to transfer a permit, and charges work without a permit an additional 100% of the permit fee. Source: Expired permits
- Sinkhole reports recorded
- The Hillsborough County Construction Code requires the signed and sealed report of a ground settlement investigation, and of any ground settlement remediation, to be recorded in the Official Records of Hillsborough County before the permit can be closed out. Source: Sinkhole reports recorded
Each line restates what the page linked beside it said when it was read, on October 15, 2026: a page of the county government, one it links to, or the county’s code. Offices change these pages without notice; on a file where one of them matters, ask us and we will check it again.
All Hillsborough topicsNext Law that applies in Hillsborough
Law particular to Hillsborough County
What the county’s charter, its code or a Florida law sets for Hillsborough in particular.
- Foreclosure registration
- The County Code requires a mortgagee to register property in foreclosure within ten days of filing a lis pendens or foreclosure action, at $200 for each six-month registration, and to give proof of sale once it is sold to anyone other than the mortgagee. Source: Foreclosure registration
- Selling during a code case
- An owner who transfers property between service of the initial pleading and the hearing in a code case must disclose the case in writing, hand over the pleadings and tell the buyer it will be responsible for compliance. The owner must also notify the County within five days of the transfer. Source: Selling during a code case
Each line restates what the page linked beside it said when it was read, on October 15, 2026: the county’s charter or code, a page of the county government, or the Florida Constitution. Offices change these pages without notice; on a file where one of them matters, ask us and we will check it again.
Foreclosure and tax deed sales in Hillsborough County
How the county’s offices run the sales, as they describe them.
- Foreclosure certificates
- Since September 22, 2023, plaintiffs no longer file proposed Certificates of Sale, Title or Disbursement with the Clerk; under the circuit civil administrative order, the Clerk generates these documents and serves them on the parties and counsel. Source: Foreclosure certificates
Each line restates what the page linked beside it said when it was read, on October 15, 2026: a page of the office that runs the sale, or one it links to. Offices change these pages without notice; on a file where one of them matters, ask us and we will check it again.
Cities in Hillsborough County we have written about
Some things change from city to city, not county to county.
The premium, the taxes and the recording office on this page apply everywhere in Hillsborough County. A city guide adds what the city itself decides: how a signing happens there, and what a municipal lien search has to cover. We have written guides for these cities so far.
All Hillsborough topicsNext Community associations in Hillsborough
Community associations in Hillsborough County we have written about
Some things are set by the community, not the county.
The premium, the taxes and the recording office on this page apply everywhere in Hillsborough County. A community association’s recorded documents add their own: which estoppels to order, what is paid to the association at closing, and whether a sale or a lease needs its approval. We have written up these communities so far, each from its recorded documents.
- Chapter 720 master association of the Tampa Palms villagesTampa Palms
No master transfer fee or approval, a 180-day rental minimum in the single-family villages, a lien that relates back to 1986, and the first question on every file: which recorded instrument brought the lot under the declaration.
Neighborhoods in Tampa Palms
How Bayit Title handles a Hillsborough County file
Opened by the same four people who close it.
We order the search, examine what comes back, and put anything that could hold up the closing in writing — with what it would take to clear it — rather than waiting for it to surface at the table.
Wherever the signer is
We send a notary to the signer, including outside office hours.
About mobile notary signings →Remote online
Signed online with a Florida-commissioned online notary.
How remote online notarization works →
Each kind of file has a page of its own: home purchases and sales, refinances and commercial title. Everything we handle is on title, escrow and closing services in Florida.