Baldwin County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Baldwin County, seat of Bay Minette: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 27, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Alabama tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Baldwin County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Baldwin County Revenue Commission (Revenue Commissioner, acting as the county Tax Collecting Official)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Once a year in the spring, held entirely online. The county page states: "The tax lien auction is held once per year, between March 1 and June 15." The most recently posted sale reads "Date: March 24, 2026" with "Auction starts at 8:30 AM (CST)", and the page notes the auction "will continue until 4:30 PM (CST) each day until the auction is complete." The process document adds that the auction date "will be announced when delinquent notices are mailed each January."
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register on GovEase before the sale. For the March 24, 2026 auction the county page states "Registration will begin Feb 23, 2026 via govease.com." Bidders complete the required documents and submit a 10% deposit before bidding, payable by E-check, ACH, or wire transfer. Accepted bidders may join a pre-bid process that, per the page, "begins online Monday, March 23, 2026." Bidding is a bid-down-the-interest-rate format starting at 12%, moving in 1% increments, with each lien open for 30 seconds. GovEase bidder support is listed on the county page at 769-208-5050.
Baldwin County sells tax LIENS, not deeds. It moved to the Article 7 tax lien auction regime (Code of Ala. 1975 §§ 40-10-180 through 200) effective with the 2018 tax collection year, so there is no county tax deed auction and no "sold to state" deed inventory here. The sale runs exclusively online through GovEase rather than in person at the Revenue Commissioner's office. Bidders bid down the interest rate from a 12% starting rate until no bidder goes lower or the rate reaches 0%; ties are broken by drawing cards. A $5.00 tax auction certificate fee is added to each sale. Redemption is handled through the Revenue Commissioner's office in certified funds and includes a $10 redemption fee (§ 40-10-193); redemptions may be made any time after the auction closes and before a judgment of foreclosure. Liens that go unsold at auction may be sold at private sale within 45 days at a rate set by the Tax Collecting Official not exceeding 12% (§ 40-10-199), and any still unsold carry into future auctions. The Revenue Commission home page publishes those remaining liens under an "AVAILABLE TAX LIENS" link as a County Inventory PDF listing PIN, parcel number, and owner name, with the instruction to "Contact office for amounts and information." That inventory file is re-dated as it is refreshed, so check the Revenue Commission home page for the current link. An existing certificate holder has the first right to buy the lien on a later delinquency at the same interest rate.
Register on GovEaseFrom lien to deed
- Run by
- Circuit court of the county; the circuit clerk executes the deed
- Frequency
- none (court action, not a scheduled auction)
- Typical timing
- Not scheduled. A certificate holder may file no earlier than four years after the tax lien auction and no later than ten years after it
Alabama counties on the tax lien auction method hold no separate tax deed auction. Title passes only through a circuit court action to foreclose the right to redeem and quiet title, which ends in a circuit clerk's deed. A person entitled to redeem can answer that action by demanding a public auction instead, in which case the court sets a minimum bid equal to the redemption amount plus back taxes and allowed costs, and any surplus goes to the owner. A county that instead elects the Article 1 property tax sale sells the land itself at the courthouse and the judge of probate issues a deed after three years. Confirm which method your county uses.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Liens that draw no bid at the auction stay with the county. At any time after the auction date the tax collecting official may sell an unsold lien at private sale for no less than all taxes, interest, penalties, costs and fees due, plus any amount owed to a prior certificate holder. The rate is agreed with the tax collecting official and cannot exceed 12 percent, so over-the-counter liens often carry the full rate. Ask the county for its list of unsold liens.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Baldwin County
- Real property taxes are due October 1 and become delinquent if not paid before midnight December 31, per the Revenue Commission site.
- The Bay Minette office at 1705 U.S. Hwy 31 S. is the main office. Satellite offices are listed in Foley (201 E. Section Avenue, 251-972-6819), Fairhope (1100 Fairhope Avenue, 251-990-4627), and Robertsdale (22251 Palmer Street, 251-972-6819). Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm.
- No mailing address is published on the contact page. The page states "Please do not mail anything to these addresses." Confirm a mailing address with the office by phone or at [email protected] before sending payment or documents.
- Parcel-level tax and assessment data is searchable at the county property portal linked from the Revenue Commission site (baldwinproperty.countygovservices.com).
- The county's process document is dated and still references the May 8, 2019 auction and in-person mechanics such as certified funds paid at the Tax Collecting Official's office. The live tax lien auction page carries the current online GovEase procedure and deposit rules, so treat the auction page as controlling where the two differ.
Alabama statewide rules
- Redemption
- A tax lien can be redeemed at any time before the circuit court enters judgment in a foreclosure action, and the holder cannot file that action until four years after the auction or the tax official's private sale. If the holder does not commence a foreclosure action within ten years of the auction or sale, the certificate expires and the lien becomes void. A certificate holder has no right to enter or possess the property, make repairs, or charge rents before it receives the circuit clerk's deed. In a county that uses the Article 1 property tax sale instead, land sold to a purchaser other than the state may be redeemed within three years from the date of sale, and land bid in for the state may be redeemed at any time before title passes out of the state.
- Surplus proceeds
- In a court-ordered auction the proceeds pay the cost of the auction first, then the certificate holder up to the redemption amount plus taxes it paid before filing and the court-allowed costs and fees. Any surplus goes to the owner or the owner's heirs or successors as the court determines, and Alabama's unclaimed property law applies to whatever is left. In a county that instead uses the Article 1 property tax sale, the excess over the decree is held in a separate county account for three years for a party who redeems, and Section 40-10-28 opens later windows in which the owner or a redeeming party can claim it.
A tax deed does not convey marketable title. Most buyers file a quiet title action before they can resell or insure the property. See the due diligence guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Baldwin County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Baldwin County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Baldwin County tax certificate sale?
- Once a year in the spring, held entirely online. The county page states: "The tax lien auction is held once per year, between March 1 and June 15." The most recently posted sale reads "Date: March 24, 2026" with "Auction starts at 8:30 AM (CST)", and the page notes the auction "will continue until 4:30 PM (CST) each day until the auction is complete." The process document adds that the auction date "will be announced when delinquent notices are mailed each January.". Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
How often does Baldwin County hold tax deed sales?
- none (court action, not a scheduled auction). Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.
Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.
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