Sign up for property tax (predial) in your municipality and set up payments
After closing, make sure the municipal cadastral record (catastro) shows the trust or you as owner, get your account number (clave catastral), and choose how to pay each year: online where available, at the treasury office, or through a property manager.
Why it matters
Predial is low compared with the US and Canada, but unpaid predial builds surcharges and blocks a future sale. Most municipalities give discounts for paying early in the year.
Who helps
You or your property manager, with the treasury (Tesorería) and Catastro.
Documents
- Recorded deed
- Clave catastral
- Seller's last predial receipt
Where to pay, by municipality
- La Paz: online predial portal or municipal treasury offices, with service also in Todos Santos.
- Los Cabos: Tesorería online payments portal or offices in San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas.
- Comondú: Tesorería Municipal in Ciudad Constitución.
- Loreto: Tesorería Municipal in Loreto.
- Mulegé: Tesorería Municipal in Santa Rosalía, with local offices in Mulegé and Guerrero Negro.
Costs Estimate
- Yearly predial: often tens to a few hundred US$ for typical homes, more for high-value coastal property (estimate).
- La Paz: create an account in Mis Predios on the city portal and link your property with its clave catastral; verification takes a day or two. Then you can pay predial and file permits online.
Estimates only. Get written quotes.
Common mistakes
- Bills still going to the seller's name.
- Missing the early-payment discount.
Say it in Spanish
- Quisiera pagar el predial de esta clave catastral.
I'd like to pay the property tax for this cadastral key. - ¿Hay descuento por pagar el año completo ahora?
Is there a discount for paying the whole year now?
Terms
Confirm the details for your case with your notario or attorney.
Common questions
What happens after closing?
Register with the foreign investment registry (RNIE), file the SRE notice, check the recorded deed, set up predial and transfer utilities.
How much is property tax?
Predial is usually low by US and Canadian standards, based on the cadastral value. Most municipalities give early-payment discounts.
When is predial due?
Yearly, with discounts often early in the year. Confirm your municipality's dates each year.
Where do I pay predial?
At your municipality's treasury: online in La Paz and Los Cabos, or at the offices in Ciudad Constitución, Loreto or Santa Rosalía.