Access Highlands County Property Tax Records
Highlands County property tax records document the assessed value, ownership, exemptions, and tax history for parcels across this lake-rich south-central Florida county. The Property Appraiser in Sebring maintains these records under Florida law, and any member of the public can search them free of charge online or in person.
Highlands County Quick Facts
Highlands County Property Appraiser
The Highlands County Property Appraiser's office is at 501 S. Commerce Ave., Sebring, FL 33870. Phone: (863) 402-6655. Fax: (863) 402-6709. This office values all real and tangible personal property in the county as of January 1 each year, and their certified roll is the basis for every property tax bill issued by the Tax Collector.
Highlands County has a mix of residential lakefront properties, agricultural land, and rural acreage. The appraiser's office handles all of it, setting just (market) values on homes and commercial properties, applying agricultural classifications to qualifying farmland, processing homestead and other exemption applications, and maintaining parcel maps and ownership records. Every time a property sells and a deed is recorded at the Clerk of Court, the appraiser updates ownership on the parcel.
The Property Appraiser's online search system lets anyone look up Highlands County property tax records by owner name, address, or parcel ID. The parcel detail page shows assessed and taxable values, land and building breakdown, exemptions currently applied, and multiple years of tax history. It is a free resource available around the clock.
The Florida Department of Revenue provides statewide oversight of county appraisers and publishes guidance at floridarevenue.com. Their local officials page at floridarevenue.com can confirm Highlands County appraiser and tax collector contact details.
The DOR oversees all 67 county property appraisers and reviews the Highlands County tax roll each year for compliance with state assessment standards.
Highlands County Tax Collector
The Highlands County Tax Collector is at 540 South Commerce Avenue, Sebring, FL 33870. Phone: (863) 402-6685. Fax: (863) 402-6709. The Tax Collector is the office that sends your annual tax bill and receives your payment. They work from the certified roll that the Property Appraiser submits each fall.
Bills go out in November. Florida provides an early payment discount to reward prompt payers. November payments save 4% off the total. December saves 3%, January saves 2%, and February saves 1%. Pay by March 31 with no discount and no penalty. After April 1, taxes are delinquent and Chapter 197 of the Florida Statutes kicks in. The Tax Collector then begins the process of selling tax certificates on unpaid accounts.
The Tax Collector handles payments in person in Sebring, by mail, and online. Credit card payments online may include a processing fee. The Florida Tax Collectors Association has a statewide directory with links to Highlands County's tax collector information and payment portal.
How to Search Highlands County Property Records
Start with the Property Appraiser's online search at the appraiser's website. Search by owner name, street address, or parcel identification number. Each result page shows you assessed and taxable values, land and building details, exemptions, and a tax history summary. It's fast, free, and available any time.
The Florida Department of Revenue also offers a bulk data download for Highlands County through its data portal at floridarevenue.com. The files are updated after the annual roll is certified. This is the right tool if you need data on many parcels at once rather than looking them up one by one.
For documents beyond the basic portal, older records, exemption application files, TPP returns, VAB petitions, contact the appraiser at (863) 402-6655. Florida law gives you access to all of it. The office may charge for copies but cannot charge for time spent looking up records.
Highlands County Property Tax Exemptions
The homestead exemption is the most important tax break available to Highlands County homeowners. If you own and occupy your home as a permanent Florida residence on January 1, you can apply for up to $50,000 in reduced taxable value. The first $25,000 reduces value for all taxing authorities. The second $25,000 applies to value between $50,000 and $75,000 and covers everything but school millage. You apply through the Property Appraiser's office by March 1. After homestead is granted, the Save Our Homes cap limits assessment increases on your home to 3% per year or the rate of inflation, whichever is less.
Portability allows you to carry accumulated SOH savings from one Florida homestead to another. When you sell your homestead and buy a new one, you can apply the portability benefit, which reflects the difference between your assessed and market value, to the new property. Apply for portability through the appraiser's office at the same time you apply for the new homestead exemption.
Chapter 196 of the Florida Statutes describes all available exemptions in Florida. In Highlands County these include additional reductions for veterans with service-connected disabilities, seniors with low household income who are over 65, surviving spouses of veterans and first responders, and people who are totally and permanently disabled. The TPP (tangible personal property) exemption gives businesses a $25,000 reduction on equipment and furnishings if they file the annual return by April 1.
Challenging an Assessment in Highlands County
Each August, the Highlands County Property Appraiser mails TRIM notices, Truth in Millage notices, to all property owners. Your TRIM notice shows the proposed assessed value for the coming year, the millage rates from each taxing authority, and the estimated taxes. If you think your property is over-valued, read the appeal instructions on the notice right away. The deadline is tight: 25 days from the mailing date to file a VAB petition.
The Value Adjustment Board in Highlands County hears property assessment appeals. Hearings are conducted by a state-certified special magistrate. You can appear without a lawyer. Bring evidence that supports a lower value, recent comparable sales in your neighborhood, a licensed appraisal, or documentation of physical conditions that negatively affect the property's value relative to what the appraiser assigned. The appraiser's value carries a legal presumption of correctness, so the burden is on you to rebut it with solid data.
Assessment law is governed by Chapter 193 and the VAB process by Chapter 194. The DOR also provides guidance on the appeals process at floridarevenue.com. If the VAB result is still unsatisfactory, circuit court is the final option, though it's a more formal and costly step.
Paying Highlands County Property Taxes
Property owners in Highlands County have several ways to pay their annual tax bills. In-person payments go to the Tax Collector's office at 540 South Commerce Avenue in Sebring. Mail payments to the same address, making sure they arrive before the discount deadline you want to hit. Online payments are available through the Tax Collector's website, check whether a convenience fee applies for card transactions versus e-check.
If taxes are not paid by March 31, they become delinquent on April 1. At that point the Tax Collector must proceed with tax certificate sales. Each unpaid account results in a certificate being offered at public auction. Investors buy the certificates and earn interest. The owner retains the right to pay off the certificate within two years. After that window closes, the certificate holder can start a tax deed action, which can ultimately result in a public sale of the property. This process is detailed in Chapter 197 of the Florida Statutes.
The installment plan is available for owners who prefer to break up their annual tax payment. Enroll with the Tax Collector by April 30. Payments come due in June, September, December, and March, and the plan includes a discount. It's a straightforward way to avoid a large lump-sum bill each November.
Getting Copies of Highlands County Property Tax Records
Florida's public records law, Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, makes all Highlands County property tax records open to any person. No residency requirement, no stated reason, no special access needed. The law covers the assessment roll, tax bills, exemption files, TPP returns, agricultural classification applications, VAB filings, and all other documents held by the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector.
Current parcel data is available through the appraiser's online search at no charge. For older records or documents not available on the website, contact the appraiser's office at (863) 402-6655 or visit in person at 501 S. Commerce Ave. in Sebring. The office can make copies and is authorized to charge for the actual cost of duplication. They are not allowed to charge for search time.
The Professional Association of Florida Appraisers (PAAF) is the professional body representing Florida's county property appraisers and can provide context on how assessment practices work statewide.
Cities in Highlands County
Highlands County's main cities include Sebring, Avon Park, and Lake Placid. None of these cities meets the population threshold for a dedicated records page, but property tax records for all parcels within them are searchable through the county's Property Appraiser portal.