Jackson County, IA tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Jackson County, seat of Maquoketa: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Iowa tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Jackson County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Jackson County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annually on the third Monday in June. The Treasurer's tax sale page states unpaid taxes are "offered at Public Tax Sale which is held annually on the third Monday in June online." The most recent published cycle: "The 2026 annual Tax Sale will be held by the Jackson County Treasurer on Monday, June 15, 2026, in the Treasurer's office at the Jackson County Courthouse, 201 W. Platt St., Maquoketa, Iowa, beginning at 10:00 a.m." Bids could be uploaded starting 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, and "All online bids must be entered by 9:45 a.m. on Monday June 15, 2026." An adjourned tax sale is held any business day after the annual sale when bidders are present and parcels are still available.
- Next expected
- on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Online through GovEase only. The Treasurer's bidder terms state: "Register online at www.govease.com. No mailed or emailed registrations will be accepted. Registration will begin Monday, May 18, 2026 and end Monday, June 8, 2026. All steps in the registration process must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on June 8, 2026." Required steps are a non-refundable $40.00 registration fee paid by domestic wire or ACH debit, the online W-9 form, and, where applicable, a Certificate of Existence or Certificate of Authorization or designation of agent for service of process from the Iowa Secretary of State plus a copy of the Verified Statement of Trade Name filed with the Jackson County Recorder. Entity bidders need a federal tax identification number. All bidders must be 18 or older on sale day. Registration and auction support runs through GovEase at (769) 208-5050 or [email protected]. Winning bidders pay in full by 4:00 p.m. on the date of the sale, and a $20.00 certificate fee applies to each certificate purchased. Confirm the current year's registration window and fee with the Treasurer before the sale.
Bidding is fully online through GovEase even though the Treasurer conducts the sale from the courthouse at 201 W. Platt St. Parcels open at a 100 percent undivided interest, and the terms state "Bid downs will range in whole percentage points from 99% to 1%. Jackson County will not be utilizing batches." The certificate goes to the bidder naming the smallest percentage, and equal low bids are settled by a random selection process. The Delinquent Tax List is published once in the Maquoketa Sentinel-Press, 108 W. Quarry St., Maquoketa, IA 52060, (563) 652-2441, on May 27 for the 2026 cycle, and delinquent parcels open for review on the auction site from May 18. The searchable listing on GovEase requires bidder registration and updates nightly. Parcels advertised twice and still unsold go to a Public Bidder Sale, which the county must buy in when no private bidder takes it; those certificates carry a shorter nine month wait before the 90 day redemption notice can issue, versus one year and nine months on a regular sale. Subsequent taxes must be paid online at iowatreasurers.org, with a non-refundable $0.25 per parcel fee. The assignment transaction fee is $100.00 and the Treasurer's Tax Sale Deed issuance fee is $25.00 per parcel.
Register on GovEaseFrom lien to deed
- Run by
- County Treasurer
- Frequency
- none
- Typical timing
- Iowa holds no tax deed auction. The treasurer makes out a treasurer's deed to the certificate holder immediately after 90 days have expired from completed service of the notice of expiration of the right of redemption, once the holder returns the certificate and pays the deed and recording fees.
There is nothing for an investor to bid on at the deed stage in Iowa. The only auction is the June certificate sale. The certificate holder must return the certificate of purchase and remit the deed and recording fees within 90 calendar days after the redemption period expires, or the treasurer cancels the certificate.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Two routes reach parcels after the June sale. Parcels that remain unsold for want of bidders are carried to adjourned sales, which the treasurer sets at intervals of not more than two months until the next annual sale. Separately, certificates struck to the county at the public bidder sale may be assigned by the county for the total amount due on the date of assignment, or for a compromised amount, under a written agreement filed with the treasurer and a 10 dollar assignment transaction fee. Ask the county treasurer which county-held certificates are available for assignment.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Jackson County
- Jackson County runs its June certificate sale entirely online through GovEase. There is no in person bidding floor for investors, even though the Treasurer conducts the sale from the courthouse.
- The official parcel list is a newspaper publication in the Maquoketa Sentinel-Press during the last week of May. The searchable, nightly updated listing sits behind GovEase bidder registration, so registering early is the practical way to see parcels before the sale.
- Payment status on an individual parcel can be checked through the county payment site at iowatreasurers.org, which is also where certificate holders must pay subsequent taxes.
- The Treasurer publishes a dated Terms and Conditions PDF each year on the tax sale page. Check that document for the current sale date, registration window, and fees before bidding.
Iowa statewide rules
- Minimum return
- No statutory minimum return; what you earn is set by the share of ownership taken at the sale
- Redemption
- A parcel may be redeemed at any time before the right of redemption expires. After one year and nine months from the date of sale, the certificate holder may serve a notice of expiration of the right of redemption on the person in possession, the person in whose name the parcel is taxed, and every mortgagee, contract vendor, recorded lessor, and other party of record. The right of redemption then ends 90 days after that service is complete, which means the affidavit of service has been filed with the county treasurer. Three shortened tracks exist: nine months from a public bidder sale under section 446.18, and three months from an abandoned-property or public nuisance sale under section 446.19A or 446.19B. After the treasurer delivers the deed, redemption is possible only through an equitable action in district court, and only by a person who could have redeemed during the 90-day window.
- Surplus proceeds
- No surplus arises. The deed conveys the parcel to the certificate holder rather than selling it to the highest bidder, so there are no excess proceeds to distribute. Where the winning bid was less than 100 percent, the deed conveys only that undivided percentage interest in the parcel.
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 Jackson County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Jackson County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.
When is the Jackson County tax certificate sale?
- Annually on the third Monday in June. The Treasurer's tax sale page states unpaid taxes are "offered at Public Tax Sale which is held annually on the third Monday in June online." The most recent published cycle: "The 2026 annual Tax Sale will be held by the Jackson County Treasurer on Monday, June 15, 2026, in the Treasurer's office at the Jackson County Courthouse, 201 W. Platt St., Maquoketa, Iowa, beginning at 10:00 a.m." Bids could be uploaded starting 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, and "All online bids must be entered by 9:45 a.m. on Monday June 15, 2026." An adjourned tax sale is held any business day after the annual sale when bidders are present and parcels are still available.. 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 Jackson County hold tax deed sales?
- none. 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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