Bay County, FL tax sales
Bay County, Florida sells both tax lien certificates and tax deeds. The Tax Collector runs an annual certificate sale (18% maximum, bid down), and unredeemed certificates move to a Clerk of the Circuit Court tax deed auction after about two years, under Florida Statutes Chapter 197.
Verified Jul 4, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Florida tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Bay County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Bay County Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- On or before June 1 annually
- Next expected
- on or about June 1, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register and fund a deposit on LienHub before the sale. Bidding is a reverse auction on the interest rate starting at 18 percent, and the certificate goes to the bidder accepting the lowest rate. A redeemed certificate earns a minimum of 5 percent unless the winning bid was 0 percent.
County-held certificates that are not bought at the annual sale can be purchased on LienHub afterward.
Register on LienHubTax deed sale
- Run by
- Bay County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
- Frequency
- As scheduled online; see the Clerk's tax deed auction calendar
Registration and deposit
Online tax deed auctions require advance registration and advance placement of deposits; you cannot register to bid by mail. Under Florida law the successful bidder posts a nonrefundable deposit equal to the greater of 5 percent of the final bid or $200.
Most Bay County tax deed sales are conducted online on RealAuction (bay.realtaxdeed.com); the Clerk also maintains a searchable tax deed database at records2.baycoclerk.com.
Register on RealTaxDeed (RealAuction)Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
County-held certificates are sold by the Tax Collector on LienHub after the annual sale. Separately, parcels not sold at a tax deed sale move to the Clerk's Lands Available list.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Clerk of the Circuit Court (runs the deed sale)
Notes for Bay County
- Bay follows the standard Florida split: the Tax Collector runs the annual LienHub certificate sale, and the Clerk runs the online tax deed auctions on RealAuction (bay.realtaxdeed.com).
- The Tax Collector moved its certificate sale from the former BidBayCounty.com platform to LienHub by Grant Street Group.
- Tax deed bidding requires advance registration and deposits on RealAuction; there is no mail-in registration.
Florida statewide rules
- Redemption
- The owner (or anyone) can redeem a certificate at any time after it is issued and before a tax deed is issued. The two-year clock that lets a certificate holder apply for a tax deed runs from April 1 of the year the certificate was issued.
- Deed deposit
- The high bidder posts a nonrefundable deposit of 5 percent of the bid or $200, whichever is greater, at the time of the sale, applied to the final price.
- Homestead deeds
- If the property was assessed as homestead on the latest roll, the opening bid also adds one-half of its latest assessed value. This sharply raises the floor price on homestead parcels and suppresses investor demand for them.
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 Bay County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Bay County follows Florida's hybrid system. The Tax Collector sells tax-lien certificates each year, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court holds tax deed auctions on parcels whose certificates go unredeemed after about two years.
When is the Bay County tax certificate sale?
- On or before June 1 annually. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
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.
Explore all 67 Florida counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.