District of Columbia delinquent tax lists by county
Short answer: District of Columbia is a lien state, so a winning bidder gets a tax lien certificate, which pays interest if the owner redeems and can be foreclosed into ownership if they do not. An annual July tax lien sale around 18% per year, with a 6 month redemption before foreclosure. Each county publishes its own delinquent roll through the DC Office of Tax and Revenue. Below is every District of Columbia county we cover, with the live count of distressed owners in each.
Counties covered
1
Every one has its own ranked list and county-level rules page.
Flagged owners statewide
476
Carrying at least one distress signal in public records, refreshed daily.
Sale type
Lien
None after the sale.
Every District of Columbia county we cover
Sorted largest first. Each county page carries the official list source, the sale rules and the live ranked list of owners under pressure right now.
| County | County seat | Population | Flagged owners |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | Washington | 672,000 | 476 |
District of Columbia tax sale rules
| Tax sale system | District of Columbia is a lien state. A winning bidder gets a tax lien certificate, which pays interest if the owner redeems and can be foreclosed into ownership if they do not. |
|---|---|
| Rate and cadence | An annual July tax lien sale around 18% per year, with a 6 month redemption before foreclosure. |
| Owner redemption | None after the sale. |
| Who publishes the list | The DC Office of Tax and Revenue in each county. |
| Foreclosure path | Non-judicial, typically 4 to 8 months from filing to sale. |
| Deficiency after sale | Allowed. |
| Local note | Mediation requirements added meaningful time to what is otherwise a power-of-sale process. |
The District of Columbia delinquency clock
District of Columbia delinquent tax list FAQ
Is District of Columbia a tax lien or tax deed state?
District of Columbia is a lien state. A winning bidder gets a tax lien certificate, which pays interest if the owner redeems and can be foreclosed into ownership if they do not. An annual July tax lien sale around 18% per year, with a 6 month redemption before foreclosure.
Where do I find the District of Columbia delinquent tax list?
Each county publishes its own list through the DC Office of Tax and Revenue, usually as a PDF before a scheduled sale. Pick your county below for the official source plus the year-round ranked list of distressed owners in that area.
How long does an owner have to redeem in District of Columbia?
None after the sale. That window is the single biggest thing separating a good tax-sale trade from a bad one, because it decides how long your money sits before you can act.
How many tax-delinquent properties are there in District of Columbia?
Across the 1 District of Columbia county we track, roughly 476 properties currently carry at least one distress signal in public records, including tax delinquency, foreclosure filings, vacancy and long-distance ownership. The counts refresh daily.
Can I buy District of Columbia tax-delinquent property before the auction?
Yes. The delinquency appears in the public record months before any sale is scheduled, and during that window the owner can still sell normally. That is the whole opportunity: no bidding war, an inspection is possible, and an owner with equity walks away with money instead of nothing.