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Tax Sale Atlas

Apache County, AZ tax sales

How tax lien sales work in Apache County, seat of St. Johns: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.

New to tax sales? Read how Arizona tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
Held annually in February under A.R.S.
Format
RealAuction
Registration
Register and bid online through RealAuction at apache.arizonataxsale.com.
County office
928-337-7629
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 13, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Apache County sells delinquent taxes

From lien to deed

Arizona does not hold county tax deed auctions. Instead, a certificate of purchase holder whose lien has not been redeemed may file a judicial action to foreclose the owner's right to redeem, but only after three years have passed since the tax lien sale.

Tax certificate sale (lien)

RealAuction
Run by
Apache County Treasurer
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
Held annually in February under A.R.S.
Registration
Register and bid online through RealAuction at apache.arizonataxsale.com.
Next expected
in February, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Public Notice of Tax Lien Auction (year-2024 delinquent parcels)
When it runs
Held annually in February under A.R.S. 42-18109. The RealAuction process page states the tax certificate auction "must take place during the month of February." For 2026, the electronic tax lien sale on year-2024 delinquent taxes was held "on the 18th day of February 2026, commencing at the hour of 8:00 am ... in batches," with batches closing at 30-minute intervals from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm Mountain Standard Time (an auxiliary batch ran 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm). Bidders could "view and post bids beginning 8:00 am February 04, 2026," and final payments were due by 2:00 pm February 19, 2026.
Registration and deposit

Register and bid online through RealAuction at apache.arizonataxsale.com. Investors bid down the interest rate, and the certificate goes to the bidder willing to accept the lowest rate, from a 16% maximum down to 0%. Purchasers complete the Tax Lien Purchaser Information Form (AC-001) and IRS Form W-9. Bidder registration, instructions, and FAQs are on the auction site; RealAuction Customer Service is 1-877-361-7325.

Sale format and venue
Arizona is a tax-lien state, so Apache County holds no county tax-deed auction. Liens not sold at auction pass to the state and can be bought over the counter, and the Treasurer publishes an Over-the-Counter Tax Lien List on its site. Taxes must be at least two years delinquent before a certificate is offered, and a certificate holder may pursue judicial (quiet title) foreclosure three years after the sale date. The certificate face amount includes a $10 certificate fee and a $10 taxpayer information fund fee plus an internet sale fee; delinquent taxes bear 16% annual interest, prorated monthly. Parcel legal descriptions for the sale are searchable through the Treasurer EagleWeb at eagletreasurer.co.apache.az.us.
Register on RealAuction
Source: Apache County Public Notice of Tax Lien Auction, Office of the Apache County Treasurer (2026)· Verified Jul 13, 2026

Apache County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Apache County tax sale 2026 searches, use the county-run sources below rather than a copied parcel list, and confirm the parcel, registration cutoff, deposit, and payment deadline against the county before you bid.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Public Notice of Tax Lien Auction (year-2024 delinquent parcels) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Register and bid online through RealAuction at apache.arizonataxsale.com. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Held annually in February under A.R.S. Bidding runs on RealAuction; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Apache County Treasurer as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Apache County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Public Notice of Tax Lien Auction (year-2024 delinquent parcels). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Register and bid online through RealAuction at apache.arizonataxsale.com. Investors bid down the interest rate, and the certificate goes to the bidder willing to accept the lowest rate, from a 16% maximum down to 0%. Purchasers complete the Tax Lien Purchaser Information Form (AC-001) and IRS Form W-9. Bidder registration, instructions, and FAQs are on the auction site; RealAuction Customer Service is 1-877-361-7325.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Arizona due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  4. Set a walk-away number

    Work out what the parcel is actually worth with the rural land value estimator, then turn it into a ceiling with the tax deed max-bid calculator.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

Liens that receive no bid are struck to the state. Any person may later buy a state-held certificate over the counter by assignment from the county treasurer, paying the amount due plus subsequent taxes and a small assignment fee. Assigned state certificates earn the full 16 percent.

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work. Every state has its own name for what goes unsold, so check what Arizona calls its leftover tax-sale inventory.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)

Apache County Treasurer

928-337-7629

75 West Cleveland, PO Box 699, St. Johns, AZ 85936

Official website

County notes

  • Auction platform verified live: apache.arizonataxsale.com loads as RealAuction's "Apache RealTaxLien" system (Arizona), and the county's official Treasurer page links to it as the "Apache County Official Tax Lien Auction Site."
  • The published delinquent/sale list is the county's Public Notice of Tax Lien Auction (parcel-by-parcel account, owner, legal description, and amount); the 2026 notice covered year-2024 delinquent taxes and was published in the White Mountain Independent on February 3, 2026.
  • Delinquent-parcel legal descriptions and account lookups are available through the Apache County Treasurer EagleWeb at eagletreasurer.co.apache.az.us:8443.

Arizona rules

Max interest rate
16% per year, bid down at auction
Minimum return
No statutory minimum; interest accrues at your bid rate
Redemption
The owner or any interested party can redeem the lien at any time until the right to redeem is foreclosed by the court. A certificate of purchase holder cannot begin a foreclosure action until three years after the sale, and the lien becomes void if no foreclosure is commenced within ten years after the month the certificate was acquired.
Surplus proceeds
If the court forecloses the right to redeem, the county treasurer issues a treasurer's deed conveying the parcel to the certificate holder. Because the property is conveyed by deed rather than sold at auction, there is no auction surplus to distribute.
Governing statute
A.R.S. Title 42, Chapter 18

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.

See the full Arizonarules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Apache County, Arizona sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax lien certificates. In Arizona investors buy the lien, not the property; the County Treasurer runs the sale.

When is the Apache County tax certificate sale?

Held annually in February under A.R.S. 42-18109. The RealAuction process page states the tax certificate auction "must take place during the month of February." For 2026, the electronic tax lien sale on year-2024 delinquent taxes was held "on the 18th day of February 2026, commencing at the hour of 8:00 am ... in batches," with batches closing at 30-minute intervals from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm Mountain Standard Time (an auxiliary batch ran 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm). Bidders could "view and post bids beginning 8:00 am February 04, 2026," and final payments were due by 2:00 pm February 19, 2026. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the County Treasurer before the sale.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Arizona's redemption rule: 3 years from the tax lien sale before the holder can foreclose. Call the Apache County Treasurer as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Where can I find the Apache County tax sale list?

Apache County posts its tax sale list at ecs-cluster-bucket-wsos-prod-two.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

Verified Jul 13, 2026 against official county and state sources.

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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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

Arizona tax salesDue diligence guide
Call Apache County TreasurerOpen auction