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Tax Sale Atlas

Worcester County, MD tax sales

How tax lien sales work in Worcester County, seat of Snow Hill: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.

New to tax sales? Read how Maryland tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
Annual online tax lien sale each spring, typically mid-May, run over three days.
Format
RealAuction
Registration
Register online with RealAuction; there is no in person bidding.
County office
(410) 632-0686 (tax sale line, ext. 1220)
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Aug 9, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Worcester County sells delinquent taxes

From lien to deed

Maryland holds no county tax deed auction. Title passes only through a judicial foreclosure of the right of redemption brought by the holder of the certificate of sale. The holder may file the complaint at any time after 6 months from the date of sale, or after 9 months for owner-occupied residential property, and only after serving two statutory notices on the owner and the mortgagee. The first of those notices cannot be sent until 4 months after the sale, or 7 months for owner-occupied residential property, the second follows at least a week later, and the complaint cannot be filed until at least 2 months after the first notice and 30 days after the second. Where a government agency certifies that a building needs substantial repairs, the holder may file after 60 days, and abandoned property sold below the lien amount may be filed on immediately.

Tax certificate sale (lien)

RealAuction
Run by
Worcester County Treasurer's Office, whose Treasurer and Finance Officer signs the notice as Collector of State and County Taxes
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
Annual online tax lien sale each spring, typically mid-May, run over three days.
Registration
Register online with RealAuction; there is no in person bidding.
Sale list
Worcester County Tax Sales page, with the sale notice, over the counter lien list and excess proceeds list
When it runs
Annual online tax lien sale each spring, typically mid-May, run over three days. For 2026 the Treasurer's Office states the auction "will begin on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. and close on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 1:00 P.M." Prior sales were held May 16, 2025 and May 17, 2024.
Registration and deposit

Register online with RealAuction; there is no in person bidding. The county states registration "begins at 10:00 A.M. April 17th and ends promptly at 4:00 P.M. May 2nd" for the 2026 sale, with "a $100 non-refundable registration fee payable immediately online via ACH debit authorization at the time of registration." RealAuction requires proper identification for individuals and proof of existence for legal entities, and business entities must hold a Maryland SDAT account in good standing. One bidder number is issued per person, corporation, partnership or other legal entity, and entities are limited to one bidder per property sold.

Sale format and venue
Bidding is bid up on price rather than bid down on interest. The Treasurer's rules state bidding "will begin at an amount set (amount of Taxes due)," bids may be "no more than three (3) times the assessed value of the property or the open charges, whichever is higher," and that "Worcester County does not have a bid premium," so the Md. Tax-Property 14-813 high bid premium is not collected here. Winning bidders pay by ACH auto debit from the same bank account used for the registration fee; the county page sets the deadline at 1:00 P.M. on May 15 and the RealAuction bidding rules set 4:00 P.M. ET that same day, in the amount of taxes due plus expenses of sale (attorney, auctioneer, advertising and miscellaneous). The county says a tax sale certificate is mailed to the purchaser within thirty days of the sale. The registration close date differs between the two official pages, May 2 on the county site and 4:00 PM ET Friday, May 1, 2026 in the RealAuction bidding rules, so confirm the cutoff with the office before relying on it. Unsold liens are available over the counter: the county posts an over the counter lien list covering the 2025 and 2026 sales plus a tax lien certificate purchase form, and the list directs buyers to the Treasurer's tax sale line at (410) 632-0686 ext. 1220. The advertised delinquent list runs for four consecutive weeks in the Daily Times Group and Ocean City Today Group papers beginning the week of April 19, 2026, and RealAuction carries the property list; the county's own link to the 2026 property list PDF returns a not found error as of August 2026, so use the RealAuction site or call the office for the current list. One conflict worth knowing: the Maryland SDAT statewide schedule lists Worcester's 2026 sale as June 9, which does not match the county's own May 13 to 15 dates or the county's over the counter list dated 5/15/2026, so treat the county and RealAuction dates as authoritative and reconfirm each year.
Register on RealAuction
Source: Worcester County Treasurer's Office, Tax Sales· Verified Aug 9, 2026

