Palm Beach County, FL tax sales
Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Constitutional Tax Collector, Serving Palm Beach County
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual online sale on or about June 1 (F.S. 197.402 timing)
- Next expected
- on or about June 1, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Bidders register with RealAuction at palmbeachfl.realtaxlien.com before the sale. The delinquent list is advertised, and county-held certificates are also listed for over-the-counter purchase after the sale.
Palm Beach runs its certificate sale on RealAuction (palmbeachfl.realtaxlien.com), not LienHub.
Register on RealAuction (RealTaxLien)Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County - Tax Deeds Department
- Frequency
- Online on designated Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m., typically monthly
Registration and deposit
Register online (no fee) and fund the advance deposit: the greater of 5 percent of your maximum intended bid or $200. ACH must clear at least 3 full business days before the auction, or pay by cashier's check to the Tax Deeds department by 4 p.m. the day before. The winning bidder's balance is due by 2 p.m. the next business day.
The tax deed auction runs on the Clerk's own site (taxdeed.mypalmbeachclerk.com), powered by Grant Street Group, with a Lands Available tab for unsold parcels.
Register on Clerk-operated online auction (Grant Street Group)Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Two over-the-counter paths. County-held certificates can be bought from the Tax Collector after the June sale at face value plus 1.5 percent per month plus a $6.25 fee. Separately, parcels unsold at a tax deed sale appear on the Clerk's Lands Available for Taxes tab.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Notes for Palm Beach County
- Palm Beach follows the standard Florida two-office split: the Tax Collector runs the annual certificate (lien) sale, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court runs the monthly tax deed auctions.
- The certificate sale platform is RealAuction (palmbeachfl.realtaxlien.com), while the tax deed auction runs on the Clerk's own Grant Street site.
- Clerk leadership changed in August 2025 when Mike Caruso was appointed to succeed Joseph Abruzzo. Confirm the current officeholder before relying on the contact name.
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 Palm Beach County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach County tax certificate sale?
- Annual online sale on or about June 1 (F.S. 197.402 timing). 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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