Closing Costs in Florida 2026: Buyer & Seller Guide
Florida’s deed tax is 70 cents per $100 of the price, with any mortgage balance counted in the price. In Miami-Dade the state rate is 60 cents, plus a 45-cent county surtax unless the deed conveys only a single-family home or condo unit. A new loan adds 35-cent note stamps and a 2-mill intangible tax.
Deed stamps: 70 cents on every $100, assumed mortgage included
Section 201.02(1)(a), Florida Statutes: “on each $100 of the consideration therefor the tax shall be 70 cents.” The Department of Revenue counts “each $100 or portion thereof,” so a $400,000 sale is 4,000 units, or $2,800. The rate includes a 10-cent increase from chapter 92-317, Laws of Florida (§ 201.0205). The section was last amended by chapter 2019-42, and the 2026 statutes still print 70 cents.
The base is the full consideration, and that includes “the amount of any mortgage, purchase money mortgage lien, or other encumbrance, whether or not the underlying indebtedness is assumed.” If you take over the seller’s loan, its balance is taxed along with the cash. When property other than money is exchanged, the consideration is presumed to equal the property’s fair market value.
The deed tax is not the seller’s alone. Section 201.01 levies it on anyone who makes, signs, executes, or records the document, or for whose benefit it is made. The Department of Revenue: “All parties to the document are liable for the tax regardless of which party agrees to pay the tax.” The contract decides who pays between buyer and seller, but the Department of Revenue can collect from any party. The tax must be paid before the clerk records the deed. Cooperative apartments are the exception: the tax on the document granting a tenant-stockholder the right to occupy the unit “shall be paid by the purchaser” (§ 201.02(2)-(3)).
- Short sale: debt the lender forgives is not taxable consideration, if the mortgages exceed the price, the lender releases for less than it is owed, takes no interest in the property, and is unrelated to either party (§ 201.02(11)).
- Spouses: no tax on a homestead deed between spouses when the only consideration is the existing mortgage or lien (§ 201.02(7)(b)), or on a deed of the marital home between spouses or former spouses under a dissolution of marriage (§ 201.02(7)(a)).
Miami-Dade: 60 cents, and a 45-cent surtax that skips single-family homes
The Department of Revenue: “The tax rate for Miami-Dade County is 60 cents on each $100, or portion thereof, of the total consideration. Miami-Dade County also has a surtax of 45 cents on each $100.” The 10-cent increase from chapter 92-317 does not apply in a county that implemented chapter 83-220 (§ 201.0205). Chapter 83-220 is the act behind the surtax.
The surtax is authorized by § 201.031 and capped at 45 cents per $100 by § 125.0167(1). There is no surtax on a deed that “involves only a single-family residence,” and that residence “may be a condominium unit,” a cooperative unit, or a detached dwelling. The Department’s own example is a $500,000 vacant lot: $3,000 in stamps plus $2,250 in surtax. Both sections are set to be repealed on October 1, 2031.
A new mortgage carries 35-cent stamps and a 2-mill intangible tax
Section 201.08(1)(b) taxes a recorded mortgage at “35 cents on each $100 or fraction thereof of the indebtedness.” The $2,450 cap in § 201.08(1)(a) is for notes. The Department of Revenue says that for recorded mortgages “There is no cap on the amount of tax due.” If there is both a note and a mortgage, the tax is paid once, on the mortgage when it is recorded. All parties to the document are liable.
Section 199.133 adds “a one-time nonrecurring tax of 2 mills,” which works out to 0.2% of the loan secured by Florida real property. The taxed amount can’t exceed the value of that property. Under § 199.135(4) the taxpayer is “solely liable for payment of the tax but may pass on the amount of such tax to the borrower or mortgagor,” and the Department of Revenue names the taxpayer: “The lender is the taxpayer.” Both taxes are paid to the clerk when the mortgage is recorded. An all-cash buyer who gives no note or mortgage owes neither.
Title premiums: one price list under Rule 69O-186.003
Section 627.782 requires a rule “specifying the premium to be charged in this state by title insurers,” and says “The premium rates apply throughout this state.” A different premium takes an Office of Insurance Regulation deviation order (§ 627.783). The rule is 69O-186.003, F.A.C. (last amended January 27, 2002; the current rate schedule took effect July 1, 2002).
| Policy amount | Original owner’s or lender’s rate, per $1,000 | Reissue rate, per $1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $100,000 | $5.75 | $3.30 |
| $100,000 to $1 million | add $5.00 | add $3.00 |
| $1 million to $5 million | add $2.50 | add $2.00 |
| $5 million to $10 million | add $2.25 | add $2.00 |
| Over $10 million | add $2.00 | add $1.50 |
The minimum premium is $100, or $60 for multiple conveyances on the same property. The owner’s policy must equal the full insurable value. A lender’s policy issued simultaneously with the owner’s policy on the same land costs “a minimum $25.00” up to the owner’s amount. Anything above that amount is billed at regular mortgage rates.
