DeKalb County, GA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in DeKalb County, seat of Decatur: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 27, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Georgia tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How DeKalb County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- DeKalb County Tax Commissioner's Office, Delinquent Collections Division (Tax Commissioner Nicole M. Golden; sale cried by the officer conducting the sale on the courthouse steps)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Monthly, generally April through December. The Tax Commissioner's Tax Sales page states: "Tax sales are held each month, generally from April through December. We reserve the right to add or cancel tax sales according to business needs. Sales are scheduled on the first Tuesday of any given month on the Courthouse steps at 12:00 p.m. or sooner." The county's current Tax Sale Flyer and Conditions of Tax Sale form give the operational time as 9 a.m. check-in and 10 a.m. start: "TAX SALES ARE CONDUCTED ON THE FRONT STEPS OF THE DEKALB COUNTY SUPERIOR COURTHOUSE LOCATED AT 556 NORTH MCDONOUGH STREET, DECATUR, GEORGIA 30030, BEGINNING AT 10 A.M. ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, APRIL THROUGH DECEMBER." The flyer on the site advertises "TAX SALE TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2026 ... 9AM CHECK IN | 10AM SALE BEGINS."
Registration and deposit
Registration is required for every sale. Bidders pre-register through the online Tax Sale Pre-Registration Portal operated for the county by Government Tax Solutions (GTS) at https://www.gtsweb.com/contact-4, selecting DeKalb County and the sale month; registration is free and the portal closes at 2 p.m. the Monday before the sale. Onsite registration and check-in open at 9 a.m. on sale day with valid photo ID; business bidders must bring articles of incorporation. Bidding opens at the total of taxes and costs (levy, recording, advertising, commissions) and the parcel goes to the highest bidder, called in whole dollar amounts using auction paddles. Payment is cash, cashier's check or certified check from an FDIC or FSLIC insured institution, or bank wire, payable to the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner, due within one hour of the close of the sale (funds in hand by 1:30 p.m.); no personal, business or third-party checks, no money orders, no ACH, no credit or debit cards. Unpaid parcels are re-cried the same day at 2 p.m. and the defaulting bidder may owe the difference between the first and second sale prices.
DeKalb runs a traditional in-person Georgia redeemable tax deed sale, not an online auction. Properties are cried on the front steps of the DeKalb County Superior Courthouse at 556 North McDonough Street, Decatur, with parking in the deck at the rear of the courthouse. Notice runs once a week for four weeks before the sale in the county legal organ, currently The Champion Newspaper; the county keeps no mailing list. The winning bidder gets a tax deed conveying defeasible title only: "The taxpayer or any other person having a right, title, interest in, or lien upon the property may redeem it within twelve (12) months of the sale by paying the redemption price. The purchaser is not entitled to rents or profits during this period." Redemption price is the bid plus later-paid taxes plus 20% for the first year or fraction, then 10% for each additional year or fraction. After twelve months the purchaser may bar or foreclose the right of redemption by proper notice to all recorded interests. The deed is mailed to the address on the bidder's receipt within about 30 working days. Under O.C.G.A. 9-13-172.1 the tax office may set the sale aside within 30 days and refund the bid. The county also posts current sale parcels as "Tax Sale Property Listings" on its public-access property site, which was offline for scheduled 2026 tax-calculation maintenance (July 17 through August 3, 2026) when checked, so the delinquent listing PDF above is the reachable list. Delinquent Collections direct line is 404-298-3053, email [email protected]. In person, DeKalb County Superior Courthouse steps (no online auction platform)
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
DeKalb County Tax Commissioner, Property Tax Division (Delinquent Collections Division)
404-298-4000 (main); 404-298-3053 (Delinquent Collections)
Central Office: 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 100, Decatur, GA 30032. Mailing: DeKalb County Tax Commissioner, Property Tax Division, P.O. Box 100004, Decatur, GA 30031-7004
Official websiteNotes for DeKalb County
- Sale format is in person on the DeKalb County Superior Courthouse steps, 556 North McDonough Street, Decatur, GA 30030. There is no online bidding platform.
- Two official start times appear on county materials: the Tax Sales web page says the first-Tuesday sale is "at 12:00 p.m. or sooner," while the Conditions of Tax Sale form and the current sale flyer both say 10 a.m. with 9 a.m. check-in. Treat the flyer for the specific month as controlling.
- Pre-registration runs through Government Tax Solutions (gtsweb.com) and closes at 2 p.m. the Monday before each sale; onsite registration is also available at 9 a.m. on sale day.
- Payment is due within one hour of the close of the sale, in cash, cashier's or certified check, or bank wire only. Funds must be in hand by 1:30 p.m. or the parcel is re-cried at 2 p.m.
- Twelve-month right of redemption at the bid plus later taxes plus 20% for the first year or fraction and 10% per additional year, consistent with O.C.G.A. 48-4-40 et seq. Barment or foreclosure of redemption follows after twelve months.
- The county's legal organ for sale advertising is The Champion Newspaper; notice runs weekly for the four weeks before the sale.
- The county's Tax Sale Property Listings live on publicaccess.dekalbtaxga.gov, which did not resolve during the announced July 17 to August 3, 2026 maintenance window, so that URL is not cited here as verified.
Georgia statewide rules
- Redemption
- The right to redeem runs for 12 months from the date of the sale and does not end there. It continues after the year until the tax deed purchaser forecloses it by serving and publishing the statutory barment notice, which cannot be started until 12 months have passed. The purchaser delivers the notice to the sheriff at least 45 days before the redemption deadline named in it, and publishes it once a week for four consecutive weeks in the six months immediately before that deadline. Redemption puts title back in the defendant in fi. fa. subject to the liens that existed at the sale, and the purchaser must execute and record a quitclaim deed. Title under a tax deed recorded on or after July 1, 1996 ripens by prescription four years after recording. Judicial in rem foreclosures under Article 5 run on a different clock: the owner has 60 days after the sale to redeem by paying the minimum bid price into the superior court.
- Deed deposit
- Georgia sets no statewide percentage deposit. A purchaser at a judicial sale may tender cash or a cashier's or certified check drawn for the purchase price and issued or certified by a federally insured financial institution. Counties publish their own payment terms, and many require payment in full at the close of the sale, so confirm the terms with the tax commissioner before bidding.
- Surplus proceeds
- Excess funds left after taxes, costs, and the expenses of the sale belong to the former owner and to recorded lienholders in order of priority. The officer who sold the property must mail notice of the excess funds by first-class mail within 30 days to the record owner at the time of the sale, to the holder of each security deed, and to every other party with a recorded equity interest or claim, and may file an interpleader action in superior court. Funds still unclaimed five years after the sale are paid over to the Georgia Department of Revenue, after which only a court order from an interpleader action releases 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 DeKalb County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- DeKalb County follows Georgia's redeemable deed state system.
How often does DeKalb County hold tax deed sales?
- annual. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.
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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