DeKalb County tax sale
Short answer: the DeKalb County tax sale is where parcels still unpaid at the end of Georgia's collection process are sold. Georgia is a redeemable deed state, so a winning bid buys a redeemable deed. The date, the sale list and the terms are set in the official notice published before each sale, and the County Tax Commissioner for DeKalb County keeps the delinquent roll behind it. The list shrinks right up to sale day as owners pay, and every owner on it was in the public record as delinquent before it was printed.
What a bid buys
Redeemable deed
Georgia sets this statewide.
Tax office
County Tax Commissioner
Keeps the DeKalb County delinquent roll.
County size
4th of 159
By population among Georgia counties, about 765,000 residents.
How a DeKalb tax sale runs
A DeKalb tax sale sells a deed with a condition attached. The winning bidder gets a deed, but the former owner can still buy the property back inside the redemption window by repaying the bid plus a penalty.
Either outcome pays: if the owner redeems, the buyer collects the penalty, and if not, the buyer keeps the property. Until the window closes, though, it is not safely yours to renovate, rent or resell.
DeKalb County tax sale at a glance
| Who keeps the roll | The County Tax Commissioner for DeKalb County keeps the delinquent roll. The sale itself is announced in an official notice, published before each sale, that sets the parcel list, the date and the terms. |
|---|---|
| What a winning bid buys | Redeemable deed sale: the buyer takes a redeemable deed. |
| Georgia sale pattern | First-Tuesday courthouse sales; tax deeds carry a 20% premium and a 1 year owner redemption. |
| Where the date comes from | The official sale notice, published before each sale by the office conducting it. Dates are set locally and change, so this page does not print one. |
| Where the list comes from | The same notice, usually with a downloadable list of parcels and amounts due that shrinks as owners pay before sale day. |
The sale list and the delinquent roll
They are two snapshots of the same record. The delinquent roll is everyone behind on DeKalb property tax, kept year round. The sale list is the part of that roll still unpaid when the county advertises the sale, and it keeps shrinking until the auction as owners pay to keep their property.
That shrinking is the useful part. Every parcel that drops off is an owner who found the money under deadline; every parcel still listed a week out belongs to an owner who has not. Buyers who only read the final list meet those owners last, in a room full of other bidders. The full roll, and where the county publishes it, is on the DeKalb County delinquent tax list page.
Before you bid in DeKalb
What to settle before sale day for a redeemable deed sale.
Read the terms of sale
The notice sets the deposit, how and when the balance is due, the bidding method and whether bidding is online or in person. Missing a payment deadline can cost you the deposit.
Check the parcel, not the number
A sale list is parcel numbers and amounts owed. Map every parcel: lists routinely include slivers, landlocked lots and land you cannot build on, listed exactly like houses.
Hold through the window
Until the redemption window closes the former owner can buy it back, so do not renovate, rent or resell yet. Treat the penalty as the base case and the property as the upside.
Watch the occupancy
Former owners often stay put during redemption. Know who lives there and what possession will take once the window ends.
Drive it
Online photos can be years old. Seeing the street, the roof and whether anyone lives there tells you more than any record on the list near Decatur.
A big-county sale
With about 765,000 residents, DeKalb produces a long sale list and draws the most bidders, including funds and repeat buyers who bid on volume. The obvious parcels go at thin margins; the edge is research on the ones others skip, or reaching owners before the list is published.
Or buy before the sale
Months before a parcel reaches the DeKalb sale list, the owner is already behind in the public record and still holds title. That is the window to inspect, run title and agree a price one to one. LowBaller ranks those owners around Decatur by how much pressure they are under and how much equity they hold, with a suggested opening offer on each. Below are representative profiles from the ranking model; the live list is one free scan away.
- #1About 4 years of unpaid property taxes. The bill keeps growing, which often pushes owners to sell sooner.$259K start bid · ~42% under market
- #2About 2 years of unpaid property taxes. The bill keeps growing, which often pushes owners to sell sooner.$287K start bid · ~38% under market
- #3About 3 years of unpaid property taxes. The bill keeps growing, which often pushes owners to sell sooner.$230K start bid · ~39% under market
5 more ranked Decatur deals behind the scan
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DeKalb County among Georgia counties
DeKalb County is the 4th most populous of the 159 Georgia counties, home to about 765,000 people, roughly 6.9% of the state. The largest is Fulton County.
| Rank | County | Seat | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulton County tax sale | Atlanta | 1,070,000 |
| 2 | Gwinnett County tax sale | Lawrenceville | 975,000 |
| 3 | Cobb County tax sale | Marietta | 771,000 |
| 4 | DeKalb County (this page) | Decatur | 765,000 |
| 5 | Chatham County tax sale | Savannah | 303,000 |
| 6 | Clayton County tax sale | Jonesboro | 300,000 |
| 7 | Cherokee County tax sale | Canton | 281,000 |
| 8 | Forsyth County tax sale | Cumming | 267,000 |
Population from US Census estimates, rounded on some entries. Seats are listed only where we have verified them.
DeKalb County tax sale FAQ
When is the DeKalb County tax sale in 2026?
The date is set locally and announced in the official sale notice ahead of the sale; the County Tax Commissioner for DeKalb County is the place to start. The Georgia pattern is the steadier guide. First-Tuesday courthouse sales; tax deeds carry a 20% premium and a 1 year owner redemption. Confirm the date close to it.
Where can I get the DeKalb County tax sale list?
Start with the County Tax Commissioner for DeKalb County, which keeps the delinquent roll. The sale list comes with the sale notice, often as a PDF or spreadsheet of parcels and amounts due, and shrinks as owners pay. It does not show owner contact, values or which owners might sell first.
Does DeKalb sell tax liens or tax deeds?
Georgia is a redeemable deed state, so a winning bid at the DeKalb sale buys a redeemable deed, not the house. That leaves two outcomes: the owner redeems and the buyer earns the penalty, or the window closes and the buyer keeps the property.
How do I bid at the DeKalb County tax sale?
Register before the deadline in the sale notice, which also sets the deposit, accepted payment and whether bidding is online or in person. In a deed sale, bidders compete on price, usually from a minimum set by the amount owed. Read the full terms before sale day.
Can the owner get the property back after the DeKalb tax sale?
Yes, for a limited time. Georgia sells redeemable deeds, so the former owner can buy the property back inside the window by repaying the bid plus the penalty. First-Tuesday courthouse sales; tax deeds carry a 20% premium and a 1 year owner redemption. Until the window closes, the buyer should not treat the property as theirs.
Is it better to buy before the DeKalb tax sale?
Often. Before the sale the owner still holds title, so you can inspect, run title and negotiate one to one instead of bidding against the room. The catch is that a direct purchase needs the owner to agree, and many will not.
What happens to DeKalb parcels that do not sell?
That is set by Georgia law and stated in the notice. Unsold parcels are commonly held by the county or the state, offered again at a later sale or sold over the counter. Ask the County Tax Commissioner how it handles them, because those parcels draw far less competition.
More on DeKalb County
Tax sales near DeKalb County
Keep going
Everyone at the DeKalb sale sees the same list.
Reach the owners before it is printed, while a private sale still solves their problem. Scan free and see who is under pressure around Decatur today.
Scan DeKalb freeInformational summary, not legal or investment advice. Sale formats, rates and redemption periods are summarized at the Georgia state level and can be changed by statute or applied differently in DeKalb County. The official sale notice controls every date, deposit and bidding rule. Verify before you bid.