Pinellas County, FL tax sales
Pinellas 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 Pinellas County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Pinellas County Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual online sale on or before June 1 (the 2025 sale was held May 31)
- Next expected
- on or about June 1, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
- Sale list
- County-held certificate list
Registration and deposit
Register online at LienHub before the sale. Certificates are sold reverse-auction style to the bidder accepting the lowest interest rate; unbid certificates are struck to the county at 18 percent. Payment is due by 4:30 p.m. the business day before the sale.
County-held certificates left after the sale become available for over-the-counter purchase on the first business day of September.
Register on LienHub (Grant Street Group)Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
- Frequency
- As scheduled online, typically on designated mornings at 10:00 a.m.
Registration and deposit
Register on the RealAuction site and fund an advance deposit of the greater of 5 percent of your intended bid or $200. The winning bidder's balance is due promptly after the sale under the Clerk's terms.
Pinellas contracted with RealAuction to run tax deed sales at pinellas.realtaxdeed.com and foreclosure sales at pinellas.realforeclose.com.
Register on RealAuction (RealTaxDeed)Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Two over-the-counter paths. County-held certificates from the Tax Collector become available on LienHub the first business day of September. Separately, parcels unsold at a tax deed sale move to the Clerk's Lands Available list.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Notes for Pinellas County
- Pinellas follows the standard Florida split: the Tax Collector runs the annual certificate (lien) sale on LienHub, and the Clerk runs the tax deed auctions on RealAuction.
- Tax Collector Adam Ross took office in January 2025, succeeding Charles W. Thomas. Confirm the current officeholder before relying on the contact name.
- Tax deed sales and foreclosure sales use separate RealAuction sites (pinellas.realtaxdeed.com and pinellas.realforeclose.com).
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 Pinellas County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Pinellas 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 Pinellas County tax certificate sale?
- Annual online sale on or before June 1 (the 2025 sale was held May 31). 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.
Explore all 67 Florida counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.