Tuolumne County, CA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Tuolumne County, seat of Sonora: 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 Tuolumne County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Tuolumne County Treasurer & Tax Collector's Office
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Spring, with a follow-up re-offer in June. The county Tax Sales page states "The 2026 Tax Defaulted Auction is scheduled for May 8 - May 11, 2026." and, under "2026 Tax Auction Information," lists "WHEN: June 12-15, 2026" and "WHERE: Bid4Assets.com". The Bid4Assets storefront for that June event is titled a Tax Defaulted Properties Re-offer Auction and shows it starting June 12, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET (8:00 AM PT) and ending June 15, 2026, with closing times that vary by parcel. Confirm the current year's dates on the county Tax Sales page before planning around them.
Registration and deposit
Bidding is online through Bid4Assets. Create a free Bid4Assets account, then post the deposit the county requires. For the June 2026 re-offer the storefront states: "A single $2,000 deposit (plus a $35 non-refundable processing fee) is required to participate in the County of Tuolumne Tax Sale," and that "for Tuolumne County, all prospective bidders MUST fill out their vesting information before they are allowed to access the deposit instructions." That deposit had to reach Bid4Assets no later than 4:00 PM ET (1:00 PM PT) on Monday, June 8, 2026, four days before bidding opened. Deposits from non-winning bidders are refunded by eCheck within 10 business days after the auction closes. The settlement deadline for that sale was June 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET (1:00 PM PT). The county also links Bid4Assets' "How to Participate in County Tax Sales" guide and the State Controller's bidder information page.
California deed state: Tuolumne sells the property itself, not a lien, and the Treasurer & Tax Collector runs the auction online on Bid4Assets. There is no in-person bidding component advertised on the county page. The county cites Revenue and Taxation Code 3691 and explains that property with unpaid current or prior year taxes as of July 1 is declared tax defaulted, and that parcels still unpaid after five years may be sold at a tax auction; the owner can stop the sale by paying in full before June 30 of the fifth year or by starting an installment plan before the sixth year of delinquency. The county states the sale's purpose is to return tax defaulted property to the tax rolls, either by selling it or by forcing redemption. Buyer beware language is explicit: all parcels are sold as is, no warranty of any kind, no guarantee of access or building permits, the county assumes no liability for other liens, encumbrances or easements whether recorded or not, and ALL SALES ARE FINAL with no refund for inadequate research. The June 2026 event was a re-offer of 4 properties with bids starting as low as $500 and no reserve, which is a useful signal that unsold May parcels come back at a lower minimum. The Tax Sales page also hosts excess proceeds claim forms and estimated proceeds sheets for the 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026 sales. One caveat on dates: the page header (May 8 to May 11, 2026) and the "2026 Tax Auction Information" block (June 12-15, 2026) disagree, because the first is the main auction and the second is the re-offer, so verify against the Bid4Assets storefront.
Register on Bid4AssetsCounty offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Tuolumne County Treasurer & Tax Collector's Office
Physical address: 2 S. Green St., Sonora, CA 95370. Mailing address: P.O. Box 3248, Sonora, CA 95370.
Official websiteNotes for Tuolumne County
- Tuolumne County runs its tax defaulted property auction entirely online on Bid4Assets. The county's own short link, bid4assets.com/Tuolumne, forwards to the current storefront.
- The county publishes the parcel list as a PDF on the Tax Sales page (the 2026 file is titled "2026 Webpage Defaulted List"), alongside estimated excess proceeds sheets for past sales and an excess proceeds claim form.
- Deposit mechanics are county-specific: a single flat $2,000 deposit plus a $35 non-refundable processing fee covers participation in the whole sale, and bidders must submit vesting information before Bid4Assets releases deposit instructions.
- Unsold parcels come back. The June 12-15, 2026 event was a re-offer of 4 properties with no reserve and opening bids as low as $500, following the main May 2026 auction.
- Justin Birtwhistle is the Treasurer/Tax Collector. The office is open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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 Tuolumne County, California sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Tuolumne County follows California's tax deed state system.
How often does Tuolumne 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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