DeWitt County, IL tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in DeWitt County, seat of Clinton: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 30, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Illinois tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How DeWitt County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- DeWitt County Treasurer, serving as ex officio DeWitt County Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Once a year in late October. The Collector's page states "As Collector, I hold a tax sale at the end of each year to sell the taxes on every parcel that remains unpaid" and "The tax sale is held within 5 business days from the date of judgment." The posted 2026 calendar lists Judgment on "Tuesday, October 27th, 2026 @ 9:00am" and the Tax Sale on "Thursday, October 29th", with the start time not yet posted by the county.
Registration and deposit
Registration uses the county's own paper Bidder Registration Form, filed with the County Collector. The form states that "All bidders at the Collector's annual sale of real estate tax delinquent lands, lot and parcels must complete and sign this registration" and that "This registration must be received in the office of the Collector at least (10) business days prior to the day of the sale." It collects the bidder attending the sale, who the bid is on behalf of, mailing address, state of creation and registered agent for corporations, email, phone, and SS# or FEIN. The county calendar lists Friday, October 16th, 2026 as the last day to register for the 2026 sale. The posted calendar date and the form's ten business day rule do not line up exactly, so confirm the cutoff with the Collector before relying on either.
No online auction platform is posted for this sale. The county's bidder form asks for the "Bidder Attending Sale," and registration is filed on paper in the Collector's office, so plan on a live sale conducted by the Collector rather than an internet auction. Confirm the format and start time with the office before the sale date. The delinquent list is published in a newspaper rather than posted as a downloadable list: the Collector's page says "State Statute requires us to publish all delinquent taxes at least 10 days prior to date of judgment" and that "The publication will list the parcel number, the owner of record and the delinquent tax amount," with publication scheduled for Friday, October 16th, 2026. Certified delinquent notices go out at least 15 days before judgment, and after those notices are sent the office accepts only cash, money order, or cashier's check. Payments of delinquent taxes are not accepted once the sale has begun. After purchase, redemption runs through a different office: "After the tax is sold the property owner will have to redeem the tax from the tax buyer through the County Clerk's Office." Separately, ILTaxSale.com lists DeWitt County sealed bid real estate auctions and a paid list of assignable tax lien certificates. That site is run by Joseph E. Meyer and Associates, which describes itself as "the Delinquent Tax Agent for 94 of 102 counties in Illinois" and which "obtains tax deeds on behalf of the taxing districts and sells the properties at public auction." Those are trustee sales of previously unsold parcels and certificates, not the County Collector's annual tax sale, so do not treat that site as the registration or bidding channel for the October sale.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Sheriff or a court-appointed private selling officer, under an order of the circuit court. A county acting as trustee runs its own tax deed auctions.
- Frequency
- as ordered by the circuit court
- Typical timing
- Within 120 days after the court order authorizing the auction. Public Act 104-0553 created this route for tax certificates issued on or after July 10, 2026, so the earliest Illinois judicial tax deed auctions fall in 2027, after the 1 year short redemption track runs.
Registration and deposit
Terms of a judicial tax deed auction, including whether it runs online, in person, or both, and what deposit is required, are set in the court's order and published in the notice of tax deed auction. That notice runs once a week for 3 consecutive weeks, starting no more than 45 days and ending no less than 7 days before the auction. Read the notice for each parcel; there is no statewide platform or standing bidder registration.
Bidding opens at the tax deed judgment amount plus 0.75 percent per month since judgment, plus publication and selling officer costs. The petitioning certificate holder is entered as a credit bidder at that minimum. Surplus above the minimum goes to the county treasurer for the former owner to claim.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Certificates nobody bids on at the annual sale are forfeited to the county as trustee for the taxing districts. The county may then assign a forfeited certificate to any party or sell property it has acquired, which many counties handle through a delinquent tax agent rather than a public counter. Counties may also offer county-held certificates at a scavenger sale with a minimum bid of $250, or half the tax when total liability is under $500. Ask the county collector and the county clerk which program the county runs and who may buy.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for DeWitt County
- The Treasurer is Jade Russell. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Fax is (217) 935-7829 and email is [email protected].
- Redemption is handled by the DeWitt County Clerk and Recorder, not the Collector. Clerk Kari Harris, (217) 935-7780, 201 W. Washington St., Clinton, IL 61727, mailing address PO Box 439, Room 109, Clinton IL 61727.
- 2026 property tax calendar posted by the Collector: bills mailed Wednesday, June 10th; first installment due Friday, July 17th; second installment due Friday, September 4th; first day to pay subsequent taxes Friday, September 18th; last day to pay before the $10 publication fee 4:30pm Thursday, September 24th; certified letters mailed Friday, September 25th; last day to pay before publication Friday, October 9th by 4:30pm.
- No county-hosted delinquent or sale list URL was found. The list is published in a newspaper under 35 ILCS 200, so request it from the Collector or watch the local legal notices.
- Caution for buyers searching online: ILTaxSale.com shows DeWitt County sealed bid auctions dated 07/05/2024, 08/01/2025, and 07/24/2026. Those are the state trustee agent's tax deed and assignable certificate sales, a separate channel from the county's annual October tax sale.
Illinois statewide rules
- Redemption
- Property sold at an Illinois tax sale may be redeemed at any time before the redemption period expires. Public Act 104-0553 set the standard period at 3 years from the date of sale for tax certificates issued on or after July 10, 2026. Certificates issued between January 1, 2024 and July 9, 2026 run on the earlier 2.5 year (30 month) track, and on that track the certificate holder could file a written notice with the county clerk extending redemption to a date no later than 3 years from the sale. A short 1 year period applies when the parcel was, on the date of sale, vacant non-farm property, commercial or industrial property, or improved with a structure holding 7 or more residential units. Certificates the county holds or assigns as trustee run on their own schedule under Section 21-385, and an assignee must file notice within 60 days of assignment setting a redemption deadline no later than 3 years from the assignment.
- Deed deposit
- Illinois does not fix a statutory deposit percentage. Deposit and payment terms are set in the court's order authorizing the auction and by the selling officer, so read the notice of tax deed auction for each sale. A purchaser who fails to complete the sale forfeits any deposit already made to the county surplus equity fund, and the court orders a new auction of the property.
- Surplus proceeds
- Any amount by which the winning bid exceeds the minimum bid is surplus. Within 30 days after the court confirms the sale the selling officer deposits the surplus with the county treasurer, who notifies everyone who received the Section 22-10 take notice that the owner at the time of the sale may file a claim for it. A county running its own tax deed auction deposits surplus with the treasurer within 30 days of the sale and notifies interested parties within 60 days. Separately, a previous owner who lost equity through a tax deed can claim an award from the county surplus equity fund, capped at the value of the property when the deed issued less mortgages, liens, and the taxes the purchaser paid.
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 DeWitt County, Illinois sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- DeWitt County follows Illinois's tax lien state system.
When is the DeWitt County tax certificate sale?
- Once a year in late October. The Collector's page states "As Collector, I hold a tax sale at the end of each year to sell the taxes on every parcel that remains unpaid" and "The tax sale is held within 5 business days from the date of judgment." The posted 2026 calendar lists Judgment on "Tuesday, October 27th, 2026 @ 9:00am" and the Tax Sale on "Thursday, October 29th", with the start time not yet posted by the county.. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
How often does DeWitt County hold tax deed sales?
- as ordered by the circuit court. 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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