Forrest County, MS tax sales
How tax lien sales work in Forrest County, seat of Hattiesburg: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
New to tax sales? Read how Mississippi tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.
- Next sale
- on the last Monday in August, 2026
- Format
- GovEase
- Registration
- Registration is required before the auction.
- County office
- (601) 582-8228
On this page
How Forrest County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Forrest County Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Registration
- Registration is required before the auction.
- Next expected
- on the last Monday in August, 2026 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
When it runs
Registration and deposit
Registration is required before the auction. The county's Tax Sale Information sheet states that "PRIOR to the auction-you MUST register to buy at the online sale" and directs bidders to "begin by going to govease.com to register." To complete registration the Tax Collector also requires a W-9, a letter of good standing from your bank stating the amount you are good for and how long you have been a customer, and a signed blank check with no date written on it. Questions go to the Tax Collector's Office at 601-582-8228.
Sale format and venue
Forrest County tax sale list and auction calendar
For Forrest 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.
Get the advertised list
Use Land redemption and delinquent tax search (Chancery Clerk records portal) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.Register to bid
Sale day
on the last Monday in August, 2026 Bidding runs on GovEase; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.Confirm with the office
If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Forrest County Tax Collector as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.
Before you bid in Forrest County
4 checks
Start with the live sale list
Pull the current advertised parcels from Land redemption and delinquent tax search (Chancery Clerk records portal). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.Confirm registration and deposit
Registration is required before the auction. The county's Tax Sale Information sheet states that "PRIOR to the auction-you MUST register to buy at the online sale" and directs bidders to "begin by going to govease.com to register." To complete registration the Tax Collector also requires a W-9, a letter of good standing from your bank stating the amount you are good for and how long you have been a customer, and a signed blank check with no date written on it. Questions go to the Tax Collector's Office at 601-582-8228.
Check the state rules that change the bid
Read the Mississippi due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.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
unsold certificates
Mississippi counties do not keep an over-the-counter list. A tract that draws no bid is struck off to the state, and if it is still unredeemed after two years the chancery clerk certifies it to the Secretary of State. Any person may then apply in writing to the Secretary of State's Public Lands Division to buy the parcel, and the office may also sell state-forfeited land by sealed bid after three weeks of newspaper advertisement, or by online auction.
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)
601 N Main St, Hattiesburg, MS 39401 (mailing: P.O. Box 1689, Hattiesburg, MS 39403)
Official websiteCounty notes
- The Tax Collector conducts the annual land sale. Zac Howell is the Tax Collector, reachable at (601) 582-8228 or [email protected], at 601 N Main St, Hattiesburg, MS 39401.
- The Chancery Clerk holds the sale record and processes redemption. Lance Reid is the Chancery Clerk, at 641 Main St, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, phone (601) 545-6041. The land records and prior-year tax line is (601) 545-6046 or (601) 545-6047. The office describes its duty as "Maintaining all records of property sold for taxes by the county tax collector each year and accepting and processing payment in redemption of those taxes."
- The county's Tax Sale Information sheet states the redemption period is two years from the date of the sale and that the purchaser has no right to the property during that time.
- On redemption within the two-year period, the county sheet states the purchaser receives the auction money back plus interest, and that overbid amounts are not returned to the purchaser.
- After the two-year redemption period passes without redemption, the purchaser contacts the Chancery Clerk at (601) 545-6046 to request the tax deed. The county notes this carries an extra cost and that delinquent taxes will also be due on the property at that point.
- The county sheet states plainly that a tax deed or tax title is not clear title, that clearing it requires an attorney to quiet and confirm tax title in Chancery Court, and that prior owners can take a purchaser to court absent clear title. It also states that liens are the buyer's responsibility to research and that the Chancery Clerk's office does not do title searches.
- Registration paperwork is submitted to the Tax Collector even though bidding happens on GovEase, so allow lead time before the last Monday in August for the W-9, bank letter of good standing, and signed undated check to clear.
Mississippi rules
- Redemption
- Miss. Code Ann. 27-43-1 requires the chancery clerk to issue notice to the record owner within 180 days and not less than 60 days before the redemption period expires. Miss. Code Ann. 27-43-3 then requires the sheriff or a constable to serve a resident owner, the clerk to mail the notice by registered or certified mail, and the owner's name and the legal description to be published in a county newspaper at least 45 days before the period ends. Recorded lienors get their own notice. If the clerk inadvertently fails to send the notice, the sale is void. The clerk's fees for that work are taxed against the owner on redemption and against the purchaser if the land is not redeemed.
- Surplus proceeds
- Any amount bid above the taxes and costs is reported to the chancery clerk and paid into the county treasury. If the land is redeemed, or the purchaser's title is defeated or set aside, the county keeps the excess. If the land is not redeemed, the former owner may request the excess after the redemption period ends, and the county keeps it if no request comes within two years.
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 Forrest County, Mississippi sell tax liens or tax deeds?
When is the Forrest County tax certificate sale?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the Forrest County tax sale list?
Verified Aug 7, 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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