Hillsborough County, FL tax sales
Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Hillsborough County Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Online sale beginning on or before June 1 each year; the 2026 sale opened May 1 with a 30-day bidding window
- Next expected
- on or about June 1, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register as a bidder on LienHub before the sale. Bidding opens at 18 percent (the maximum rate) and bids down in decrements of one quarter of one percent, with each certificate going to the lowest interest rate offered.
Bids are transmitted through the HCTC Tax Lien site on LienHub.
Register on LienHub (Grant Street Group)Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller - Tax Deeds Department
- Frequency
- Online on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.
Registration and deposit
Post a nonrefundable deposit of the greater of 5 percent of the bid or $200 before bidding on a parcel. Register and fund the deposit through the RealAuction site.
Parcels receiving no bid are placed on the Lands Available List, viewable through the Clerk's Public Access View application.
Register on RealAuction (RealTaxDeed)Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
County-held certificates can be purchased from the Tax Collector through LienHub after the sale. Parcels unsold at a tax deed auction move to the Clerk's Lands Available List.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Notes for Hillsborough County
- Hillsborough follows the standard Florida split: the Tax Collector runs the annual certificate (lien) sale on LienHub, and the Clerk of Court runs the tax deed auctions on RealAuction.
- Tax deed sales are held online on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. at hillsborough.realtaxdeed.com.
- Unsold parcels appear on the Clerk's Lands Available List through the Public Access View application.
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 Hillsborough County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County tax certificate sale?
- Online sale beginning on or before June 1 each year; the 2026 sale opened May 1 with a 30-day bidding window. 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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