Prairie County, AR tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Prairie County runs no tax sale of its own. The Collector bills and collects the taxes and certifies unpaid parcels to the Commissioner of State Lands, whose Public Auction Catalog is the only sale list to watch.
• •Prairie County parcels are not auctioned inside the county. The 2026 sale ran at the Lonoke Community Center in Lonoke alongside Lonoke and Arkansas county parcels, so check the host city in the catalog as carefully as the date, because the regional grouping can change from year to year.
• •All 21 Prairie County parcels offered on July 14, 2026 sold, at prices from $381.90 to $6,500, and none carried over to the online post-auction sale. One buyer took 15 of the 21, so expect a thin field of repeat bidders rather than a crowd.
• •The county has two courthouse districts, Des Arc in the north and DeValls Bluff in the south. The Collector's office is at 200 Courthouse Square, Suite 101, Des Arc, AR 72040, listed at (870) 256-4137; the county's online tax payment page lists (870) 256-4764 for the same office, so try both if one goes unanswered. Take questions about unpaid taxes and certification to the Collector, and questions about the auction, the catalog or a deed to the Commissioner of State Lands at 501-324-9422 or [email protected].
• •Prairie County keeps no sale calendar or delinquent list of its own online. A parcel becomes visible to buyers once the Collector certifies it, through the Commissioner of State Lands parcel search and then the Public Auction Catalog, where each parcel number links to free DataScoutPro property records and mapping.
• •Owners may still redeem in cash at the Commissioner of State Lands office, 7003 Valley Ranch Drive, Little Rock, AR 72223, up to 4 p.m. the last business day before the sale date. The money must be in hand by then; postmarks do not count.
• •The Commissioner of State Lands publishes per-county tax turnback, deed and recording fee reports for Prairie County, which are worth a look for a sense of how much delinquent land moves through the county each year.

Arkansas rules

Redemption

The clock is long even though the deadline is hard. The county collector holds the delinquent land for one year after the October 15 delinquency date, certification to the Commissioner of State Lands follows no later than July 1 of the next year, and the sale date must be no earlier than one year after certification, so an owner normally has more than two years from the missed payment. What the owner does not get is any post-sale window. The Commissioner's office states that, effective July 1, 2023, parcels sold through its office cannot be redeemed and all sales are final, at live auctions and through the online unsold-property auction alike. Payment has to be received by the 4:00 p.m. deadline; postmarks are not accepted. A quoted redemption figure holds for 30 days unless the parcel sells, the county amends its records, or further costs accrue.Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-302, the redemption and purchase figure: all delinquent taxes plus 10 percent simple interest per year of delinquency, a 10 percent penalty per year of delinquency, and county and Commissioner costs, accruing from October 16Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-302Verified Aug 18, 2026

Deed deposit

There is no statutory bidder deposit at the live auction and no registration fee. Registration opens one hour before the sale at the sale site against a photo ID and a driver's license number, and the successful bidder tenders the full purchase price at the time of the sale. The online unsold-property auction works differently: registration requires identity verification and a card on file, and the winning bidder's card is charged $100 in earnest money immediately on notification.Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-202, in-person auction held in the county where the parcel sits, online unsold-property auction for parcels that draw no qualifying bid, negotiated-price sale after two years, and redemption cut off at 4:00 p.m. CST the last business day before the saleArk. Code Ann. 26-37-202Verified Aug 18, 2026

Surplus proceeds

Money above the taxes, fees, penalties, interest and costs due at the time of sale is excess proceeds. Within one year of receipt the Commissioner pays penalties, collection fees and sale costs to his own office and the delinquent taxes, interest and costs to the county. The remainder is held for one year from the date of the limited warranty deed, then applied on application to delinquent personal property taxes, state tax certificates of indebtedness and delinquent solid waste assessments. Of whatever is left, 10 percent up to a maximum of $500 goes to the Commissioner for administering the distribution and the rest is payable to the former owner on a complete claim packet. Excess proceeds are held two years and then escheat by operation of law to the county. A former owner, part owner or interested party who buys the parcel at the tax sale is not entitled to any distribution, and a third-party recovery agent's fee may not exceed 10 percent.Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-205, order of distribution of sale money, the 10 percent capped at $500 administration retention, the former owner's claim to the remainder and the two-year escrow before escheatArk. Code Ann. 26-37-205Verified Aug 18, 2026

Governing statute

Ark. Code Ann. Title 26, Chapter 37Ark. Code Ann. 26-37-101, land unpaid one year after the October 15 due date is forfeited to the state and certified to the Commissioner of State Lands; tax-delinquent lands shall not be sold at the county levelArk. Code Ann. 26-37-101Verified Aug 18, 2026

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.

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