Worcester County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Worcester County tax sale 2026 searches, use the county-run sources below rather than a copied parcel list, and confirm the parcel, registration cutoff, deposit, and payment deadline against the county before you bid.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Worcester County Tax Sales page, with the sale notice, over the counter lien list and excess proceeds list for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Register online with RealAuction; there is no in person bidding. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Annual online tax lien sale each spring, typically mid-May, run over three days. Bidding runs on RealAuction; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Worcester County Treasurer's Office, whose Treasurer and Finance Officer signs the notice as Collector of State and County Taxes as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Worcester County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Worcester County Tax Sales page, with the sale notice, over the counter lien list and excess proceeds list. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Register online with RealAuction; there is no in person bidding. The county states registration "begins at 10:00 A.M. April 17th and ends promptly at 4:00 P.M. May 2nd" for the 2026 sale, with "a $100 non-refundable registration fee payable immediately online via ACH debit authorization at the time of registration." RealAuction requires proper identification for individuals and proof of existence for legal entities, and business entities must hold a Maryland SDAT account in good standing. One bidder number is issued per person, corporation, partnership or other legal entity, and entities are limited to one bidder per property sold.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Maryland due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  4. Set a walk-away number

    Work out what the parcel is actually worth with the rural land value estimator, then turn it into a ceiling with the tax deed max-bid calculator.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

A county or other taxing agency must buy in any property offered at the sale for which there is no private purchaser, and the governing body may then sell and assign that certificate of sale, or after foreclosure sell the property. Several counties run this as a post-sale assignment sale of the unsold liens at lien value, usually open only to bidders who registered for the auction. Availability, pricing and whether a list is published are local decisions, so ask the collector of taxes.

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)

Worcester County Treasurer's Office

(410) 632-0686 (tax sale line, ext. 1220)

Worcester County Government Center, 1 W. Market St., Room 1105, Snow Hill, MD 21863

Official website

County notes

  • Worcester County runs a single annual online tax lien certificate sale through RealAuction at worcester.marylandtaxsale.com. There is no in person courthouse auction.
  • The sale covers delinquent state and county real property taxes plus delinquent water, sewer, assessment charges and nuisance abatements.
  • Worcester does not charge a high bid premium, unlike several other Maryland jurisdictions that collect one under Md. Tax-Property 14-813.
  • Bids are capped at three times the property's assessed value or the open charges, whichever is higher.
  • Liens left unsold are offered over the counter; the county publishes a combined 2025 and 2026 over the counter list and a tax lien certificate purchase form on its Tax Sales page.
  • Properties inside Berlin, Ocean City, Pocomoke City or Snow Hill may carry additional municipal charges, and the county tells bidders to contact the town directly before bidding.

Maryland rules

Max interest rate
6% per year, set by statute (bidding is on price)
Minimum return
No statutory minimum return; what you earn is set by the price at the sale
Redemption
Maryland sets no fixed redemption deadline. The right to redeem continues until it is finally barred by decree of the circuit court in which the foreclosure proceeding is filed. What the statute fixes is the earliest date the certificate holder may start that case, and the outside date by which the holder must start it. A 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, and 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. A Baltimore City certificate on abandoned property sold below the lien amount must be filed on within 3 months and reverts to the city otherwise.
Surplus proceeds
Any balance over the amount needed for taxes, interest, penalties and the costs of sale belongs to the person entitled to it, which is normally the former owner. Each county must establish a process for claiming that balance, the process must apply uniformly to all claims in the county, and it may not require a court order unless payment of the balance is disputed. Within 90 days after delivering a deed to a purchaser, the collector must notify the prior owner of record of the amount of the balance and of how to claim it. Where the balance is disputed, the collector pays it into a court of competent jurisdiction pending an order on distribution.
Governing statute
Md. Code Ann., Tax-Prop. Title 14, Subtitle 8, Part III

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.

See the full Marylandrules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Worcester County, Maryland sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax lien certificates. In Maryland investors buy the lien, not the property; the County Collector of Taxes runs the sale.

When is the Worcester County tax certificate sale?

Annual online tax lien sale each spring, typically mid-May, run over three days. For 2026 the Treasurer's Office states the auction "will begin on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. and close on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 1:00 P.M." Prior sales were held May 16, 2025 and May 17, 2024. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the County Collector of Taxes before the sale.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Maryland's redemption rule: Open until the circuit court forecloses the right of redemption; the holder may file that case 6 months after the sale, or 9 months for owner-occupied residential property. Call the Worcester County Treasurer's Office, whose Treasurer and Finance Officer signs the notice as Collector of State and County Taxes as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Where can I find the Worcester County tax sale list?

Worcester County posts its tax sale list at worcestermd.gov. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

Verified Aug 9, 2026 against official county and state sources.

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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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

Maryland tax salesDue diligence guide
Call Worcester County Treasurer's OfficeOpen auction