- Does Maryland sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Maryland sells tax liens. Each collector of taxes must sell the liens on parcels whose taxes are in arrears, and the winning bidder receives a certificate of sale rather than title. Maryland holds no county tax deed auction. A holder who is not redeemed obtains title only by suing in the circuit court to foreclose the right of redemption and then taking a deed from the collector.
- What interest rate does a Maryland tax sale certificate pay?
- The statute sets the rate of redemption at 6 percent a year unless the county's own figure applies. It names 10 percent for Calvert, Caroline, Dorchester and Garrett counties and 14 percent for Carroll County, lets those and other counties fix their own rate, and lets charter counties and Baltimore City set the rate by local law. The rate on owner-occupied residential property may not exceed 10 percent a year. Interest is computed from the date of the tax sale to the date of the redemption payment, and it runs on the lien amount rather than on the whole bid.
- How long does a Maryland certificate holder have to act?
- Two years. The certificate is void unless a proceeding to foreclose the right of redemption is filed within 2 years of the date of the certificate of sale. If the certificate goes void the holder's rights end and the money paid at the sale is forfeited and applied to the taxes in arrears, so the deadline is a total-loss deadline rather than a mere lapse. The earliest a holder may file is 6 months after the sale, or 9 months for owner-occupied residential property, and only after two statutory notices to the owner and the mortgagee.
- What is the Maryland high-bid premium and does it earn anything?
- Where the collector adopts one, the highest bidder pays a high-bid premium of 20 percent of the amount by which the bid exceeds 40 percent of the property's full cash value, measured in Baltimore City and Prince George's County against the greater of the lien amount or 40 percent of full cash value. It earns nothing. The collector refunds it without interest when the property is redeemed or when the deed is delivered, and the premium is not refundable at all if the holder never files the foreclosure within the statutory window.
- When are Maryland tax sales held?
- The statute leaves the date to local law and provides that missing it does not invalidate the tax or a later sale, so there is no statewide sale month. In practice most jurisdictions sell in May or June. The state schedule for 2026 puts St. Mary's County in March, most counties between May 11 and June 26, and Caroline County and Baltimore County in August.
- Can you buy Maryland tax liens over the counter?
- In effect, yes, through county assignment. A county or other taxing agency must buy in any property that draws no private bid, and once it holds the certificate the governing body may sell and assign it or, after foreclosure, sell the property. An assigned certificate vests all the right, title and interest of the original purchaser, including the right to foreclose. Whether a county offers its held certificates, at what price, and whether it publishes a list are local decisions, so contact the collector of taxes.
- How much can a Maryland certificate holder charge the owner on redemption?
- Only what the statute lists. The redeeming party pays the total lien amount with interest, any taxes and interest and penalties the holder paid, post-sale delinquent taxes except on owner-occupied residential property, and the closed list of expenses in Md. Code Ann., Tax-Prop. 14-843. Before suit, and only more than 4 months after the sale or more than 7 months for owner-occupied residential property, that list is recording costs, a title search fee up to 250 dollars, notice postage and certified mail, and attorney's fees up to 500 dollars. After the foreclosure is filed it becomes attorney's fees of 1,300 dollars, or 1,500 dollars with an affidavit of compliance, plus filing, service, publication and other named costs.
- Who gets the surplus when a Maryland tax sale bid exceeds the taxes owed?
- The former owner. Any balance over the amount required for taxes, interest, penalties and the costs of sale is paid to the person entitled to it, each county must run a claim process that applies uniformly and does not require a court order unless the payment is disputed, and the collector must notify the prior owner of record within 90 days after delivering a deed. Note that the surplus only becomes payable once the holder takes the deed, because the residue of the bid stays on credit until then.
Verified Aug 9, 2026 against Maryland 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.