Pickens County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Pickens County, seat of Carrollton: 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 Pickens County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Pickens County Revenue Commissioner (Michelle Kirk)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The Revenue Commissioner's Important Dates list states: "On or about the last Monday in April or first Monday in May, Tax Sale at 10:00 am". The 2026 sale, covering 2025 delinquent taxes, was held May 4, 2026; the county announcement reads "The 2026 Tax Sale for 2025 delinquent taxes was held on May 4th."
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
No online bidder registration is published. Bidding happens in person at the courthouse and the notice says the property is sold for cash. The notice also states "ONLY CASH AND MONEY ORDERS ARE ACCEPTABLE" and set Friday, May 1, 2026 at 4:00 P.M. as the last day for payment ahead of the May 4, 2026 sale. Call the Revenue Commissioner at 205-367-2040 before the sale to confirm bidder requirements, payment method, and the current year's date.
Pickens County holds the traditional Alabama courthouse tax sale, not an online tax lien auction. The published legal notice reads: "BY VIRTUE OF THE DECREE RENDERED BY THE PROBATE COURT OF PICKENS COUNTY ALABAMA I WILL PROCEED TO SELL FOR CASH IN FRONT OF THE COURTHOUSE OF PICKENS, IN THE CITY OF CARROLLTON ON MAY 4th, 2026 DURING THE LEGAL HOURS OF SALE." Because bidding is live public outcry at the courthouse, there is no online platform and no platform URL. Each parcel in the advertised list shows an appraised value, 15 percent of that appraised value, and the total due. The notice cites Act 2002-426: only the part of an excess bid that does not exceed 15 percent of the fair market appraised value accrues interest until redemption, and the Act does not cap the excess bid itself, so bidders remain free to bid any amount at the public outcry. In person, public outcry in front of the Pickens County Courthouse in Carrollton (no online auction platform)
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)
Pickens County Revenue Commissioner
P.O. Box 447, Carrollton, AL 35447 (office located at 50 Court Square, Room 101, Probate Building, Carrollton, AL 35447)
Official websiteNotes for Pickens County
- The county advertises the delinquent list for three consecutive weeks in the local newspaper and on the county tax site during March and April. The Important Dates page says the delinquent property tax list becomes available in March.
- Certified court notices are mailed to delinquent taxpayers during the month of March.
- Taxes are due October 1 and become delinquent January 1. The county charges a $5 delinquent fee plus 12 percent annual interest on payments made on or after January 1.
- The Revenue Commissioner's property page states that property sold for non-payment of taxes "may be redeemed within 3 years of sale" and directs redemption amount questions to the Revenue Commissioner's office.
- The Alabama Department of Revenue publishes a weekly per-county transcript of state-held tax delinquent land. The Pickens County transcript dated July 20, 2026 contained only the report header and listed no parcels, so no state-held inventory was shown for Pickens on that date. State-held purchases run through the Department's electronic price quote application, and the Department warns that neither an assignment nor a tax deed gives the holder clear title.
- Office hours are 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. The appraisal department line is 205-367-2043 and the collections line is 205-367-2040.
- The county site warns that the Revenue Commissioner's office will never request payment information by phone.
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 Pickens County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Pickens County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Pickens County tax certificate sale?
- The Revenue Commissioner's Important Dates list states: "On or about the last Monday in April or first Monday in May, Tax Sale at 10:00 am". The 2026 sale, covering 2025 delinquent taxes, was held May 4, 2026; the county announcement reads "The 2026 Tax Sale for 2025 delinquent taxes was held on May 4th.". 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 Pickens 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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