Santa Clara County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Santa Clara County, seat of San Jose: 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 Santa Clara County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Department of Tax and Collections, County of Santa Clara
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- No fixed annual month. The county auction page states: "Santa Clara County held a property auction from May 16th to May 19th, 2025." The signed notice sets the window as "beginning on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. (PST) and ending on Monday, May 19, 2025, at 1p.m. (PST)." Sales here are irregular rather than yearly: the same page lists prior results for January 2020, October 2019, October 2017, October 2015, and January 2015. Check the county auction page for the next sale.
Registration and deposit
Pre-registration is required. The 2025 notice states bidders "Register online at Bid4Assets.com by May 12, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. (ET)" and that "At the time of registration, bidders must submit a refundable deposit of $5,000 electronically at Bid4Assets.com." The deposit is applied to the winning bidder's purchase price. Full payment plus deed information showing how title should be vested is due within 48 hours after the sale ends, and only wire transfers and certified checks or money orders are accepted.
Internet-only sale. The notice states "Only bids submitted via the Internet will be accepted," so there is no in-person bidding. The 2025 sale offered 116 parcels, with minimum bids from $1,600 to $396,600. Properties sell as is and the winning bidder is legally obligated to complete the purchase; transfer taxes are added to and collected with the purchase price. The right of redemption ceased at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2025, the last business day before the sale, and revives on any parcel that does not sell. Unsold parcels may be reoffered within a 90-day period under Revenue and Taxation Code section 3701. The department does not maintain a mailing list for tax sale notifications; questions go to [email protected] with about 3 business days for a reply. The 2025 sale was approved by a Board of Supervisors resolution dated February 25, 2025, and published in the San Jose Post Record on April 11, 18, and 25, 2025.
Register on Bid4AssetsCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Santa Clara County
- Santa Clara County runs its tax-defaulted property sale as an internet auction on Bid4Assets, not in person, and not on a yearly cycle. Auctions on record ran in January 2015, October 2015, October 2017, October 2019, January 2020, and May 2025.
- As of July 25, 2026 the county auction page shows only the May 2025 results and no announced next sale, so investors should watch the page for a new notice.
- The Director of the Department of Tax and Collections signs the auction notice; Sylvia Jefferson signed the 2025 notice.
- Register and post the $5,000 refundable deposit on Bid4Assets before the stated cutoff. Full payment is due within 48 hours of the sale close by wire transfer or certified check or money order.
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 Santa Clara County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Santa Clara County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Santa Clara 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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