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Tax Sale Atlas

Lafayette County, FL tax sales

Lafayette County, Florida sells both tax lien certificates and tax deeds. The County Tax Collector runs the certificate sale on RealAuction (18% maximum, bid down), and the Clerk of the Circuit Court holds the tax deed sale on parcels whose certificates go unredeemed, from the county seat in Mayo, under F.S. Chapter 197.

New to tax sales? Read how Florida tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
On or before June 1 annually.
Format
In person
County office
(386) 294-1961
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 4, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Lafayette County sells delinquent taxes

Tax certificate sale (lien)

RealTaxLien (RealAuction)
Run by
Lafayette County Tax Collector
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
On or before June 1 annually.
Registration
Register on the RealAuction RealTaxLien platform and fund a deposit before bidding.
Next expected
on or about June 1, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Certificate auction and advertised list
When it runs
On or before June 1 annually. For the 2026 sale, online bidding began May 6 and ran about 16 days. Delinquent real estate taxes are advertised in a local newspaper before the sale.
Registration and deposit

Register on the RealAuction RealTaxLien platform and fund a deposit before bidding. Bidding is a reverse auction on interest that starts at 18 percent and is bid down, with a 5 percent minimum return unless bid to zero.

Sale format and venue
Lafayette runs its certificate sale on RealAuction's RealTaxLien platform at lafayettefl.realtaxlien.com, per the Florida Department of Revenue 2026 tax certificate sale list. It does not use LienHub or taxcertsale.com.
Register on RealTaxLien (RealAuction)
Source: Lafayette County Tax Collector (Chuck Hewett), Mayo FL· Verified Jul 4, 2026

Tax deed sale

In person (courthouse steps)
Run by
Lafayette County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
Frequency
As scheduled and noticed
Sale list
Tax deed sales and Lands Available
Registration and deposit

Tax deed sales are held in person on the north steps of the Lafayette County Courthouse at 120 West Main Street, Mayo. The deposit is due immediately after the sale and is non-refundable, payable to the Lafayette County Clerk of Court by cash, cashier's check, or money order.

Sale format and venue
Deeds are sold in person at the courthouse, not through an online auction vendor. Parcels unsold at a sale move to the Clerk's List of Lands Available for Taxes.
Source: Lafayette County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller - Tax Deed Sales· Verified Jul 4, 2026

Lafayette County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Lafayette County tax sale 2026 searches, use the county-run sources below rather than a copied parcel list, and confirm the parcel, registration cutoff, deposit, and payment deadline against the county before you bid.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Tax deed sales and Lands Available for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Ask the county office how and when to register; many counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.

  3. Sale day

    On or before June 1 annually. Bidding runs on RealAuction; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Lafayette County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Lafayette County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Tax deed sales and Lands Available. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Tax deed sales are held in person on the north steps of the Lafayette County Courthouse at 120 West Main Street, Mayo. The deposit is due immediately after the sale and is non-refundable, payable to the Lafayette County Clerk of Court by cash, cashier's check, or money order.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Florida due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  4. Set a walk-away number

    Work out what the parcel is actually worth with the rural land value estimator, then turn it into a ceiling with the tax deed max-bid calculator.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

County-held certificates can be purchased from the Tax Collector after the annual certificate sale. Parcels unsold 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.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)

Lafayette County Tax Collector

(386) 294-1961

120 West Main Street, Mayo, FL 32066 (mailing PO Box 96, Mayo, FL 32066)

Official website

Clerk of the Circuit Court (runs the deed sale)

Lafayette County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller

(386) 294-1600

PO Box 88, Mayo, FL 32066

Official website

County notes

  • Lafayette runs the two sales in-house: the Tax Collector's online certificate sale is on RealAuction at lafayettefl.realtaxlien.com, while the Clerk sells tax deeds in person on the north steps of the courthouse in Mayo.
  • Certificate sale dates shift each year; for 2026 online bidding opened May 6. Confirm current-year dates with the Tax Collector at (386) 294-1961.
  • As one of Florida's smallest counties, sale volume is low and deed sales are held only when noticed. Confirm the schedule with the Clerk at (386) 294-1600 before traveling.

Florida rules

Max interest rate
18% per year, bid down in 0.25% steps
Minimum return
5% floor at redemption
Redemption
The owner (or anyone) can redeem a certificate at any time after it is issued, up until full payment for the tax deed is made to the Clerk, which cuts off redemption even before the deed is formally 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.
Surplus proceeds
After a tax deed sale, surplus is paid to governmental liens first, then to recorded lienholders who file within a 120-day window, then to the former legal titleholder.
Governing statute
F.S. Chapter 197

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.

See the full Floridarules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Lafayette County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Lafayette County follows Florida's hybrid system. The County Tax Collector sells tax lien certificates, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court handles the tax deed sale on parcels whose certificates go unredeemed.

When is the Lafayette County tax certificate sale?

On or before June 1 annually. For the 2026 sale, online bidding began May 6 and ran about 16 days. Delinquent real estate taxes are advertised in a local newspaper before the sale. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the County Tax Collector before the sale.

How often does Lafayette County hold tax deed sales?

Lafayette County holds its tax deed sale As scheduled and noticed. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Florida's redemption rule: 2 years before a tax deed can be applied for. Call the Lafayette County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Where can I find the Lafayette County tax sale list?

Lafayette County posts its tax sale list at lafayetteclerk.com. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

Verified Jul 4, 2026 against official county and state sources.

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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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

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