Shelby County, AL tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Shelby County, seat of Columbiana: 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 Shelby County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Shelby County Property Tax Commissioner (Jacob Tidmore), Columbiana
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual online tax lien auction in early April. The county calendar states "Tax Lien Auction is April 1, 2026 beginning at 8:30am CST" and the Real Property page says the auction "is held annually (usually the first week of April) for all unpaid property taxes."
- Next expected
- between March 1 and June 15, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register online at GovEase. The county states "Our tax lien auction is online, you may register as a bidder by going to www.govease.com. After registration, you must still arrange payment and let the Property Tax Commissioner Office know the amount of your projected investment to submit for approval. This must be done prior to any bidding. Bidder registration cutoff is 4:00 p.m. the day before the Tax Lien Auction." The 2026 GovEase flyer adds that registration opened March 3, 2026 and closed March 30, 2026, that bidders create an account and complete online registration documents before approval, and points to liveauctions.govease.com/Bidder/UserProfile for sign-up and govease.com/bidderhelp for training. A W-9 is required before a certificate is processed.
Alabama tax lien auction under Title 40, Chapter 10, Article 7. Bidding is bid-down interest: the county states "Bids are awarded on the lowest interest rate bid. 1. The maximum bid is 12% simple interest per annum prorated monthly. The lowest acceptable bid is 0% per annum." The winning bidder buys a lien, not the property, and pays the full amount of taxes, interest, fees, penalties and costs as of auction day, with guaranteed funds due no later than one hour before the property tax office closes on auction day. All sales are final. The Certificate of Purchase carries a first right of refusal on the following year's lien at the same rate. Interest accrues from the first day after the auction and stops on the day of redemption. A certificate expires and the lien is void if no foreclosure action is commenced within ten years of purchase (Act 2018-577). There is a $5.00 endorsement fee per certificate. Auction notice is mailed, advertised or posted about 30 days ahead, by March 1 in the 2026 cycle. Liens not sold at the county auction roll into the Alabama Department of Revenue state-held inventory, which is bought by price quote rather than at the county auction.
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)
Shelby County Property Tax Commissioner
102 Depot Street, Columbiana, AL 35051 (mailing: PO Box 1298, Columbiana, AL 35051)
Official websiteNotes for Shelby County
- Shelby County runs its own dedicated tax lien auction site at taxlienauction.shelbyal.com, separate from the main property tax portal at ptc.shelbyal.com.
- The auction site says "The Tax Lien Auction will be held online at www.govease.com. Registration will open on March 3rd and close March 30th. All bidders must be registered and approved prior to bidding."
- Bidding is a bid-down-interest format capped at 12% simple interest per annum prorated monthly, with 0% the lowest acceptable bid.
- Auction-day payment must be guaranteed funds delivered no later than one hour before the property tax office closes on the day of the auction. All sales are final.
- Property taxes are due October 1 and delinquent January 1, when a $5.00 fee plus 1% per month interest is added; delinquent notices are mailed by January 31.
- The county calendar also lists a first-right window: "First right will be paid in our office and will open on March 2, 2026 at 10am and close on March 30, 2026 at 4pm." This covers existing certificate holders buying the subsequent year's lien, not new bidders.
- Final settlement for the 2026 cycle is listed as May 30.
- Research tools on the Property Tax Commissioner portal include Delinquent Search, Redemption Search and Insolvent Search; the county states "All research must be done by you. Property information may be found at https://ptc.shelbyal.com".
- Bidder support for the platform is GovEase ([email protected], (769) 208-5050 per the county flyer); investor portal support is E-Ring, Inc. at [email protected].
- Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm. Auction questions go to (205) 670-6900, menu option 1.
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 Shelby County, Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Shelby County follows Alabama's tax lien state system.
When is the Shelby County tax certificate sale?
- Annual online tax lien auction in early April. The county calendar states "Tax Lien Auction is April 1, 2026 beginning at 8:30am CST" and the Real Property page says the auction "is held annually (usually the first week of April) for all unpaid property taxes.". 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 Shelby 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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