Butte County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Butte County, seat of Oroville: 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 Butte County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Butte County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The main annual tax-defaulted land sale runs in June, with a reoffer sale following in August or September. The county page states the current sale is "conducted on the Internet at www.bid4assets.com beginning on Friday, August 7, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PDT) and ending on Monday, August 10, 2026, by 1:00 p.m. (PDT)." The prior sale ran June 5-8, 2026. The archive of previous auctions lists June sales in 2026, 2024, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008 and 2006, plus September reoffer sales in 2024, 2021, 2018 and 2017. The FAQ adds that "A reoffer auction may also be scheduled within 90 days of an annual tax sale" and that "Approximately three months prior to a tax auction, a list of eligible properties will be posted to the Treasurer-Tax Collector's website."
Registration and deposit
Bid4Assets handles all bidder registration. Create a free Bid4Assets account, then submit a single $5,000 deposit plus a $35 non-refundable processing fee to bid on any parcel in the sale. Butte County also requires prospective bidders to complete vesting information before the deposit instructions unlock. Deposits must arrive by the posted deadline (August 3, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. PT for the August 2026 reoffer sale) and must be certified check, money order or wire transfer; ACH, direct deposit, credit card and money transfers are rejected. The county FAQ states "Details and instructions will be provided by Bid4Assets in mid-May." Non-winning deposits are refunded by eCheck within 10 business days after the auction closes.
California is a deed state and Butte County sells the deed, not a certificate. The FAQ is explicit: "No California county sells tax lien certificates at this time." The sale is online only; the county states "Only bids submitted via the Internet will be accepted." There is no in-person bidding. Winning bidders owe a 2.5% buyer's premium with a $100 minimum (as posted for the August 2026 reoffer sale), a $35 per-parcel-won administrative fee, and California documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of purchase price. The county FAQ says successful bidders "must pay by cashier's check, wire transfer or electronic funds transfer within three business days after the sale closes"; the Bid4Assets storefront set the August 2026 settlement deadline at 1:00 p.m. PT on August 13, 2026. Redemption ends at 5 p.m. on the last business day before the sale, and the FAQ notes "There is no extended right of redemption in the State of California." Minimum bid is set at no less than the redemption amount plus costs and may be lowered at the Tax Collector's discretion if a parcel does not sell. Properties are sold as is with no guarantee of title, location or condition. Sales are advertised in the Chico Enterprise Record and Oroville Mercury Register three times at successive seven-day intervals. IRS liens may survive with a 120-day federal redemption right, and challenges to the sale must be filed within one year of the tax deed recording (R&T Code 3725).
Register on Bid4AssetsCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Butte County
- County seat is Oroville; the Treasurer-Tax Collector sits on the bottom floor of the county administration building at 25 County Center Drive, Suite 125.
- Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Other Treasurer-Tax Collector division lines: Central Collections 530-552-3710, Treasury 530-552-3730.
- Butte County has used Bid4Assets for several consecutive tax auctions, and the Property Taxes page links Bid4Assets as "the host for the 2026 Butte County property tax auction."
- The August 2026 reoffer sale offered 105 parcels with bids starting as low as $1,588.00 and was posted as all no-reserve.
- Parcel-list PDFs are posted per sale on the Property Tax Auctions page; the August 2026 list is at https://www.buttecounty.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19355/reoffer-website-list-07062026 and will be replaced each cycle.
- Excess proceeds from each sale are distributed under R&T Code 4675, and the county posts an excess-proceeds claim form after each sale with a warning that there is no fee to apply directly.
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 Butte County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Butte County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Butte 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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