Show All Answers

1. How do I update my mailing address for my property tax statement?

You will need to provide your name (you must be an owner), the property address that you wish to change the mailing address for, the new mailing address, and if you know it, the AIN or PIN. You will need to send this information to the Assessor's Office in one of the following ways:
-e-mail: assessor@arapahoegov.com
-mail in written request to:
Arapahoe County Assessor
5334 S. Prince St.
Littleton, CO 80120
-call the assessor's office directly at 303-795-4600

2. What are the property tax due dates?

-If the tax amount is less than $25, you must pay no later than April 30.
-If the tax amount is $25 or more, you may make two payments. The first half payment is due no later than February 28. The second half payment is due no later than June 15.
-If you pay your taxes in one total amount, the payment is due no later than April 30.
-If your payment is late, delinquent interest is added to the tax amount as mandated by State Statutes.
-US postmarks are accepted as a timely remittance.

3. My property taxes are paid by my mortgage company. What should I know?

-Colorado law was changed in 2010, allowing for electronic notification of taxes due. At that time, Arapahoe County discontinued mailing property tax statements to property owners whose taxes were paid by a lender UNLESS the property owner notified us, requesting that we mail their tax statement to them. We send out an e-mail notice when tax statements are available for viewing, as well as when due dates are approaching. You can sign up for e-mail notification of property tax statements at the link below.
-When you pay off your mortgage, if you wish to receive a paper copy of your tax statement, please contact us by e-mail at Treasurer@arapahoegov.com or by phone at 303-795-4550, so our records can be updated.
-Your mortgage company should request payment information directly from this office. FAILURE TO RECEIVE A TAX STATEMENT DOES NOT RELIEVE THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR PAYING TAXES ON TIME. Payments from mortgage companies are received in several different ways. Some mortgage companies use a tax service for processing tax payments. The tax service processes multiple mortgage companies, and taxes are remitted via multiple parcel payment file. Others send an individual file, or remit with a payment coupon(s) that you may have forwarded or they requested directly from this office. Any refunds after processing the tax payments are made to the mortgage company.

Sign up for e-mail notification

4. What is the property tax process?

• Colorado Revised Statutes, as amended, require the County Assessor to determine the actual value of property. For property tax purposes, assessed valuation is a percentage of actual value. Specific information on your valuation can be obtained by contacting the Assessor's Office at 303-795-4600 or by e-mail.
• School tax is levied by each school district's Board of Education. County tax is levied by the Board of County Commissioners. City and town taxes are levied by their governing councils. Special district taxes are levied by their Board of Directors.
• The tax levies adopted by the various governing bodies reflect the amount in dollars needed to fund local government services such as schools, law enforcement, detention facilities, fire protection, city and county road construction and maintenance, public libraries, parks and recreation, water, sanitation and drainage facilities, social services, and urban renewal development by cities.
• The factors which determine the amount of tax due are property valuation and tax levy.
• Information concerning the tax levy can be obtained by contacting the governing boards of the taxing entities.
• The County Treasurer is responsible for the collection of taxes and distribution of monies to the various entities for which taxes are collected.
• THE TREASURER HAS NO JURISDICTION OVER VALUATIONS OR TAX LEVIES

5. How are property taxes calculated?

The tax calculation is taxable value times a mill levy (tax rate). Mill levies are certified to the county by each taxing authority. Sign up for e-mail notification

6. How are special assessments calculated?

A special assessment is an amount taxing authorities certify to the county as a specific amount due rather than a tax calculation. Sign up for e-mail notification

7. Why did the amount of my senior or veteran exemption change?

If approved, the exemption grants a reduction of 50% of your value, up to $200,000.

The most common reason for a change in the exemption is due to the tax rate/mill levy changing. This changes every year, so your exemption will never be exactly the same from year to year.

Another reason for a change in the exemption would be a change in value. If the value of your property was previously less than $200,000, and is now over $200,000, this will affect your exemption. If your exemption was previously half of your property taxes, but is now less than half of the total property tax amount, this is probably why.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at 303-795-4550.

8. Where should I remit my payment and to whom should my check be made payable?

Please make your check payable to Arapahoe County Treasurer, and mail to:

Arapahoe County Treasurer Arapahoe County Treasurer
PO Box 571 or 5334 S. Prince St.
Littleton, CO 80160-0571 Littleton, CO 80120

There are also 2 drop box locations:

Clerk and Recorder's Office Clerk and Recorder's Office
490 S. Chambers Road or 6954 S. Lima St.
Aurora, CO Aurora, CO

Guarantee Bank in Byers also accepts property tax payments from mid-January through July 31st:
538 US Highway 36
Byers, CO

Walk-in payments are also accepted at the Arapahoe County Treasurer's Office, located at:

5334 S. Prince St.
Littleton, CO

9. Can I pay my taxes by personal check?

Yes, personal checks are accepted for payment of current year taxes through September 30. Certified funds or cash are required for the redemption of tax liens.

10. How are payments applied?

We will accept the first payment received, and subsequent payments will be applied to any remaining balance due. Amounts that exceed the current amount due by less than $5.00 may be applied as an advance payment toward the following year's taxes. If the overage is $5.00 or more, the amount of the overpayment will be refunded.

11. What is the deadline for certifying delinquent and/or amortized special assessments?

The deadline for certification of special assessments is October 31st. If this date falls on a weekend, the certification becomes due the Friday BEFORE the due date.

12. What is personal property?

"Personal property" means everything which is the subject of ownership and which is not included within the term "real property." "Personal property" includes machinery equipment, and other articles related to a commercial or industrial operation which are either affixed or not affixed to the real property for property utilization of such articles. CRS 39-1-102(11)

13. What is centrally assessed or state assessed property?

"Public utility" means, for property tax years commencing on or after January 1, 1987, every sole proprietorship, firm, limited liability company, partnership, association, company, or corporation, and the trustees or receivers therof, whether elected or appointed, which does business in this state as a railroad company, airline company, electric company, rural electric company, telephone company, telegraph company, gas company, gas pipeline carrier company, domestic water company selling at retail except nonprofit domestic water companies, pipeline company, coal slurry pipeline, or private car line company. CRS 39-4-101(3)