Coconino County, AZ tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Coconino County, seat of Flagstaff: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 13, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Arizona tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Coconino County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Coconino County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Held annually in February. The county Tax Liens page states: "The 2026 Tax Lien Sale was held on February 10, 2026, online through RealAuction." The Treasurer's Tax Certificate Process states: "The tax certificate auction must take place during the month of February." For the 2026 sale, RealAuction opened for registration and bidding on January 20, 2026 (1:00 PM MT), and batches closed on February 10, 2026 between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM MT at 60-minute intervals.
- Next expected
- in February, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register on the RealAuction site at coconino.arizonataxsale.com by creating a username and password. For 2026 the site opened for registration and bidding on January 20, 2026 (1:00 PM MT), and a deposit of 10 percent of anticipated winnings was due by February 10, 2026 (4:00 PM MT). Coconino applies a Single Simultaneous Bidding Entity Rule, so each bidder may register only once and cannot have a related bidder in the sale. Bidding is a proxy auction with the interest rate bid down from the 16 percent statutory maximum to the lowest rate; payment for winning certificates is by ACH only, due February 11, 2026 for the 2026 sale. Registration stays open all year for over-the-counter purchases.
Interest ranges from 0 to 16 percent and is bid down to the lowest rate; the winner receives a Certificate of Purchase. Unsold certificates are struck to the state at 16 percent and become available over the counter. The delinquent parcel list was advertised in the Arizona Daily Sun on January 20, 2026 for the February 10, 2026 sale, and the Treasurer publishes a monthly over-the-counter list on the Tax Liens page. Over-the-counter purchases, endorsement payments, and lien research run through the Treasurer's separate GovPros portal at pay.govpros.us/az/coconino/treasurer. Statutory basis is A.R.S. Title 42, Chapter 18; the sale is offered under A.R.S. 42-18109. This is a tax-lien certificate sale only, as Arizona counties hold no tax-deed auction.
Register on RealAuctionFrom lien to deed
Arizona holds no county tax deed auction. A certificate holder who is not redeemed can foreclose the right to redeem in court, starting three years after the sale, to obtain a treasurer's deed.
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.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Coconino County
- Treasurer's Office is led by Sarah Benatar, Coconino County Treasurer and Ex-Officio Tax Collector. Additional contacts: email [email protected], toll free 877-500-1818, fax 928-213-9243, hours Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- Direct list links from the Tax Liens page: over-the-counter list at coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/43 (updated monthly; the July 2026 list was current at research time) and the advertised sale property list at coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/70663.
- Provenance caveat: the county-published legal-notice PDF that was fetchable (azdailysun.com/app/tax/thistax.pdf) is the 2018 edition; it corroborates the RealAuction platform, February timing, 10 percent deposit, and A.R.S. 42-18109 but should not be cited for current-year dates. Current-year facts come from the county Tax Liens page, the Treasurer page, and the 2026 RealAuction bidding rules. Both the 2018 (February 13) and 2026 (February 10) sales fell on the second Tuesday of February.
Arizona statewide rules
- 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.
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 Coconino County, Arizona sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Coconino County follows Arizona's tax lien state system.
When is the Coconino County tax certificate sale?
- Held annually in February. The county Tax Liens page states: "The 2026 Tax Lien Sale was held on February 10, 2026, online through RealAuction." The Treasurer's Tax Certificate Process states: "The tax certificate auction must take place during the month of February." For the 2026 sale, RealAuction opened for registration and bidding on January 20, 2026 (1:00 PM MT), and batches closed on February 10, 2026 between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM MT at 60-minute intervals.. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
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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