Chilton County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Chilton County, seat of Clanton: 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 Chilton County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Chilton County Revenue Commissioner (Tim Little), Chilton County Revenue Commission
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The Revenue Commissioner's Real Property page publishes the annual cycle as "October 1 - Taxes Due", "January 1 - Taxes Delinquent", "February - Citation with fee added", "March - Advertised Sale", and "April - Tax Sale". The county's posted delinquent listing sets the most recent sale for the 2025 tax year at "5/4/2026 at 8:00 AM CST", so the actual date can slip past the April slot shown on the calendar.
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
No bidder registration procedure, deposit requirement, or sale location is published on the Revenue Commissioner's website or on the county delinquent listing page. Investors should call the property tax collections line at 205-755-1249 before the sale to confirm registration, payment, and bidding requirements.
Chilton County runs the traditional Alabama tax sale route rather than an Article 7 online tax lien auction. The county delinquent listing carries the notice "IN ACCORDANCE WITH CODE OF ALABAMA TITLE 40-10-12 THIS NOTICE IS TO INFORM YOU OF A TAX SALE AUCTION FOR THE 2025 TAX YEAR ON ALL UNPAID PROPERTIES FOR CHILTON COUNTY" with the sale set for 5/4/2026 at 8:00 AM CST. No online auction platform is named or linked anywhere on the Revenue Commissioner site, including the Useful Links and News pages, and the county is not shown on the GovEase auction pages that loaded, so do not assume an online portal. Confirm with the office whether the sale is held in person before planning a bid. The county's delinquent listing at the time of research showed only a single remaining parcel already titled to the State of Alabama, consistent with a sale that has already run for this cycle. Parcels that do not sell at the county level become state-held "sold to state" inventory, which the Alabama Department of Revenue Property Tax Division sells by price quote using county transcripts updated weekly; a certificate held by the state under three years is assigned to the buyer, and one held over three years produces a tax deed.
From 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)
Chilton County Revenue Commission (Revenue Commissioner Tim Little)
205-755-1249 (property tax collections); 205-755-0155 (assessments and exemptions); fax 205-755-1507
Mailing: P.O. Box 1760, Clanton, AL 35046. Physical: 53 Robert Threlkeld Parkway, Clanton, AL 35045.
Official websiteNotes for Chilton County
- County seat is Clanton. The Revenue Commissioner's office consolidates assessment and collection, so one office handles the delinquent roll and the tax sale.
- The Alabama Department of Revenue county directory still lists the Chilton County Courthouse at 500 Second Ave. N., Clanton, AL 35045, while the Revenue Commission's own Contact Us page lists 53 Robert Threlkeld Parkway, Clanton, AL 35045. Use the county's own address for visits.
- The delinquent list is hosted on the county's altags.com online services portal, not on chiltoncountyrevenue.com, and it is the only county page found that carries an actual sale date.
- No auction platform, bidder registration form, deposit schedule, or sale venue is published online for this county. These are the gaps to close by phone before quoting logistics to investors.
- The sale notice cites Code of Alabama Title 40-10-12, the Article 1 tax sale path, rather than the Article 7 tax lien auction sections, which is consistent with a county that has not elected the online tax lien auction regime under Section 40-10-180.
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 Chilton County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Chilton County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Chilton County tax certificate sale?
- The Revenue Commissioner's Real Property page publishes the annual cycle as "October 1 - Taxes Due", "January 1 - Taxes Delinquent", "February - Citation with fee added", "March - Advertised Sale", and "April - Tax Sale". The county's posted delinquent listing sets the most recent sale for the 2025 tax year at "5/4/2026 at 8:00 AM CST", so the actual date can slip past the April slot shown on the calendar.. 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 Chilton 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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