What Is the Florida Documentary Stamp Tax?

Short answer

The Florida documentary stamp tax is a state excise tax on documents recorded at closing. On a mortgage, the tax is $0.35 per $100 (or fraction) of the loan amount; on the deed, it is $0.70 per $100 of the purchase price (Florida Statutes 201.08 and 201.02, as of October 2026). On a $500,000 purchase with a $400,000 loan, that is $1,400 on the note and $3,500 on the deed. By custom in Miami-Dade, the buyer pays the note tax and the seller pays the deed tax.

Definition

Documentary stamp tax ('doc stamps') is Florida's transfer and recording tax under Chapter 201, Florida Statutes, collected by the clerk of court when the deed and mortgage are recorded. It is one of the largest closing costs in a Florida transaction.

Worked example

Purchase of a $650,000 home in Doral with a $520,000 mortgage. Doc stamps on the note (buyer): $520,000 / 100 = 5,200 units x $0.35 = $1,820. Doc stamps on the deed (seller, by custom): $650,000 / 100 = 6,500 units x $0.70 = $4,550. Add the intangible tax on the mortgage: $520,000 x 0.002 = $1,040 (buyer). Total state taxes on this closing: $1,820 + $4,550 + $1,040 = $7,410. If the buyer instead puts 30% down and borrows $455,000, the note tax drops to $1,592.50 and the intangible tax to $910.

The rates

Per Florida Statutes Chapter 201 (as of October 2026):

• Promissory notes and mortgages (s. 201.08): 35 cents on each $100 or fraction thereof of the indebtedness. Notes not secured by real property are capped at $2,450; mortgages have no cap.
• Deeds (s. 201.02): 70 cents on each $100 of consideration.
• Collected by the clerk at recording, shown on your Closing Disclosure in Section E.

Who pays

Florida law makes both parties liable, but local custom and the contract decide. In Miami-Dade and Broward the buyer typically pays the note tax and intangible tax; the seller typically pays the deed tax. On new construction, developers often shift the deed tax to the buyer in the contract, so read it. A seller concession can be negotiated to cover the buyer's share.

In South Florida

Doc stamps are why Florida closing costs look high compared with most states, and why the Section E line on a Miami Loan Estimate is so large. Refinances pay doc stamps and intangible tax on the new loan too, which is a real cost to weigh against the rate savings; a rate-and-term refinance of a Florida mortgage may qualify for a credit on the portion of the old loan being paid off, so ask the title company. Miami-Dade applies the $0.70 deed rate (other counties have a surtax structure that differs for single-family homes). Doc stamps are not included in APR.