Kern County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Kern County, seat of Bakersfield: 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 Kern County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Kern County Treasurer and Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The county tax sale page currently states "Sale scheduled for September 14-16, 2026" and that "Property will be listed approximately 30 days prior to the start of the sale." The county's Tax Defaulted Land Sales brochure (rev. 08/2018) answers "When are your tax sales?" with "Usually in March of each year. The tax sale list is advertised on the Internet approximately 30 days prior to the auction date." The month is not fixed, so treat the date posted on the KCTTC tax sale page as authoritative.
Registration and deposit
Online registration through GovEase is required. The county tax sale page states "Prospective purchasers will be asked to register via the Internet. Each registered bidder will receive a unique user ID, which the bidder must have in order to participate. All parcels will be sold by item number and in the order listed." The brochure instructs bidders to "Contact GovEase at https://govease.com, or call GovEase Client Services at 1-769-208-5050," and states "Only bidders registered through GovEase can bid" and "A $5,000 deposit is required to bid." Bidders without a computer can call GovEase Client Services to have a tax sale list, due diligence material, bidder registration form and an off-line bid form mailed; proxy bidding is available.
Kern runs a tax DEED sale, conducted entirely online through GovEase rather than in person. The brochure is explicit: "Where does the Kern County Treasurer-Tax Collector's sale take place? On the Internet at https://govease.com. Bidders must register in order to participate." It also states "The Kern County Treasurer and Tax Collector does NOT sell tax lien certificates" and, on off-auction purchases, "Can I buy property from the Treasurer-Tax Collector other than at a public sale? No. We only sell property at public sale." The KCTTC homepage links its "Tax Sales" navigation item straight to a GovEase public portal registration page for the current auction. Per the brochure, the published list includes the auction identification number, the Assessor's parcel number, tax rate area, legal description, last known owner and minimum bid, with street addresses and zoning classifications included only if available.
Register on GovEaseCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Kern County
- Deed sale only. The county brochure states "The Kern County Treasurer and Tax Collector does NOT sell tax lien certificates," and properties "that remain tax-defaulted for five years or more can be offered for purchase at a 'tax-defaulted land sale' (auction), in accordance with the California Revenue and Taxation Code."
- A $5,000 deposit is required to bid, and only bidders registered through GovEase can bid.
- Bid increments: the county tax sale page states "each raise will be in increments of at least $100 until sold."
- Redemption cutoff: "Owners of tax-defaulted properties have the right of redemption until 5:00 pm the business day prior to the sale."
- Payment: "Certified funds (cash, cashier's check, postal money order, or wire payment) within a specified time after the auction." A California documentary transfer tax is added to and collected with the full purchase price at $.55 per $500 or fractional part, if the price exceeds $100.
- Deed delivery: "After we receive your payment and the deed information stating how you would like the property conveyed to you, the deed will be recorded within 60 days of the sale."
- Title risk: "ALL PROPERTIES ARE SOLD AS IS." Kern makes no guarantee as to title, location or condition. Most title companies will not insure title for at least one year after the deed is recorded, and any legal challenge to the sale must be commenced within one year of the tax deed recording date.
- Encumbrances: the county does not maintain a list of surviving encumbrances and directs bidders to R&T Code Section 3712. Special assessments, some bonds, and IRS liens (redeemable by the IRS up to 120 days after the sale) can survive.
- Bidder support and mailed packets: GovEase Client Services, 1-769-208-5050 (number published in the county brochure).
- Office email published in the brochure: [email protected]. Fax: (661) 868-3409. The current Treasurer-Tax Collector named on the brochure is Jordan Kaufman; verify the officeholder before publishing a name.
- Payments-only mailing address shown on the KCTTC homepage is P.O. Box 541004, Los Angeles, CA 90054-1004. The office street address for correspondence and in-person business is 1115 Truxtun Avenue, 2nd Floor, Bakersfield.
- Title research starting point named in the brochure: Kern County Recorder / Hall of Records, 1655 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301.
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 Kern County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Kern County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Kern 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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