Reissue rates need a prior owner’s policy that insured the seller (or, on a refinance, the borrower), with copies kept by the reissuing agent and underwriter. For a purchase of improved property, the new policy must take effect less than 3 years after the policy insuring the seller. Vacant land and refinance loan policies have their own tests in the rule. Coverage above the old policy amount is billed at original rates. Title searches and closing services are not part of the premium: § 627.7711(1)(b) says “a separate charge or separate charges may be made” for them. Those charges are what you can compare.
What the clerk of court may charge to record
The clerk of the circuit court is Florida’s county recorder (§ 28.222), and § 28.24 caps its charges. For an instrument no larger than 8½ by 14 inches:
- $5.00 for the first page and $4.00 for each additional page (§ 28.24(13)(a)-(b))
- $1.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page, for the Public Records Modernization Trust Fund (§ 28.24(13)(d))
- $4 per page for court technology (§ 28.24(13)(e))
That totals $10.00 for page one and $8.50 for every page after it, plus $1.00 per indexed name beyond four.
Condo and HOA estoppel certificates
In a condominium or homeowners’ association, the owner, the mortgagee, or a designee of either can request an estoppel certificate showing what is owed to the association. It must be issued within 10 business days (§ 718.116(8) for condos, § 720.30851 for HOAs). A late certificate can’t carry a fee. The association can’t later collect more than the certificate stated from anyone who relied on it in good faith. The fee cap is adjusted every 5 years for inflation, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation publishes the current amount.
Title agents conduct Florida closings
Section 627.7711(1)(a) defines “closing services” as work by “a licensed title insurer, title insurance agent or agency, or attorney agent,” including “preparing documents necessary to close the transaction, conducting the closing, or handling the disbursing of funds.” Title agents are licensed by the state (§ 626.8417(1)). Florida Bar members in good standing are exempt from that license (§ 626.8417(4)).
Florida Housing second mortgages
Florida Housing Finance Corporation’s homebuyer page (read September 24, 2026) pairs its assistance only with its own first mortgage. The assistance is not “stand alone.” The page lists these requirements: a 640 minimum credit score, approved homebuyer education, and price and income under the county limits. You also can’t have owned and occupied a primary residence in the last three years.
- Florida Assist: up to $10,000 at 0%, deferred and not forgiven. It is due in full on sale, transfer, refinance, payoff of the first mortgage, or when you move out.
- HFA Preferred / HFA Advantage PLUS: 3%, 4%, or 5% of the loan, forgiven 20% a year over 5 years. It comes only with those conventional first mortgages.
- Hometown Heroes (2026): up to 5% of the first mortgage, with a $10,000 minimum and a $35,000 maximum. It is a 0% 30-year deferred loan, not forgivable. It is for first-time, income-qualified buyers who work full time for a Florida-based employer in health care, school staff, first-responder, public safety or court, or child care jobs. Servicemembers, and veterans working full time for a Florida-based employer, also qualify.
To size the loan first, use the affordability calculator, the down payment calculator, and pre-approval.
Worked example: $400,000 outside Miami-Dade, $320,000 loan
This example covers only the lines Florida law prices. It assumes simultaneous owner’s and lender’s policies at original rates and a 2-page deed. Lender fees, prepaid items, and search and closing charges are not included.
| Line | Computation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Deed stamps | 4,000 × $0.70 | $2,800 |
| Mortgage stamps | 3,200 × $0.35 | $1,120 |
| Intangible tax | $320,000 × 0.002 | $640 |
| Owner’s title premium | 100 × $5.75 + 300 × $5.00 | $2,075 |
| Lender’s policy, simultaneous | rule minimum | $25 minimum |
| Recording the deed | $10.00 + $8.50 | $18.50 |
If the seller’s prior owner’s policy was for at least $400,000 and took effect less than 3 years before the new one, and the reissue conditions are met, the owner’s premium drops to 100 × $3.30 + 300 × $3.00 = $1,230.
Questions Florida buyers and sellers ask
Is the seller required to pay the doc stamps on the deed?
Not by law. Section 201.01 reaches every party to the deed. The Department of Revenue holds all parties liable “regardless of which party agrees to pay the tax.” The contract decides who pays between buyer and seller, but the Department of Revenue can collect from any party.
Does a Miami-Dade condo owe the 45-cent surtax?
Not if the deed conveys only the unit. Section 201.031(1) counts a condominium unit as a single-family residence, which is exempt from the surtax. The 60-cent base rate still applies.
Can one title company quote me a lower premium than another?
Not unless the insurer has an OIR deviation order. The premium comes from Rule 69O-186.003, while search and closing charges are separate and can differ.
Will I owe the intangible tax again when I refinance?
Not if you refinance with the same lender or its assignee and the new principal does not exceed the old unpaid principal plus accrued interest (§ 199.145(4)(a)). If you borrow more, the tax applies to the increase. It applies to the whole new balance if the original borrower isn’t liable on the new loan. A new lender falls outside that subsection.
More on Florida: the Florida real estate guide, the homeowner insurance guide for Florida, the mortgage calculator, the refinance guide, and closing costs by state. Neighboring states: Georgia and Alabama.