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Tax Sale Atlas

Maricopa County, AZ tax sales

How tax lien sales work in Maricopa County, seat of Phoenix: 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 each February.
Format
RealAuction
Registration
Open to anyone.
County office
(602) 506-8511
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 13, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Maricopa 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
Maricopa County Treasurer's Office
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
Held each February.
Registration
Open to anyone.
Next expected
in February, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Lien and Delinquent Parcels map
When it runs
Held each February. The Maricopa County Treasurer's 2026 property tax calendar lists February 10 as the "RealAuction Internet Back Tax Lien Sale for 2024 taxes." RealAuction opens for registration and list review for a few weeks ahead of the sale and is offline outside the sale season, so confirm the current year's date on the platform.
Registration and deposit

Open to anyone. Register online with RealAuction to receive a bidder number (allow 24 to 48 hours for it to reach the Treasurer's Office), then enroll in the Treasurer's Tax Lien Web to view your portfolio and profile. RealAuction handles registration support at (954) 734-7401 or (877) 361-7325; the Treasurer's Office handles other questions at (602) 506-8511.

Sale format and venue
Arizona is a tax-lien state, so Maricopa County sells tax-lien certificates of purchase online through RealAuction; there is no county tax-deed auction. Bidders bid the annual interest rate down from the 16% statutory maximum, and the winner receives a certificate of purchase under A.R.S. Title 42, Chapter 18. A purchaser may begin a judicial foreclosure three years after the sale date; an unredeemed, unforeclosed lien expires ten years after the sale date. Sale fees include a $5 or 5% advertising charge (A.R.S. 42-18107) plus a $10 non-refundable fee (A.R.S. 42-18118). The tax sale advertising list is published on the RealAuction site and in the Arizona Business Gazette, and can also be ordered from the Treasurer with a Research Materials Buyer Guide form and a $25 payment. Assignment (subtax) purchasing of state-held liens is handled separately by the Treasurer.
Register on RealAuction
Source: Maricopa County Treasurer - Tax Lien Web (registration and sale process)· Verified Jul 13, 2026

Maricopa County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Maricopa 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 Lien and Delinquent Parcels map for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Open to anyone. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Held each February. 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 Maricopa County Treasurer's Office as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Maricopa County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Lien and Delinquent Parcels map. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Open to anyone. Register online with RealAuction to receive a bidder number (allow 24 to 48 hours for it to reach the Treasurer's Office), then enroll in the Treasurer's Tax Lien Web to view your portfolio and profile. RealAuction handles registration support at (954) 734-7401 or (877) 361-7325; the Treasurer's Office handles other questions at (602) 506-8511.

  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)

Maricopa County Treasurer's Office

(602) 506-8511

301 W. Jefferson St., Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85003

Official website

County notes

  • Maricopa County (county seat Phoenix) runs its annual tax-lien certificate sale entirely online through RealAuction at maricopa.arizonataxsale.com.
  • The 2026 sale was listed for February 10 on the Treasurer's property tax calendar as the RealAuction Internet Back Tax Lien Sale for 2024 taxes; verify the current year's date and deadlines on RealAuction, which is offline outside the sale season.
  • Certificates of purchase (not deeds) are sold; bidders bid the interest rate down from the 16% statutory maximum, and judicial foreclosure becomes available three years after the sale.
  • The tax sale advertising list is published on RealAuction and in the Arizona Business Gazette; the Treasurer also publishes an official Lien and Delinquent Parcels map.

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 Maricopa 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 Maricopa County tax certificate sale?

Held each February. The Maricopa County Treasurer's 2026 property tax calendar lists February 10 as the "RealAuction Internet Back Tax Lien Sale for 2024 taxes." RealAuction opens for registration and list review for a few weeks ahead of the sale and is offline outside the sale season, so confirm the current year's date on the platform. 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 Maricopa County Treasurer's Office 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 Maricopa County tax sale list?

Maricopa County posts its tax sale list at experience.arcgis.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.

More Arizona counties

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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 Maricopa County Treasurer's OfficeOpen auction