Yavapai County, AZ tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Yavapai County, seat of Prescott: 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 Yavapai County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Yavapai County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Held online each February. The Treasurer's Tax Lien Sale page shows the 2026 auction closing February 10, 2026 and the next auction set for February 9, 2027, which falls on the second Tuesday of February.
- Next expected
- in February, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
You must be a registered bidder to buy liens. Create an account and bid online through RealAuction at yavapai.arizonataxsale.com. Bidders place a proxy bid on the interest rate, which starts at 16% and is bid down in 1% increments, with the certificate going to the lowest accepted rate. A non-refundable $10.00 processing fee applies per certificate, and deposits and purchases are made with the ACH Payment Wizard on the auction site.
Arizona is a tax-lien state, so the Yavapai County Treasurer sells certificates of purchase rather than deeds. Only parcels at least two years delinquent are offered. Liens that go unsold at the annual auction move into a year-round County-Held Tax Certificate Sale, available at 16% through the same RealAuction site. A certificate holder may pay later years' taxes to add them to the lien, and judicial foreclosure becomes available three years after the sale date. Governing statute is A.R.S. Title 42, Chapter 18, Articles 3, 4, and 5. Auction dates are from the Treasurer's Tax Lien Sale page; registration, bidding, list, and fee details are from the Treasurer's Investor Information sheet; the second-Tuesday timing pattern is from The Daily Courier.
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 Yavapai County
- Arizona has no county tax-deed auction. The Yavapai County Treasurer sells tax-lien certificates only. Parcels struck to the state for back taxes are handled separately through the Board of Supervisors' Tax Deed Sales page.
- Unsold liens are available year-round via the County-Held Tax Certificate Sale at 16% on the same RealAuction site (per the Treasurer's Investor Information sheet).
- Certificate holders may pay subsequent years' taxes to add them to the lien; there is a $5.00 per-parcel fee, payable after June 1 and due by December 31. Bidder and sub-tax amounts are at taxinquiry.yavapaiaz.gov (per the Investor Information sheet).
- The Treasurer also lists a Cottonwood office at 10 S 6th Street, Cottonwood, AZ 86326, (928) 639-8123; email [email protected].
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 Yavapai County, Arizona sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Yavapai County follows Arizona's tax lien state system.
When is the Yavapai County tax certificate sale?
- Held online each February. The Treasurer's Tax Lien Sale page shows the 2026 auction closing February 10, 2026 and the next auction set for February 9, 2027, which falls on the second Tuesday of February.. 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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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.