Buying or selling in Fort Lauderdale and trying to pin down your closing costs? One line item often surprises people: documentary stamp tax, also called doc stamps. It is a Florida state tax tied to your deed and, if you finance, your mortgage. In this guide, you will learn what doc stamps are, who usually pays them in Broward County, and how to estimate the amount with clear local examples. Let’s dive in.

Doc stamps in Florida, in plain English

Doc stamps are a Florida state excise tax on two things: 1) deeds and other instruments that transfer real property, and 2) notes, mortgages, and other written promises to pay money. The tax is created by Florida Statutes Chapter 201 and administered by the Department of Revenue. County clerks collect it when documents are recorded, and penalties can apply if it is not paid. You can read the statute that governs deed taxes in Chapter 201 and see Broward’s local recording framework on the county’s Recording Fee Schedule.

Current rates in Broward County

• Deed transfers of real property: $0.70 per $100 of the purchase price or other consideration. Broward follows this statewide rate set in Chapter 201.
• Promissory notes and mortgages: $0.35 per $100 of the loan amount, per Section 201.08. The statutory cap does not apply to recorded mortgages.
• Nonrecurring Intangible Tax on mortgages: 0.2% of the loan principal. Broward confirms this one-time mortgage tax on its Recording Fee Schedule.

Rounding rules

For items charged “per $100 or fraction thereof,” the amount is rounded up to the next $100 before multiplying the rate. This affects both the $0.70 deed tax and the $0.35 mortgage doc stamps. The intangible tax is calculated on the exact loan amount, not rounded. The “fraction thereof” language appears in Chapter 201 and Broward’s schedule.

Quick formulas and examples

• Deed doc stamps: ceil(purchase price ÷ 100) × $0.70. Example: $500,000 sale price → 5,000 × $0.70 = $3,500. See Chapter 201.
• Mortgage doc stamps: ceil(loan amount ÷ 100) × $0.35. Example: $400,000 loan → 4,000 × $0.35 = $1,400 per Section 201.08.
• Intangible tax: loan amount × 0.002. Example: $400,000 loan → $800, noted on Broward’s Recording Fee Schedule.
• Combined buyer example with financing: $400,000 loan → $1,400 mortgage doc stamps + $800 intangible = $2,200 in state taxes at recording, plus page fees.

Who usually pays in Fort Lauderdale

Florida law lets the parties decide in the contract who pays doc stamps. In practice, the common setup in Broward is: the seller pays doc stamps on the deed, and the buyer pays the mortgage doc stamps and intangible tax if the buyer takes a loan. This custom is outlined in practitioner guidance on Florida closings, such as this overview of real estate closing costs in Florida. The controlling language is in your signed contract, where cost allocation is often spelled out explicitly, for example “Seller pays deed stamps, Buyer pays mortgage stamps and intangible,” as shown in sample clauses on Law Insider.

Cash vs. financed purchase: Broward examples

Broward also charges recording page fees, which affect both scenarios below. The fee is $10.00 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page. See the county’s Recording Fee Schedule.

Scenario 1: Cash purchase

• Price: $750,000.
• Deed doc stamps: ceil(750,000 ÷ 100) × $0.70 = 7,500 × $0.70 = $5,250. Customarily paid by seller.
• Recording pages: a two-page deed would cost $10.00 + $8.50 to record, plus any indexing charges listed by the county.

Scenario 2: Financed purchase

• Price: $750,000 with a $500,000 loan.
• Deed doc stamps: 7,500 × $0.70 = $5,250. Customarily paid by seller.
• Mortgage doc stamps: 5,000 × $0.35 = $1,750 per Section 201.08.
• Intangible tax: $500,000 × 0.002 = $1,000 per Broward’s Recording Fee Schedule.
• Recording pages: the mortgage and related documents add page fees at $10.00 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page.

Special cases and exemptions

Some transfers qualify for exemptions under Florida law, including certain governmental transactions and specific transfers between spouses or tied to divorce. The list is in the statute that covers deed tax at Fla. Stat. 201.02. Recent legislative updates affect how spousal and homestead transfers can qualify, so confirm specifics with your closing agent or attorney, as noted by this Florida-focused spousal transfer update.

Also remember that Florida treats the assumption or payoff of a mortgage as part of the deed’s “consideration,” which means it counts when computing deed doc stamps. This rule appears in Chapter 201. If doc stamps are underpaid or missed at recording, Broward and the Department of Revenue have procedures for late remittance, corrections, and potential refunds, described in the county’s Official Records FAQ.

How to avoid surprises at closing

• Confirm who pays what in your executed contract. Custom helps, but contract language controls.
• Ask your title company to prepare a pre-closing estimate that includes deed stamps, mortgage stamps, intangible tax, and Broward page fees.
• List every document that will be recorded, such as the deed and mortgage, so the clerk calculates taxes correctly. Broward’s Official Records FAQ explains local processing.
• Factor in rounding to the next $100 for deed and mortgage stamps. That small increment can change the final number.

Ready to plan your closing costs?

Doc stamps are predictable once you know the rates, rounding, and who pays in Broward County. If you want a polished strategy for your South Florida sale or purchase, connect with Vanessa Frank for clear guidance and a streamlined closing experience.

FAQs

What are doc stamps on a Broward deed?

• They are Florida’s documentary stamp tax on the deed, calculated at $0.70 per $100 of the purchase price or other consideration, as set out in Chapter 201.

How are Fort Lauderdale mortgage taxes calculated?

• Mortgage doc stamps are $0.35 per $100 of the loan amount per Section 201.08, and the nonrecurring intangible tax is 0.2% of the loan amount per Broward’s Recording Fee Schedule.

Who usually pays doc stamps in a Broward cash deal?

• Customarily, the seller pays doc stamps on the deed, while no mortgage taxes apply. Contract terms can override custom, so check your agreement, as discussed in this Florida closing cost overview.

Do doc stamps round up in Broward County?

• Yes. For deed and mortgage stamps charged “per $100 or fraction thereof,” amounts are rounded up to the next $100, consistent with Chapter 201.

Are spousal or homestead transfers exempt from deed doc stamps?

• Some are, but the details matter. See the exemptions listed in Fla. Stat. 201.02 and recent spousal transfer guidance, and confirm with your closing agent.

What if doc stamps are underpaid after recording in Broward?

• The county and the Department of Revenue have procedures for late payment, corrections, and refunds, outlined in Broward’s Official Records FAQ.