Property Tax Due Dates in Lake County, Indiana and Porter County

Two installments a year

Indiana splits the property tax bill into a spring installment due May 10 and a fall installment due November 10. The county treasurer has to mail the tax bill, called the TS-1, at least 15 days before May 10 (DLGF Citizen’s Guide to Property Tax). For taxes payable in 2026, the state lists May 11, 2026 and November 10, 2026, because May 10 fell on a Sunday (DLGF property tax due dates).

Porter County says the bill is split into two installments when the total due is $25.00 or more, and that a due date on a weekend or holiday moves to the next business day. The April bill comes with remittance coupons for both the spring and fall payments (Porter County Treasurer payment options). Keep the fall coupon somewhere you will find it in November.

Why it feels like a year behind

The state labels the bills paid in 2026 as 2025 pay 2026 (DLGF memo on the 2026 tax statement). That is why people say Indiana taxes are paid a year behind. When you buy or sell, the purchase agreement sets how the seller’s share is handled at closing, so read that line before closing day. Our buyer closing costs page shows where taxes land on the closing numbers.

Paying in Lake County

The Lake County Treasurer takes payments online with a major credit card or e-check through its tax search site. A third party convenience fee applies, and the county says those fees are not kept by Lake County and are not refundable. For the fall 2026 installment, the site takes payments until 11:30 p.m. Central on November 10, 2026 (Lake County tax search and payment).

A few rules from the Treasurer’s online payment FAQ (Lake County payment FAQ):

• Online, only the full amount for each installment is accepted. No partial payments.
• Your payment is applied within three working days, and the date you paid online counts as the payment date.
• You can pay more than one parcel at once by adding each to the cart.
• Parcels listed for tax sale, in bankruptcy, or on a payment plan can’t be paid online and go through the Treasurer’s office.

The Treasurer has offices in Crown Point, Hammond, and Gary, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Crown Point office is in Building A, 2nd floor, at 2293 N. Main Street (Lake County Treasurer).

Paying in Porter County

Porter County takes payments online, by phone, by mail, and in person, and it accepts full and partial payments all year, with penalties applied as they come due (Porter County Treasurer payment options). Phone payments run 24 hours a day with e-check, credit, or debit, and convenience fees may apply. Have your duplicate number from the bill ready (Porter County pay by phone).

In person, the Treasurer is in Suite 209 of the Porter County Administration Center, 155 Indiana Avenue in Valparaiso, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, holidays excluded. The office takes cash, check, and credit or debit cards. Credit cards cost 2.5 percent or $1.55, whichever is greater, and debit cards are a flat $3.95. The county suggests coming well before the due date to skip the lines (Porter County pay in person).

By mail, make the check payable to Porter County Treasurer, include the spring or fall coupon, and don’t staple or clip the check to it. Citing Indiana Code 6-1.1-37-10, the county says a first class payment counts as on time when it is postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before the due date. It warns against a certificate of mailing, because the envelope won’t carry a postmark (Porter County pay by mail).

What late costs

Pay within 30 days of the due date, with no back taxes owed on the same parcel, and the penalty is 5 percent of the unpaid tax. Otherwise it is 10 percent (DLGF property tax due dates). If taxes stay unpaid into later years, another 10 percent is added after each due date, and the property can become subject to a tax sale (DLGF Citizen’s Guide to Property Tax).

If your lender pays from escrow

Escrow doesn’t stop the bill from coming. The state says all taxpayers receive a copy of their bill, even with a zero balance (DLGF memo on the 2026 tax statement). Porter County mails the April bill to every taxpayer who isn’t an eNotice subscriber, even with a mortgage company or escrow service (Porter County Treasurer). In Lake County, mortgage companies and tax services get an ID number, and parcels under that number are billed to the company automatically (Lake County Treasurer, mortgage companies).

Either way, look up your parcel on the county tax search after the due date and make sure the payment posted. Real Estate USA explains how an escrow account works in Northwest Indiana.

Buying or selling near a due date

Closing in late April or early November? Ask who is paying the installment that is about to come due, and get it in writing. Real Estate USA covers property taxes when you buy a home in Northwest Indiana and how Northwest Indiana property taxes are figured. New owner? File the homestead deduction on the home you live in. If the assessed value looks wrong, our property tax appeal page walks through Form 130, and the property taxes Ask page has the short version.

Towns we work

In Lake County we work Crown Point, Hammond, Gary, Merrillville, Schererville, St. John, and Cedar Lake. In Porter County we work Valparaiso, Portage, and Chesterton. Buying in any of them? Ask us what the last tax bill on the house was before you write an offer.

Before the due date

• Find your bill and the right coupon, spring or fall.
• Check the due date. A weekend or holiday pushes it to the next business day.
• If you have escrow, confirm your servicer has the bill.
• In Lake County, pay the full installment if you pay online.
• Mailing it? Get a USPS postmark on or before the due date.
• Afterward, look up your parcel and make sure the payment posted.

Our buying guide and selling guide cover the rest of the path. Search homes on Realest.com.

Questions owners ask

When are property taxes due in Lake County and Porter County, Indiana?

Twice a year, on May 10 and November 10. If a due date falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day. For taxes payable in 2026, the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance lists May 11, 2026 and November 10, 2026.

What is the penalty for paying Indiana property taxes late?

If you pay within 30 days of the due date and owe no back taxes on the same property, the penalty is 5 percent of the unpaid tax. Otherwise it is 10 percent. Taxes still unpaid in later years pick up another 10 percent after each due date, and the property can become subject to a tax sale.

Can I pay part of my Lake County property tax bill online?

No. The Lake County Treasurer’s online payment site accepts only the full amount for each installment. Online card and e-check payments carry a third party convenience fee that the county does not keep.

Does a mailed property tax payment count if it arrives after the due date?

The Porter County Treasurer, citing Indiana Code 6-1.1-37-10, says a payment sent by first class mail counts as on time if it is properly addressed, has enough postage, and is postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before the due date.

If my mortgage has an escrow account, do I still get a tax bill?

Yes. The state says all taxpayers receive a copy of their bill, even with a zero balance. In Porter County, the Treasurer mails a bill in April to every taxpayer who is not an eNotice subscriber, even when a mortgage company or escrow service pays it. In Lake County, mortgage companies and tax services are billed automatically under an ID number. Either way, look up your parcel on the county tax search to confirm the payment posted.

Sources

• Property tax due dates, Indiana DLGF
• Citizen’s Guide to Property Tax, Indiana DLGF
• Treasurer’s Tax Statement (TS-1) for 2026 memo, Indiana DLGF
• Lake County tax search and payment, Lake County Treasurer
• Online payment FAQ, Lake County Treasurer
• Lake County Treasurer offices and hours
• Mortgage companies and tax services, Lake County Treasurer
• Property tax payment options, Porter County Treasurer
• Pay in person, Porter County Treasurer
• Pay by mail, Porter County Treasurer
• Pay by phone, Porter County Treasurer