Franklin County, FL tax sales
Franklin 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 Franklin County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Franklin 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 on the taxcertsale.com auction site before the sale. Delinquent taxes are advertised in the local newspaper for three consecutive weeks in May. Bidding starts at 18 percent and is bid down to the lowest bidder.
Most Florida counties run the certificate sale online. Confirm the exact platform and list on the county Tax Collector page.
Register on VisualGov (taxcertsale.com)Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Franklin County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
- Frequency
- As scheduled, generally the first Monday of the month at 11:00 a.m.
Registration and deposit
Sales are held in person in the front hallway facing Highway 98 of the Main Courthouse at 33 Market Street, Apalachicola. The winning bidder pays the bid amount plus recording fees and documentary stamps of $0.70 per $100 of the bid, settled at the Clerk's office right after the sale.
Sales are advertised in The Apalachicola Times for four consecutive weeks. If the first Monday is a holiday, the date shifts.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
County-held certificates are available from the Tax Collector after the annual sale. Parcels not sold at a tax deed sale move to the Clerk's List of Lands Available for Taxes.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Amy B. Cook
Clerk of the Circuit Court (runs the deed sale)
Notes for Franklin County
- Franklin County uses VisualGov (taxcertsale.com) for the annual tax certificate sale rather than LienHub.
- Tax deed sales are held in person, generally the first Monday of the month at 11:00 a.m. in the Main Courthouse hallway facing Highway 98 in Apalachicola.
- Pending sales are advertised in The Apalachicola Times for four consecutive weeks and listed on the Clerk's website.
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 Franklin County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Franklin 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 Franklin 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.
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