Richmond County, GA tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Richmond County, seat of Augusta: 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 Richmond County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Richmond County Tax Commissioner's Office (Tax Commissioner serves as Ex-Officio Sheriff)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of the month at 10:00 AM when a sale is scheduled. The brochure states: "Our tax sales (when held) occur on the first Tuesday of the month between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. In the event that the first Tuesday of the month falls on a legal holiday, the sale may be held on the following day (Wed.)." The Tax Commissioner's tax sale page states: "The next Tax Sale will be held on Tuesday, July 7, 2026."
Registration and deposit
No online bidder pre-registration is published. Bidding happens in person by public outcry, with a presale information session at 9:30 AM before the 10:00 AM sale. The county states: "Tax sales are held at 535 Telfair Street, Augusta, GA, 30901. Sales begin at 10 AM, and the presale information session begins at 9:30 AM." Winning bidders must pay in full within two hours of the close of the sale, at the Municipal Building Suite 100, in cash, certified check, or money order, and must sign a statement attesting that the property was purchased for the bid price.
Richmond County (Augusta) runs a live, in-person redeemable tax deed sale, not an online auction. Sales are conducted at the Augusta-Richmond County Municipal Building, 535 Telfair Street, or at the Augusta Judicial Center and John H. Ruffin Courthouse, 735 Ninth Street. The Tax Commissioner acts as Ex-Officio Sheriff and appoints Ex-Officio Deputy Sheriffs to levy and cry the sale. The opening bid equals the tax due plus penalties, interest, and costs, and the parcel goes to the highest bidder. If nobody bids at least the amount due the county, the parcel is treated as a "No Bid" and may be re-offered the same day. The buyer receives a Sheriff's Tax Deed conveying defeasible title, not fee simple. For non-judicial sales the owner may redeem within 12 months by paying the bid amount plus a 20 percent premium for the first year or fraction of a year and 10 percent for each additional year or fraction. For Judicial-in-Rem sales the redemption window is 60 days from the sale. Properties are advertised four consecutive weeks in the Thursday edition of the Augusta Chronicle, the county legal organ. The purchaser cannot take possession during the 12-month redemption period and must bar or foreclose the right of redemption, or let the deed ripen by prescription, to reach fee simple title.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Richmond County Tax Commissioner's Office
Municipal Building Office, 535 Telfair Street, Suite 100, Augusta, GA 30901
Official websiteNotes for Richmond County
- Sale venue: Augusta-Richmond County Municipal Building, 535 Telfair Street, or the Augusta Judicial Center and John H. Ruffin Courthouse, 735 Ninth Street.
- In-person public outcry sale. No online auction platform is used by the Tax Commissioner.
- Presale information session at 9:30 AM; bidding starts at 10:00 AM.
- Payment due in full within two hours of the close of the sale, in cash, certified check, or money order, at Suite 100 of the Municipal Building.
- Sales are advertised four consecutive weeks in the Thursday edition of the Augusta Chronicle, the county legal organ.
- The office runs both non-judicial sales (12-month redemption, 20 percent premium) and Judicial-in-Rem sales (60-day redemption).
- Fax listed as 706-821-2419. Office hours Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
- The Tax Commissioner's brochure is signed by Tax Commissioner and Ex-Officio Sheriff T. Chris Johnson and dated March 2022.
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 Richmond County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Richmond County follows Georgia's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Richmond 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.
Explore all 159 Georgia counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.