Fulton County, GA tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Sale format is in person public outcry on the Fulton County Courthouse steps at 136 Pryor Street SW, Atlanta. Legal sale hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and bidding usually starts at 10:00 a.m. (Tax Commissioner Property Tax Sales page and Property Tax FAQ).
• •The Fulton County Tax Commissioner also serves as Ex-Officio Sheriff of Fulton County. Each Ex-Officio Sheriff or Deputy Sheriff appointed by the Sheriff has full power to advertise and bring property to sale to collect state and county taxes (O.C.G.A. 48-2-55), per the Authority To Sell page.
• •Levy notice: when real estate is levied on, the Ex-Officio Deputy Sheriff must give 20 days written notice before advertising to the owner, tenant, security deed holder, IRS, Georgia Department of Revenue and Labor, and EPD or EPA where applicable. Notice goes by certified mail and, if undeliverable, is served in person (Levy page).
• •Advertising: all properties to be auctioned are advertised for four consecutive weeks before the first Tuesday of the month, in the legal section of the Fulton Daily Report under the heading "704 Non-Judicial Tax Sale." The Advertising page also lists www.fultonlegals.com, but that domain no longer serves legal notices, so rely on the print legal organ. The FAQ separately names the South Fulton Neighbor newspaper and the courthouse steps posting boards, and the Property Tax Sales page describes a courtesy listing in the Wednesday edition of the South Fulton Neighbor for four weeks before the sale.
• •Bid list: the county Sheriff's Tax Sales page links to a downloadable November 3, 2026 tax/levy sale list. Check the linked county source for the current list and updates.
• •Payment terms: payment in full is required at the conclusion of the sale in cash, certified check, cashier's check, or money order. Purchasers must remit immediately after the sale closes and sign a statement of the purchase price. A defaulting purchaser is liable for the purchase money under O.C.G.A. 9-13-170 (Payment page).
• •Post sale: written notice of the sale goes to the tenant, owner, mortgage company, IRS, and the Georgia Department of Revenue and Labor where applicable, with the purchaser's name and address (Sale Closing page).
• •Redemption, as stated by the county: the owner, creditor, or any person with an interest may redeem at any time during the 12 months following the tax sale by paying the tax deed purchaser the amount paid at the sale plus a 20 percent premium for the first year or fraction of a year, plus any taxes and special assessments paid by the purchaser after the sale, plus a 10 percent premium for each additional year or fraction of a year, plus costs. The purchaser cannot take actual possession, collect rents, improve any structure, or grade the lot during the redemption period (Rights of Redemption page, citing O.C.G.A. 48-4-40 through 48-4-44).
• •Delinquency mechanics: interest accrues monthly from the day after the due date at the bank prime loan rate plus 3 percent, with an added 1 percent per month on Fulton County and City of Atlanta amounts over $1,000 capped at 12 percent per year. Penalties are 5 percent at 120 day intervals up to four times (Delinquent Taxes page).
• •Mailing address for delinquent and current tax payments given in the FAQ is Fulton County Tax Commissioner, 141 Pryor Street, Suite 1106, Atlanta, GA 30303. The countywide Fulton County site lists the department at 141 Pryor Street SW, Suite 1113. The Tax Commissioner site footer and Government Center location page give 141 Pryor Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 with phone 404.613.6100.

Georgia 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.O.C.G.A. 48-4-40, who may redeem and when (2024 Code of Georgia)O.C.G.A. 48-4-40Verified Jul 30, 2026

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.O.C.G.A. 48-4-1, Procedures for sales under tax levies and executions (2024 Code of Georgia)O.C.G.A. 48-4-1Verified Jul 30, 2026

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.O.C.G.A. 48-4-5, Payment of excess (2024 Code of Georgia)O.C.G.A. 48-4-5Verified Jul 30, 2026

Governing statute

O.C.G.A. Title 48, Chapter 4Official Code of Georgia Annotated, public access published for the Georgia General Assembly by the Georgia Code Revision CommissionO.C.G.A. Title 48, Chapter 4Verified Jul 25, 2026

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 Georgia rules and every county →