Delinquent tax lists
County delinquent tax lists
Short answer: every county keeps a delinquent tax list, and publishes a free version before each sale through its tax office. That document gives you parcel numbers and amounts owed, and nothing else. This section covers 3143 counties in all 50 states: who publishes the official list where you live, whether your state sells liens or deeds, how long the owner has to redeem, and the year-round ranked list of owners already under pressure, with an offer on each.
Counties covered
3,143
Across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Lien vs deed states
20 / 22
Plus 7 redeemable deed states and the rest set county by county.
Refresh cadence
Daily
Distress signals recompiled from public records every day.
Pick your state
What a winning bid buys, how long the owner keeps a way out, and how many counties we cover in each.
| State | Sale type | After the tax sale | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | lien | County tax lien auctions at up to 12% interest with a 3 year redemption period. | 67 |
| Alaska | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Alaska law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 30 |
| Arizona | lien | February online tax lien sales at up to 16%, with a 3 year redemption before a lien holder can foreclose. | 15 |
| Arkansas | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Arkansas law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 75 |
| California | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on California law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 58 |
| Colorado | lien | Annual fall tax lien sales at the federal discount rate plus nine points, with a 3 year redemption before a treasurer's deed. | 64 |
| Connecticut | redeemable deed | Municipal tax sales carry an 18% rate and a 6 month redemption period. | 8 |
| Delaware | deed | County sheriff tax sales; a short statutory redemption window applies in some counties, so verify locally. | 3 |
| District of Columbia | lien | An annual July tax lien sale around 18% per year, with a 6 month redemption before foreclosure. | 1 |
| Florida | lien | The owner keeps title and can redeem by paying the taxes plus interest during a redemption period set by Florida law. The county's sale notice states its length. | 67 |
| Georgia | redeemable deed | First-Tuesday courthouse sales; tax deeds carry a 20% premium and a 1 year owner redemption. | 159 |
| Hawaii | deed | County real property tax auctions; a 1 year redemption applies after the tax sale. | 5 |
| Idaho | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Idaho law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 44 |
| Illinois | lien | Annual tax sales use penalty-rate bidding with a 2 to 3 year owner redemption before a tax deed. | 102 |
| Indiana | lien | Fall county tax sales issue certificates with roughly 10 to 15% returns and a 1 year redemption. | 92 |
| Iowa | lien | Third-Monday-of-June tax sales at 2% per month (24% per year) with a redemption period of about 21 months. | 99 |
| Kansas | deed | Counties foreclose tax-delinquent parcels judicially and sell them free of redemption at auction. | 105 |
| Kentucky | lien | County clerk certificate of delinquency sales at 12% with an extended redemption before foreclosure. | 120 |
| Louisiana | redeemable deed | Parish tax sales convey tax sale title with a 5% penalty plus 1% per month and a 3 year redemption. | 64 |
| Maine | deed | Municipal tax lien mortgages mature into town-owned deeds after an 18 month redemption. | 16 |
| Maryland | lien | Spring county tax lien sales at county-set rates (commonly 6 to 24%) with at least a 6 month redemption. | 24 |
| Massachusetts | lien | Municipal tax takings accrue 16%, and the town forecloses the redemption right in Land Court. | 14 |
| Michigan | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Michigan law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 83 |
| Minnesota | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Minnesota law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 87 |
| Mississippi | lien | Late-August tax lien sales at 1.5% per month (18% per year) with a 2 year redemption. | 82 |
| Missouri | lien | Fourth-Monday-of-August county sales with roughly 10% returns and a 1 year redemption. | 115 |
| Montana | lien | County tax lien certificates with a multi-year redemption before a tax deed can issue. | 56 |
| Nebraska | lien | First-Monday-of-March county sales at 14% with a 3 year redemption. | 93 |
| Nevada | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Nevada law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 17 |
| New Hampshire | deed | Municipal tax deeds issue after about a 2 year lien and redemption cycle. | 10 |
| New Jersey | lien | The owner keeps title and can redeem by paying the taxes plus interest during a redemption period set by New Jersey law. The county's sale notice states its length. | 21 |
| New Mexico | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on New Mexico law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 33 |
