Highlands County, FL tax sales
Highlands 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 Highlands County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Highlands County Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- On or before June 1 annually; sale information posts around the first week of May
- 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 RealAuction before the sale. Bidding is a reverse auction on the interest rate, starting at 18 percent, and the certificate goes to the lowest bidder.
Highlands runs its certificate sale on RealTaxLien (RealAuction), not LienHub. County-held certificates carry 18 percent interest and are sold first-come, first-served.
Register on RealTaxLien (RealAuction)Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Highlands County Clerk of Courts
- Frequency
- As scheduled online, typically bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM
Registration and deposit
Register on RealAuction and fund the advance deposit before the sale. Under the standard Florida requirement the deposit is the greater of 5 percent of the bid or $200, with the balance due promptly after the sale.
Beginning January 2026 all tax deed sales moved online to highlands.realtaxdeed.com (RealAuction); they were previously held in person at the Highlands County Government Center in Sebring. Case files are posted at highlands.realtdm.com.
Register on RealTaxDeed (RealAuction)Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
County-held certificates can be bought from the Tax Collector through RealTaxLien on a first-come, first-served basis. Separately, parcels not sold at a tax deed sale go on the Clerk's Lands Available list.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Notes for Highlands County
- Highlands uses RealAuction for both sides: the Tax Collector runs the certificate sale on highlandsfl.realtaxlien.com and the Clerk runs tax deed auctions on highlands.realtaxdeed.com.
- Tax deed sales moved online in January 2026 after previously being held in person at the Government Center; they run bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM.
- Both the Tax Collector and the Clerk are on South Commerce Avenue in Sebring.
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 Highlands County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Highlands 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 Highlands County tax certificate sale?
- On or before June 1 annually; sale information posts around the first week of May. 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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