Tulare County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Tulare County, seat of Visalia: 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 Tulare County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Tulare County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, Office of the Treasurer/Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual internet auction, normally in early March, with a May re-offer for unsold parcels. The FAQ states: "We will conduct an internet auction once every year, usually in early March, in consignment with Govease. We will sometimes have a re-offer auction in May if there are parcels that did not sell at the first auction." The most recent posted sale ran on "Date: March 3, 2026 Time: 10:00 AM Place: www.GovEase.com", and the county page adds "If a parcel does not sell, it will be re-offered on May 19, 2026."
Registration and deposit
Pre-registration is required at www.GovEase.com. The Terms and Conditions state: "Bidders must submit a refundable deposit of $5,000.00 in guaranteed funds, (wire transfer, certified check/cashier's check, or money order). The deposit will be applied to the successful bidder's purchase price. Full deed information indicating how title should be vested is required during the registration process." The FAQ repeats the refundable $5,000 deposit before bidding under R&T Code 3693(d)(4) and notes the deposit is forfeited if the winning bidder fails to pay under 3693.1. Payment must be guaranteed funds, and no county Tax Collector employee may bid.
Online only. Bidding runs on GovEase; the county states "Only bids submitted to the internet will be accepted" and each auction item lasts two minutes, so bidders should check the specific ending time on each item. Parcels reach the sale under R&T Code 3691 after tax default of more than five years (or an unpaid nuisance abatement lien over three years), and the Board of Supervisors authorized the 2026 sale by Resolution No. 2025-1040. The right of redemption ceased at 5:00 P.M. on Monday, March 2, 2026 for the March sale and at 5:00 P.M. on Monday, May 18, 2026 for the re-offer, with no redemption period after a sale. Unsold parcels may be re-offered at a lower minimum bid, re-offered within 90 days, or held to the next annual auction; the FAQ is explicit that "Under no circumstances is a property sold over the counter." A California documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 or fraction is added to the purchase price. Notice of sale is published three times at seven-day intervals within the 45 days before the auction in the Sun-Gazette, and the parcel list is posted free on the county Tax Auction page (the 2026 minimum bid worksheet is dated 2/17/2026). Bidders consent to rescission under R&T Code 3731 if the county later determines a parcel should not have been sold.
Register on GovEaseCounty offices
Notes for Tulare County
- Tulare County combines the offices into one elected Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector. The auction notice is issued under the header "County of Tulare, Office of the Treasurer/Tax Collector" and the contact block on the Tax Auction page reads "Tulare County Tax Collector".
- The county keeps a year-by-year auction archive at the Tax Auction page (2012 through 2026 posted), so each year's minimum bid list, terms and conditions, FAQs, results, and excess proceeds documents stay reachable from one URL.
- The 2026 Tax Auction page carried an "Updated: January 6, 2026" stamp and listed the March 3, 2026 sale plus the May 19, 2026 re-offer. Confirm the next auction date on the Tax Auction page before relying on this timing.
- Bidder email contact for the Tax Collector is [email protected], listed with the phone and office address on the Tax Auction page.
- Excess proceeds from parcels sold above the minimum bid are handled under R&T Code 4675, and the county posts an excess proceeds page for each auction year.
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 Tulare County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Tulare County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Tulare 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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