Hawaii runs 4 different redemption windows
Which one applies is decided by the parcel, not by the state, so read the condition before trusting the headline figure.
How the clock works
The former owner redeems by paying the purchaser directly; the counties take no part in it. The clock runs from the sale, not from recording, except in Honolulu and Maui, where a deed not recorded within 60 days of the sale extends the window to one year from the day the deed is recorded, without further interest for the extension. Hawaii County advises buyers not to build during the year, since the former owner need not pay for improvements, and says a buyer may sell during the year only subject to the redemption right.
Who can redeem
The taxpayer whose property was sold. None of the four county codes gives lienholders a separate redemption right; in Hawaii County and Kauai their remedy is a claim on the surplus within one year.
What the owner pays to redeem
The amount the purchaser paid at the sale, plus all costs and expenses the purchaser was required to pay including the fee for recording the deed, plus interest on that total at 12 percent a year.
How your return accrues
The 12 percent is an annual rate on the amount the purchaser paid plus the purchaser's required costs, not a flat premium, so the redemption payment grows with time and a quick redemption earns only the interest actually accrued. Hawaii County's FAQ describes it as 1 percent a month. In Honolulu and Maui, where a deed recorded more than 60 days after the sale extends the redemption window to one year from recording, no interest is added for the extended period.
How the bidding works
There is no rate to bid down, because no certificate is sold. Bidders compete on price above the upset price (taxes, penalty, interest and sale costs), and the director may postpone the sale for want of purchasers or abandon it for any parcel that draws no bid sufficient to satisfy the lien. If the owner redeems, the buyer receives the amount paid (overbid included), the costs the buyer was required to pay including the deed recording fee, and 12 percent a year on that amount. There is no minimum return.
When the deed is delivered
On payment the director makes and delivers the tax deed, and delivery vests title in the purchaser; the county prepares the deed and records it at the Bureau of Conveyances or Land Court, collecting the recording fee from the purchaser at the sale. Honolulu and Maui require the deed to be recorded within 60 days of the sale. The county FAQs say title passes at the sale and recording, with the deed carrying a reservation for the redemption period, and that the recorded deed can take several months to arrive.
What the deed conveys
Differs by county. Hawaii County (19-42) and Kauai (5A-5.6) vest fee title free and clear of any lien, claim or encumbrance except later real property taxes, subject only to State mineral rights and government easements. Honolulu (8-5.6) and Maui (3.48.270) say only that delivery of the deed vests title in the purchaser; Honolulu's 2026 sale notice nonetheless describes the parcels as sold in fee simple free and clear of all liens. Every county sells 'as is' with no warranty of title or condition, Hawaii County notes that title companies mostly will not insure a tax-deed title and that federal tax liens are a separate risk, and the former owner can redeem for a year. Get a title opinion before bidding.
A redemption repays your price with statutory interest, which is what makes the wait profitable; see how redemption periods work across states. What the Hawaii tax deed conveys is set by statute, in the card above; budget for a quiet title action if an insurer will not accept that title.
Verified Sep 27, 2026 against Hawaii statutes.
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.