Amador County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Amador County, seat of Jackson: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 27, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how California tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Amador County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Amador County Treasurer-Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Once a year, in March. The county's Tax Sale Information page states that "The Amador County Tax Collector's Office typically holds one tax sale annually" and that "Public auctions are conducted pursuant to Section 3691, et seq., California Revenue and Taxation Code." The county's own Authorization and Report of Sales filings show four consecutive March sales: "offered for sale at public auction on March 13-15, 2023", "March 11-13, 2024", "March 10-12, 2025", and "March 9-11, 2026". The Bid4Assets storefront for the most recent sale lists Starts March 9, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET (1:00 PM PT) and Ends March 11, 2026, with closing times varying by parcel. As of this check the county's Tax-Defaulted Property Auction page reads: "At this time, there are no tax-defaulted property auctions currently scheduled. Any future auction dates will be announced publicly once they are confirmed."
Registration and deposit
Online only, through Bid4Assets. Bidders must create a free Bid4Assets account, which the storefront says "is required to participate in any county tax sale." A single $2,500 deposit plus a $35 non-refundable processing fee covers every parcel in the sale, and it must reach Bid4Assets by the posted deposit deadline (4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT on March 2, 2026 for the March 2026 sale, one week before bidding opened). Only certified check, money order, or wire transfer are accepted; ACH, direct deposit, credit card, and money transfers are rejected. Deposits from non-winning bidders are refunded by eCheck within 10 business days after the auction closes. The settlement deadline for the March 2026 sale was March 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET (1:00 PM PT).
Amador runs a multi-day online tax deed auction on Bid4Assets, not an in-person courthouse sale. The March 2026 sale offered 15 parcels with bids starting as low as $1,850.00 and was posted as all no-reserve. Sales are authorized in advance by the Board of Supervisors; the 2026 sale ran under Resolution No. 25-128 dated 10/07/2025, and prior years followed the same pattern of a fall resolution followed by a March auction. Parcels become eligible after taxes have gone unpaid for at least five years. The county does not host the parcel list itself; the searchable parcel list, minimum bids, County Terms of Sale, and a downloadable property list spreadsheet all live on the Bid4Assets storefront, while the statutory Notice of Public Auction and Property Tax Default (Delinquent) List are published in the Amador Ledger Dispatch and indexed on the county's Publication Notices page. That index shows the Notice of Public Auction runs in late January or early February, ahead of the March sale (01/31/2025 and 2/9/2026 most recently). Bid4Assets directs buyer questions on parcels to the Amador County Treasurer-Tax Collector at [email protected].
Register on Bid4AssetsCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Amador County
- Office hours listed on the county site are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, excluding county holidays. Fax is (209) 223-6251.
- Mailed payments go to Amador County Tax Collector, 810 Court Street, Jackson, CA 95642-2132. A payment drop box sits on the outside wall of the alcove to the left of the main entrance to the County Administration Center.
- The county posts an Authorization and Report of Sales PDF after every auction, back to 2010, showing each parcel's minimum bid, sale price, redemption amount, excess proceeds, and grantee. That file is the fastest way to gauge historical clearing prices in Amador.
- Sale outcomes in the 2026 report include REDEEMED and WITHDRAWN parcels, so the published parcel count shrinks between the notice and the auction close.
- amadorgov.org redirects to amadorcounty.gov with a 301; both the Bid4Assets storefront and older county notices still cite the amadorgov.org form.
- The county web server blocks plain HTTP clients with a 403, so these pages were read in a real browser.
California statewide rules
- Redemption
- Tax-defaulted property may be redeemed until the right of redemption is terminated (section 4101). That right terminates at the close of business on the last business day prior to the commencement date of the tax sale, and the start of the auction counts as the sale date no matter when bidding closes. A redemption payment sent by mail must be received in the tax collector's office before that deadline. California has no post-sale redemption period: once the auction opens, a record owner who has not redeemed loses all legal and equitable interest in the property. Two situations revive the right of redemption. The right revives if the property is not sold, and it revives on the next business day if the tax collector approved a credit sale and the buyer did not pay in full by the deadline the tax collector set.
- Deed deposit
- The tax collector may require a deposit and must give public notice before the sale of its amount, payment method, and due date, and of whether it is a condition of bidding or applies toward the purchase price. On a sale the tax collector approves as a deferred-payment transaction, the deposit may be $5,000 or 10 percent of the minimum bid price, whichever is greater. Counties set the specific figure, so confirm it on the county page or auction platform.
- Surplus proceeds
- Sale proceeds first cover statutory distributions, then taxes, assessments, and county costs. Anything left is excess proceeds held in the delinquent tax sale trust fund. A party of interest may file a claim at any time before one year after the tax collector's deed to the purchaser is recorded. Distribution runs first to lienholders of record before the tax deed was recorded, in order of their priority, then to persons with title of record. Excess proceeds not claimed within that year may be transferred to the county general fund.
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 Amador County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Amador County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Amador County hold tax deed sales?
- annual. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.
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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