A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map of Tulare County land parcels. Tulare County image

Tulare County property owners making small land adjustments no longer need to prepay property taxes, following a Sept. 30 Board of Supervisors decision.

The change eliminates the tax clearance requirement for recording lot line adjustments or final parcel maps involving four or fewer parcels. In the past, property owners had to prepay current or upcoming property taxes and obtain a tax clearance letter before maps could be officially recorded with the County Recorder’s Office.

The change, which was developed by Tulare County’s Resource Management Agency (RMA) and Assessor’s Office, aims to reduce costs and delays for residents completing simple boundary changes or small family land divisions.

“By streamlining this process, the County is making it easier, and more cost-effective, for property owners to buy, or sell, share land with family members and friends or business partners, and market their land,”  said RMA Assistant Director of Economic Development and Planning, Aaron Bock.

Tax clearance will still be required for larger projects involving five or more parcels or subdivision maps. The policy aligns county practices with those of many Tulare County cities and supports broader efforts to simplify permitting and development processes.