When Real Estate Tax Is Due Around Richmond: Chesterfield and Henrico on June 5 and December 5, Hanover on June 5 and October 5

Real estate tax bills in the Richmond area do not all come due on the same day, and the difference matters most to people who are moving. A Midlothian owner and a Hanover owner can sit at the same kitchen table in October and face different calendars, different penalties and different rules about what counts as paid on time. This guide pulls the due dates, penalties and interest rules from each locality’s own published pages as we read them in October 2026, so you can plan a sale, a purchase or a household budget around them. It is general information, not tax advice, and the locality’s Treasurer is the final word on any bill.

The short version by locality

Chesterfield County: June 5 and December 5

If you own in Midlothian, Bon Air, Woodlake or anywhere else in Chesterfield, the county’s real estate tax page lists the first half as due June 5 and the second half as due December 5. The county’s delinquent tax page describes what happens if a payment is missed: a 10% penalty applies the day after the due date, interest of 10% a year starts the following month, and a $30 administrative fee follows 30 days after the first delinquency notice. The county cites the Code of Virginia for that fee. The Treasurer’s office can be reached at 804-748-1201.

For a household, the practical point is the December 5 date. It lands right before the holidays, and an owner who sells or buys in the fall will often see a proration line for it on the settlement statement. Our guide to prorations on a Richmond closing statement explains who owes whom when a closing falls between two billing dates. If you are weighing neighborhoods, the Midlothian community guide, the Bon Air guide and the Woodlake guide cover the areas where this calendar applies.

Henrico County: the same dates, a different late rule

Henrico’s Treasury Division posts June 5 and December 5 as the due dates for installment bills, moving to the first business day after if the date falls on a weekend or holiday. The county mails bills in April and November. A 10% penalty applies to payments received after the due date, and interest runs at 4% a year starting the first of the month after. Mailed payments need a USPS postmark, not a meter stamp, dated on or before the due date, and electronic payments must reach the county’s bank account by the deadline.

Notice what that means next to Chesterfield: the penalty is the same 10%, but the interest rate Henrico posts is much lower. Owners in Short Pump or Glen Allen who like to compare localities can see the full picture in our 2026 tax rate comparison across the Richmond metro, and our Short Pump guide covers the area itself.

Hanover County: October 5 instead of December 5

Hanover is the outlier. The county’s real estate tax page lists June 5 and October 5 as the due dates, and it describes supplemental billing on the 5th of each month for new construction and other changes. A Hanover owner who moves from Henrico or Chesterfield and assumes a December bill can miss a payment by two months. The page we read does not state a penalty or interest rate, so call the Treasurer before assuming there is a grace period.

What Virginia law lets a locality charge

The rates above are not arbitrary. Under Virginia Code § 58.1-3916, a penalty on general property taxes may not exceed 10% of the past-due amount, and interest on delinquent taxes may not exceed 10% a year for the first year. Chesterfield and Henrico both sit at the 10% penalty cap. Chesterfield also sits at the 10% interest cap, while Henrico posts 4%. A locality can charge less than the cap, which is why two neighboring counties can treat the same late payment differently.

How the dates affect buying and selling

Real estate tax is billed by the locality and paid by whoever owns the home on the billing date, so a closing near a due date needs attention. Three situations come up often.

First, a seller closing in late November in Chesterfield or Henrico usually has the December 5 installment prorated, with the seller credited or charged for the days they owned the home. Second, a buyer who closes in January should ask whether the escrow account will collect enough to cover the June bill. Third, an owner who is relocating should find out whether the new locality bills on a different calendar, as Hanover does, before setting up automatic payments.

If you are comparing what a move costs, our guide to the same $475,000 house with six different tax bills shows how much the locality changes the annual amount, and what it costs to sell a house in Richmond puts the tax proration in context with the other closing costs. Owners who are 65 or older or disabled should also read what each locality allows for tax relief, because relief programs have their own filing deadlines. And if you think your assessment is too high, how to appeal your assessment explains the process. Agents who work these markets are listed on our pages for Chesterfield County and Henrico County.

A simple calendar to keep

Put the dates for your locality in your phone today, with a reminder two weeks ahead. Keep the bill number and the Treasurer’s phone number in the same note. If you pay by mail, send it early enough to be postmarked on or before the due date, and if you pay online, schedule it for a few days before the deadline so a bank delay does not turn into a 10% penalty. If you escrow, check your annual escrow statement to confirm your lender paid both halves.

Frequently asked questions about Richmond-area real estate tax due dates