This page helps users handle a Property Tax need in Howard County, Maryland, including looking up real property tax bills, checking payment options, and finding the right official contact.
Howard County Government’s Department of Finance provides the real property tax information page, while online bill lookup and payment are handled through MuniciPay and the county’s real estate tax self-service tools.
Lookup and pay Howard County real property tax bills
Use the Howard County Government online payment portal to find and pay a real property tax bill. The portal supports searches by several bill or property details.
- Parcel ID
- Bill Number
- Owner Name
- Property Address
After finding the bill, review the matching result before adding it to your cart for payment.
- Open the search and pay Howard County property taxes portal.
- Enter a Parcel ID, Bill Number, Owner Name, or Property Address without punctuation when possible.
- Select the bill you want to pay and use the “Add” button to place it in your cart.
- Review the cart, then create an account or check out as a guest.
- Enter payment information and submit the transaction.
Payment is not complete until funds settle and credit is applied to the tax account.
Real estate tax self-service portal
Howard County’s real estate tax self-service portal is another official route for real property tax lookup. It supports searches by address information or Parcel ID.
Use the real estate property tax self-service portal when you want to search by house number, street name, or Parcel ID.
The county announced that the Department of Finance launched a new property tax self-service portal beginning December 2, 2024, to streamline the tax payment experience for Howard County property owners.
Payment fees and processing time
MuniciPay adds convenience fees during checkout. These fees are not collected by Howard County and are non-refundable.
| Payment item | Fee or timing |
|---|---|
| E-check transactions | $1.00 per transaction |
| Credit cards, debit cards, and other card transactions | 2.35%, with a $2.00 minimum |
| Bank and card processing | Allow 3-5 business days for the transaction to process |
Payment by credit card does not give Howard County Government access to your credit card number. MuniciPay retains that information and handles credit card security for the transaction.
Annual bills, tax credits, and tax sale risk
Howard County bills real property taxes annually on July 1. Many taxpayers have the option of semi-annual payments.
The county offers several real property tax credits. Visit the Howard County tax credits page to review available county credit programs, application options, and deadlines.
Failure to pay real property taxes can result in Tax Sale. Howard County holds an annual Tax Sale for properties with delinquent County taxes, water and sewer bills, or other liens.
Tax Sale information
Howard County auctions tax lien certificates for properties with delinquent taxes, water and sewer bills, or other liens. A tax sale purchase may result in the purchase of a tax lien, not the actual property.
For Tax Sale details, use the Howard County Tax Sale information page. The county sends tax sale notices to property owners with delinquent bills and advertises delinquent properties in the Howard County Times for at least four weeks before the sale.
Howard County does not provide legal advice to tax sale purchasers or property owners about rights under Maryland tax sale law.
Parcel IDs, assessment records, and address changes
For electronic tax bill communications, Howard County asks for the property’s Parcel ID for real property. Real property Parcel IDs contain eight digits, and the county instructs users not to enter the hyphen in the Parcel ID field.
The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation provides the SDAT real property data search for Maryland property records. SDAT states that deleted accounts can only be searched by Property Account Identifier and that the data is for information purposes only, not legal reports or documents.
For a permanent mailing address change on a property, the SDAT address change form must be submitted to the appropriate assessment office for the county where the property is located.
Howard County property tax contacts
Use these contacts for real property tax questions, tax sale questions, and assessment-related property record issues.
-
Howard County Government Department of Finance
Phone: (410) 313-2062
Email: [email protected] -
Howard County Tax Sale
Phone: (410) 313-2299
Email: [email protected] -
Howard County Assessments, District Court Multi-Service Center, 3451 Court House Dr, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 480-7940
Fax: (410) 480-7960
Email: [email protected]
Common questions
Where can I look up and pay Howard County real property taxes online?
You can use the Howard County Government MuniciPay portal to search by Parcel ID, Bill Number, Owner Name, or Property Address and then pay a selected bill online.
Do I need an account to pay a Howard County property tax bill online?
No. The MuniciPay portal allows checkout as a guest, but an account can be used to view payment history or store payment methods for later use.
What fees are added to online property tax payments?
MuniciPay adds $1.00 for e-check transactions and 2.35%, with a $2.00 minimum, for credit card, debit card, and other card transactions.
How long should I allow for an online payment to process?
Howard County advises allowing 3-5 business days for bank and credit card processing.
Who handles questions about Howard County real property tax bills?
Contact Howard County Government’s Department of Finance at (410) 313-2062 or [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).
What happens if Howard County property taxes are not paid?
Unpaid taxes can result in Tax Sale. Howard County holds an annual Tax Sale for properties with delinquent County taxes, water and sewer bills, or other liens.