St. Johns County, FL tax sales
Tax Sale Atlas maps the St. Johns County, FL tax sale, one of 3,131 counties in 51 states. Florida runs both sides: certificates paying up to 18%, and a later tax deed auction. Sale office, calendar and list locations read from the county’s own official pages on Oct 3, 2026.
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
On this page
How St. Johns County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- 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)
Registration and deposit
Sale format and venue
Tax deed sale
- 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.
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 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. If the parcels on this list are vacant land rather than houses, what buying land at a tax sale hands you is the place to start.
Confirm the advertised parcel list
Use Tax deed search and scheduled sales (TaxSmart) as a starting reference. Check which sale or list it covers; a Lands Available or office information page is separate from an auction parcel list. Ask the sale office for the advertised parcels for the auction you plan to attend.Register to bid
Sale day
On or before June 1 annually. Bidding runs on ZEUS; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.Confirm with the office
If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use the St. Johns County Tax Collector as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.
Before you bid in St. Johns County
4 checks
Confirm the parcel list before pricing
Open Tax deed search and scheduled sales (TaxSmart). Confirm whether this reference contains the auction parcels or covers a different list. Get the advertised parcel list from the county before you price a bid, and recheck it before the sale.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.
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. Which liens survive is state law, so read what survives a tax deed in Florida before you price the title work.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
unsold liens and deeds
For unsold deed property, use the Clerk's Lands Available search in TaxSmart. Ask the Tax Collector about county-held certificates; the reviewed certificate-sale page does not describe a purchase procedure for them.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work. Every state has its own name for what goes unsold, so check what Florida calls its leftover tax-sale inventory.
Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Clerk of the Circuit Court (runs the deed sale)
St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller - Tax Deeds
Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Official websiteCounty 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
- 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
- For property assessed as homestead on the latest tax roll, the opening bid also includes one-half of its latest assessed value.
- Surplus proceeds
- Governmental liens receive statutory priority. Other valid claims are paid by priority, with a 120-day claim period measured from the mailed notice. The statute excepts property owners from the late-claim bar. Ask the Clerk for the current claim form and dates; conflicting claims may require court proceedings.
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 St. Johns County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?
When is the St. Johns County tax certificate sale?
How often does St. Johns County hold tax deed sales?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the St. Johns County tax sale list?
Verified Oct 3, 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 office that runs the sale before you bid.
More Florida counties
Browse all 67 Florida counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.