When are property taxes late in Montgomery County, Texas?

All property taxes are due by January 31. The Montgomery County Tax Office adds penalty and interest on the first day of each month after that: 7% in February, 9% in March, 11% in April, 13% in May, 15% in June and 18% in July.

What happens if taxes on my Montgomery County land are not paid by June 30?

Real property accounts not paid in full by June 30 of the year they became delinquent are referred to the delinquent tax attorney for collection and carry an additional penalty of 15% to 20% of the total taxes, penalties and interest due.

Can a buyer put a septic system on my land if it is in the floodplain?

It depends on where. Montgomery County's On-Site Sewage Facility rules strictly prohibit installing a new septic system, or repairing or replacing one, in the floodway. Other parts of a floodplain have their own permit steps under the county's floodplain regulations, which changed on October 1, 2025.

Where do I check flood maps for land in Montgomery County?

Montgomery County Floodplain Administration links to an interactive map of the county's floodplains and to FEMA maps and tools. If any floodplain is on the property, the county Permit Office says there are extra steps in the permit application.

Can I sell Montgomery County land with back taxes?

Yes. Taxes owed do not stop a sale; in most sales they are paid from the price at closing. The sooner you sell or pay, the less penalty and interest builds up.

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Sell Land in Montgomery County, TX: What Owners Should Know

By the Land Dreamz team · Published October 15, 2026 · 5 min read · Leer en español

Short answer: To sell land in Montgomery County, TX, know three local things before a buyer asks. Taxes: the Montgomery County Tax Office adds 7% penalty and interest in February, rising to 18% in July, and real property still unpaid after June 30 goes to the delinquent tax attorney with an extra 15% to 20%. Floodplain: the county's floodplain regulations changed on October 1, 2025, and a new septic system is not allowed in a floodway. Septic: permits for on-site sewage facilities go through the county Permit Office. Pull your Montgomery Central Appraisal District account and your deed, know the flood map for your tract, then compare written offers line by line.

If you want to sell land in Montgomery County, TX, the county's own rules shape what a buyer will pay and how fast you can close. Taxes add up month by month, the floodplain rules changed in late 2025, and septic permits depend on where your tract sits. This guide pulls those rules from the county offices that set them, so you can answer a buyer's questions before they ask.

This article is general information from public county sources. It is not legal or tax advice.

1. Taxes: what owing costs, month by month

The Montgomery County Tax Office says all property taxes are due by January 31. Statements usually go out in October. After January, penalty and interest are added on the first day of each month:

February: 6% + 1% = 7%
March: 7% + 2% = 9%
April: 8% + 3% = 11%
May: 9% + 4% = 13%
June: 10% + 5% = 15%
July: 12% + 6% = 18%

Interest keeps going at 1% a month after that. And real property accounts not paid in full by June 30 are referred to the delinquent tax attorney, with an additional penalty of 15% to 20% of everything owed.

Owing taxes does not stop a sale. In most sales they are paid from the price at closing. But if you are already thinking about selling, the calendar is a reason not to wait. Our guides on how to look up taxes owed and what happens if you stop paying taxes on Texas land go further.

2. The floodplain: check it before a buyer does

Flood risk is one of the first questions a land buyer asks. The county's Floodplain Administration links to an interactive map of Montgomery County floodplains and to FEMA's maps and tools.

Two county rules matter for a sale:

New floodplain regulations took effect October 1, 2025. The county Permit Office says that if there is any floodplain on the property, there are extra steps in the permit application.
No septic in the floodway. The county explains that the floodway is an extremely hazardous area because of the speed of flood water, and that installing a new septic system, or repairing or replacing one, in the floodway is strictly prohibited by its On-Site Sewage Facility rules.

The regulations also aim to make sure potential buyers are told when property is in a flood hazard area. Knowing your tract's map status up front avoids a buyer finding it late and walking away.

3. Septic and building permits

Most rural tracts in the county have no sewer, so a buyer who wants to build needs a septic permit. Those go through the Montgomery County Permit Office in Conroe. The office notes that incomplete submittals are rejected, that fee schedules were updated in 2025, and that septic and commercial applications for property in Commissioner Precinct 4 need a verification form or culvert inspection receipt from Precinct 4.

You do not need a permit to sell. But a buyer pays more for land where they can see a clear path to building: legal road access, room for a septic system outside the floodway, and electricity nearby. See getting utilities on raw land in Texas.

Near Lake Conroe

Land near Lake Conroe has its own landlord. The lake is a water supply reservoir built by the San Jacinto River Authority and the City of Houston between 1969 and 1973, and SJRA's Lake Conroe Division licenses structures on the reservoir, such as bulkheads and docks, and permits on-site septic facilities in its area. If your tract touches the lake, a buyer will ask what SJRA allows.

4. Records to pull before you sell

Montgomery Central Appraisal District (MCAD): your account number, the legal description and the acreage on record. The appraised value is a tax number, not a price; see appraisal district value vs. sale price.
Your recorded deed from the Montgomery County Clerk: the right owners and no unreleased liens. If the owner on the deed has died, read affidavit of heirship first.
Tax statement from the Tax Office, and any delinquent balance.
Any survey and easements. No survey is common; see selling Texas land without a survey.

Where we look at land in Montgomery County

We look at land across the county, including Conroe, The Woodlands area, Magnolia, Willis, Montgomery, New Caney, Splendora and Porter, and beyond it across Texas. Examples of Montgomery County land on our marketplace right now: 1.11 unrestricted acres in Magnolia, a 0.23-acre cleared lot in Splendora and 33 acres with a farmhouse.

5. Compare offers line by line

Whether you list with an agent, sell it yourself, or ask for a cash offer, put every offer side by side on the same terms the state's land contract (TREC 9-18) uses: price and whether it depends on a loan, earnest money and who holds it, option days, who pays the title policy and survey, closing costs, rollback taxes and the closing date. Our checklist on what a cash offer on Texas land should spell out walks through each one, and how to sell land without a realtor covers selling on your own.

Common questions

When are property taxes late in Montgomery County, Texas?: All property taxes are due by January 31. The Montgomery County Tax Office adds penalty and interest on the first day of each month after that: 7% in February, 9% in March, 11% in April, 13% in May, 15% in June and 18% in July.
What happens if taxes on my Montgomery County land are not paid by June 30?: Real property accounts not paid in full by June 30 of the year they became delinquent are referred to the delinquent tax attorney for collection and carry an additional penalty of 15% to 20% of the total taxes, penalties and interest due.
Can a buyer put a septic system on my land if it is in the floodplain?: It depends on where. Montgomery County's On-Site Sewage Facility rules strictly prohibit installing a new septic system, or repairing or replacing one, in the floodway. Other parts of a floodplain have their own permit steps under the county's floodplain regulations, which changed on October 1, 2025.
Where do I check flood maps for land in Montgomery County?: Montgomery County Floodplain Administration links to an interactive map of the county's floodplains and to FEMA maps and tools. If any floodplain is on the property, the county Permit Office says there are extra steps in the permit application.
Can I sell Montgomery County land with back taxes?: Yes. Taxes owed do not stop a sale; in most sales they are paid from the price at closing. The sooner you sell or pay, the less penalty and interest builds up.

Sources

Each source was opened and read on October 15, 2026. Rules and rates change: check the source for the current version.

Keep reading

Selling Texas Land Owned by an LLC or a Trust: Who SignsRead →Do Both Spouses Have to Sign to Sell Texas Land?Read →Eminent Domain Offer on Your Texas Land: What the Law RequiresRead →All guidesBlog →

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