| New York | varies | The redemption rules follow how each county runs its sale, which varies across New York. The county's sale notice states them. | 62 |
| North Carolina | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on North Carolina law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 100 |
| North Dakota | deed | Counties take tax deeds and hold annual November auctions; owners can redeem before the sale. | 53 |
| Ohio | varies | The redemption rules follow how each county runs its sale, which varies across Ohio. The county's sale notice states them. | 88 |
| Oklahoma | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Oklahoma law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 77 |
| Oregon | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Oregon law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 36 |
| Pennsylvania | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Pennsylvania law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 67 |
| Rhode Island | redeemable deed | Municipal tax sales carry roughly a 1 year redemption with statutory penalties. | 5 |
| South Carolina | lien | Fall county tax sales return 3 to 12% by redemption quarter with a 1 year owner redemption. | 46 |
| South Dakota | lien | Counties hold tax certificates with multi-year redemption before deeds issue. | 66 |
| Tennessee | redeemable deed | County tax sales convey deeds subject to a redemption of up to 1 year at 12%. | 95 |
| Texas | redeemable deed | First-Tuesday county sales; tax deeds carry a 25% first-period penalty with 180 day (2 year homestead) redemption. | 254 |
| Utah | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Utah law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 29 |
| Vermont | redeemable deed | Municipal tax sales carry a 1 year redemption at 12%. | 14 |
| Virginia | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Virginia law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 133 |
| Washington | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Washington law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 39 |
| West Virginia | lien | State-run delinquent land sales issue certificates with roughly an 18 month redemption. | 55 |
| Wisconsin | deed | The deed transfers at the sale. Whether the former owner can still redeem afterward depends on Wisconsin law and the kind of sale, so read the county's sale notice before bidding. | 72 |
| Wyoming | lien | Summer county tax lien sales with 15% returns and a multi-year redemption before deeds. | 23 |
Every county, A to Z by state
3143 counties, each with its own list, sale rules and ranked owners.
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Delinquent tax list FAQ
What is a delinquent tax list?
It is the county's record of property owners who have not paid their property taxes. Every county keeps one year round, and publishes a formal version, often as a PDF, before each scheduled tax sale. The published version lists parcel numbers and amounts owed. It does not tell you who the owner is, how to reach them, what the property is worth, or which owners would actually take a cash offer.
How do I get my county's delinquent tax list for free?
Go to the office that collects property tax in your state, which is the county treasurer in most states, the tax assessor-collector in Texas, the tax commissioner in Georgia, the treasurer-tax collector in California, and the town or city collector in the New England states and New Jersey. The pre-sale list is free to download. Pick your county below and the page names the exact office and what its list does and does not include.
Is a tax lien or a tax deed better to buy?
Neither is better in general, they are different trades. In the 20 lien states you buy a certificate that pays interest if the owner redeems, which behaves like a fixed-income position with a chance of ownership. In the 22 deed states a winning bid transfers the property, so you are buying real estate at auction with limited inspection. The 7 redeemable deed states sit in between: you get a deed the former owner can buy back at a penalty.
Can I buy a tax-delinquent property before it goes to auction?
Yes, and it is usually the better route. Delinquency shows up in public records months before a sale is scheduled, and during that window the owner still holds title and can sell normally. You can inspect the house, run title, and negotiate one on one instead of bidding against a room. An owner with equity who sells early clears the debt and keeps the difference.
How current is the list on this site?
The distress signals are compiled from public records and refreshed daily. Sold, pending and listed properties are removed automatically, so a house that already changed hands never appears. Official sale schedules and parcel lists always come from the county itself, and every county page says so.
Keep going
The county list tells you who owes. This one tells you who will sell.
Ranked hardest-first, with the owner, the phone number and the number to open with. The scan is free, the full list opens with a 7-day trial, and credits are only spent when an owner's phone number comes back.
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