Disclaimer

A legal, public process

First, the reassuring part: buying a tax lien certificate or bidding at a tax deed sale is a legal, public, statutory process, run by county government offices and open to the public. You are not doing anything shady by taking part; you are participating in the same process the county uses to collect delinquent taxes. The risks below are financial, not legal.

Not legal, financial, or investment advice

Tax Sale Atlas provides general, educational information about how public tax lien and tax deed sales work. Nothing on this site is legal advice, financial advice, tax advice, or investment advice, and using this site does not create any professional or advisory relationship. We are not attorneys, financial advisors, or your fiduciary.

Tax sale investing carries real risk

Tax lien and tax deed investing can result in the loss of some or all of the money you commit. Capital can be tied up for years, the property behind a lien can be worthless, and a tax deed does not convey clean, insurable title. Past results, statutory maximum interest rates, and example returns are not promises of what you will earn. Anyone guaranteeing a specific return should be treated with skepticism.

Verify before you act

We compile information from official government sources and state statutes, and we show a source and a verification date for the legal and logistical facts on our county and state pages. Even so, rules, dates, fees, platforms, and contacts change, and errors are possible. Before you register for a sale, place a bid, or commit money, confirm the current process directly with the county office and consider consulting a licensed attorney, accountant, or financial professional in the relevant state.

No outcome is guaranteed

We do not guarantee that any information here is complete, current, or error-free, and we are not responsible for decisions made in reliance on it. You are solely responsible for your own due diligence and investment decisions.

See also our terms of use, privacy policy, and affiliate disclosure.