Cullman County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Cullman County, seat of Cullman: 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 Cullman County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Cullman County Revenue Commissioner
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual tax lien auction, normally the first Tuesday in May at 10:00 a.m. The county tax calendar states "First Tuesday of May (normally): annual tax lien auction," and the office's 2023 notice set the auction for "Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 10:00 a.m." Delinquency starts January 1, delinquent notices go out in January, and traceable notices advising of the next auction are mailed in March.
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Pre-registration is required. The Revenue Commissioner's 2023 notice states "All bidders must pre-register to participate" by emailing [email protected] with complete names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers (more than one if available), and email addresses. For the 2022 in-person auction the office required prospective bidders to "register in person at the Cullman County Revenue Commission office by close of business" the day before the sale. Confirm the current year's method and cutoff with the office before bidding.
Cullman County sells tax LIENS under the Article 7 tax lien auction regime, not tax deeds. The most recent auction format stated on the county's own site is IN PERSON: the 2022 announcement moved the sale back to "the County Commission meeting room located in the Cullman County Courthouse at 500 2nd Avenue SW," and the 2023 announcement again placed it in the "county commission meeting room of the Cullman County Courthouse." The county used online bidding through GovEase.com during 2020 and 2021 (the office's delinquent-notices page cites the May 4, 2021 sale "through an online auction hosted by tax lien auction company, GovEase.com"). No auction announcement newer than 2023 is published on the county site, so the current platform could not be verified from an official page and no platform URL is asserted here. Verify the venue, date, and registration cutoff by phone at (256) 775-4776 before planning a bid. The delinquent parcel list is published at the "Tax Lien Parcels" link and, per the 2023 notice, "will remain on this site through the morning of the auction"; it read "The Delinquent Parcels listing is currently disabled" when checked off-season in July 2026. The office also notes that liens from prior auctions are "offered to the prior purchasers before the auction" and removed from the list if those holders exercise their right of refusal. Delinquent taxes carry 12% per annum interest plus delinquent fees. Statutory basis cited by the county for the notice process is Code of Alabama Title 40-10-182(a)(1). In person at the Cullman County Courthouse (most recent format confirmed on the county site)
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)
Cullman County Revenue Commissioner
Cullman County Courthouse, Room 102, 500 2nd Avenue SW, Cullman, AL 35055 (mailing: P.O. Box 2220, Cullman, AL 35056-2220)
Official websiteNotes for Cullman County
- County seat is Cullman; the Revenue Commission main office is in the Cullman County Courthouse, Room 102, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Satellite offices are listed for Baileyton (12080 AL Highway 69 N, (256) 796-3300), Dodge City (130 Howard Circle, Hanceville, (256) 287-3200), and Hanceville (112 Main Street SE, (256) 352-6036). The main office handles the tax lien auction.
- Office fax is (256) 775-4863 and the general email is [email protected], which is also the address used for auction pre-registration.
- Property tax calendar: taxes due October 1, delinquent January 1, check payments stop after February 28 (certified funds only after that), traceable delinquent notices mailed in March, auction normally the first Tuesday in May.
- The county has not posted a tax lien auction announcement newer than 2023 on its website, so the current-year platform and exact date should be confirmed directly with the office.
- The office publishes a buyer-beware advisory warning that a tax lien purchase is not the same as owning the property.
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 Cullman County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Cullman County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Cullman County tax certificate sale?
- Annual tax lien auction, normally the first Tuesday in May at 10:00 a.m. The county tax calendar states "First Tuesday of May (normally): annual tax lien auction," and the office's 2023 notice set the auction for "Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 10:00 a.m." Delinquency starts January 1, delinquent notices go out in January, and traceable notices advising of the next auction are mailed in March.. 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 Cullman 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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