- Does Illinois sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Illinois sells tax liens. The county collector holds an annual tax sale under a court judgment and order of sale, and the winning bidder receives a tax certificate rather than the property. The deed comes later, through a circuit court petition, and under Public Act 104-0553 through a judicial tax deed auction of the property itself.
- What rate do Illinois tax certificates pay?
- Bidders compete on penalty percentage and no bid above 9 percent is accepted. The penalty is charged per redemption period, not per year: the certificate earns the penalty bid once if redemption happens in the first 6 months, twice in months 6 to 12, three times in months 12 to 18, and so on through month 36. A 9 percent bid costs the owner about 18 percent across a full year. There is no statutory minimum, so a bid can run to 0 percent.
- How long is the redemption period in Illinois?
- Three years from the date of sale for tax certificates issued on or after July 10, 2026, and one year when the parcel was vacant non-farm, commercial, or industrial property, or held 7 or more residential units, on the date of sale. Certificates issued from January 1, 2024 through July 9, 2026 run on the earlier 2.5 year track, which the certificate holder could extend by notice to the county clerk to no later than 3 years from the sale.
- When is the Illinois tax sale held?
- There is no statewide sale month. In counties under 3,000,000 inhabitants the collector applies for judgment and order of sale within 90 days after the second installment due date, and the sale starts within 5 business days after the application date. Cook County applies within 365 days of the second installment due date, and its recent sales have been rescheduled by separate statutory deadlines. Confirm the date on the county collector page.
- Can you buy Illinois tax certificates over the counter?
- Not as a statewide right. Certificates nobody bids on are forfeited to the county as trustee, and the county may then assign them to any party, often through a delinquent tax agent, or offer them at a scavenger sale with a $250 minimum bid. Terms are set county by county. The older route that let anyone apply to the county clerk to buy forfeited taxes no longer applies to forfeitures on or after January 1, 2024.
- Does the former owner get the surplus when an Illinois tax deed is sold?
- Yes, for certificates issued on or after July 10, 2026. The property is auctioned at a judicial tax deed auction opening at the tax deed judgment amount plus 0.75 percent per month, and anything above that minimum is deposited with the county treasurer for the owner at the time of sale to claim. A previous owner can also seek an award from the county surplus equity fund, which tax buyers finance through fees paid at purchase and at deed issuance.
- Is an Illinois tax deed clean title?
- A tax deed issued under Section 22-40 is incontestable except by appeal, or by a petition for relief limited to grounds such as the taxes having been paid before the sale, the property being exempt, fraud by the purchaser, or failure to serve a party of record after diligent inquiry. That is a strong statutory position, but it is not the same as marketable, insurable title, and most buyers still resolve title before resale.
Verified Jul 29, 2026 against Illinois 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 county office before you bid.