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Tax Sale Atlas

St. Johns County, FL tax sales

St. Johns County, Florida sells both tax lien certificates and tax deeds. The County Tax Collector runs the certificate sale on ZEUS (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 St. Augustine, 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
Registration
Tax deed sales are held in person at 12:00 p.m. EST at the Richard O.
County office
(904) 209-2250
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 4, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How St. Johns County sells delinquent taxes

Tax certificate sale (lien)

SRI ZEUS Auction
Run by
St. Johns County Tax Collector
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
On or before June 1 annually. For 2026, registration opens May 1 and bidding begins May 29 at 9:00 a.m.
Registration
All bidders must register on the ZEUS Auction site run by SRI.
Next expected
on or about June 1, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Tax certificate sale information and delinquent list
Registration and deposit

All bidders must register on the ZEUS Auction site run by SRI. For the 2026 sale, registration opens May 1, 2026 and bidding begins May 29, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. SRI technical support is 1-800-800-9588.

Sale format and venue
St. Johns runs its certificate sale through SRI's ZEUS Auction (zeusauction.com).
Register on SRI ZEUS Auction
Source: St. Johns County Tax Collector - Tax Certificate Sales· Verified Jul 4, 2026

Tax deed sale

In person at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center
Run by
St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller - Tax Deeds
Frequency
As scheduled. Notice of each sale is published in the St. Augustine Record four weeks before the sale date.
Registration
Tax deed sales are held in person at 12:00 p.m. EST at the Richard O.
Sale list
Tax deed search and scheduled sales (TaxSmart)
Registration and deposit

Tax deed sales are held in person at 12:00 p.m. EST at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center. You or a representative must be physically present to bid. The winning bidder pays a non-refundable deposit of the greater of 5 percent of the final bid or $200 at the time of sale, by cash or certified funds only (no personal checks or cards). The balance is due within 24 hours by the same methods.

Sale format and venue
St. Johns tax deed auctions are conducted in person at the courthouse, not online. Use the Clerk's TaxSmart tool to view scheduled sales and Lands Available parcels.
Source: St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller - Tax Deeds· Verified Jul 4, 2026

St. Johns County tax sale list and auction calendar

For St. Johns 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 search and scheduled sales (TaxSmart) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Tax deed sales are held in person at 12:00 p.m. EST at the Richard O. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

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

  4. Confirm with the office

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

Before you bid in St. Johns County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Tax deed search and scheduled sales (TaxSmart). 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 at 12:00 p.m. EST at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center. You or a representative must be physically present to bid. The winning bidder pays a non-refundable deposit of the greater of 5 percent of the final bid or $200 at the time of sale, by cash or certified funds only (no personal checks or cards). The balance is due within 24 hours by the same methods.

  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 bought from the Tax Collector after the annual certificate sale. Parcels that go unsold at a tax deed sale move to the Clerk's Lands Available list.

Lands Available (via TaxSmart)

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)

St. Johns County Tax Collector

(904) 209-2250

4030 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084

Official website

Clerk of the Circuit Court (runs the deed sale)

St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller - Tax Deeds

(904) 819-3600

Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084

Official website

County notes

  • St. Johns uses two different systems: the Tax Collector's certificate sale runs on SRI's ZEUS Auction (zeusauction.com), while the Clerk's tax deed sales are held in person at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center.
  • Tax deed bidders must attend in person and pay the deposit by cash or certified funds at the time of sale; personal checks and cards are not accepted.
  • The elected Tax Collector is Jennifer Pomar Ravan and the elected Clerk is Brandon J. Patty. Confirm current officeholders before relying on contact names.

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 St. Johns County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?

St. Johns 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 St. Johns County tax certificate sale?

On or before June 1 annually. For 2026, registration opens May 1 and bidding begins May 29 at 9:00 a.m. 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 St. Johns County hold tax deed sales?

St. Johns County holds its tax deed sale As scheduled. Notice of each sale is published in the St. Augustine Record four weeks before the sale date. 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 St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller - Tax Deeds 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 St. Johns County tax sale list?

St. Johns County posts its tax sale list at apps.stjohnsclerk.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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