- Does Missouri sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Both, from the same annual sale, depending on how many times the parcel has been offered. A first or second offering produces a certificate of purchase, which is a lien. A third offering produces a certificate with a 90 day redemption period. A post third offering sale produces an immediate collector's deed with no redemption at all.
- What interest rate does a Missouri tax certificate pay?
- The collector writes a rate on the certificate of purchase and the statute caps it at 10 percent per year. Subsequent taxes the holder pays earn 8 percent per year. No interest at all accrues on the part of the bid that exceeded the delinquent taxes plus the collector's costs of sale, and Missouri sets no minimum return, so an early redemption pays only what actually accrued.
- When is the Missouri tax sale held?
- On the fourth Monday in August each year, beginning at ten o'clock in the morning in or adjacent to the county courthouse, and continuing day to day until every parcel has been offered. The delinquent list is published once a week for three consecutive weeks beforehand, with the last insertion at least 15 days before the sale.
- How long is the redemption period in Missouri?
- One year from a first or second offering sale, and the owner keeps a defeasible right to redeem after that until the purchaser actually takes the deed. A third offering sale carries a 90 day redemption period. A post third offering sale carries none.
- How does a Missouri certificate holder get the deed?
- The holder obtains a title search from a licensed attorney or title company, notifies the owner of record and every holder of a recorded unreleased claim of their right to redeem at least 90 days before the date the deed can be acquired, sending each notice by both first class and certified mail, then files an affidavit with the collector attaching the search and copies of every notice and envelope. The holder must also pay all subsequent taxes and the deed recording fee, and must have the deed executed and recorded within 18 months of the sale. Miss that 18 month deadline and the amount due the purchaser stops being a lien on the land.
- Can a non-resident buy at a Missouri tax sale?
- Yes, with an extra step. A nonresident bidder, including a foreign corporation or entity, must file a written consent to the jurisdiction of the circuit court of the county with the collector and appoint a citizen of that county as agent for service of process. The certificate of purchase issues to that agent, the property is conveyed to the agent, and the agent then conveys it to the nonresident. Nobody who is delinquent on any other property tax may bid, and bidders sign an affidavit to that effect.
- What happens to the money bid above the taxes owed?
- The collector pays the surplus into the county treasury. The treasurer holds it for the lesser of three years or 90 days after the redemption period expires, then distributes it first to the former lienholders of record by the priority their liens held on the sale date, and then to the former owner. Claims go to the county commission in writing within 90 days after the redemption period ends. The county pays no interest on the fund, and anything unclaimed after three years becomes the county's permanent school fund.
- Do all Missouri counties use the August Chapter 140 sale?
- No. Under section 141.230 a county commission may adopt a resolution or order electing to operate under the Land Tax Collection Law in Chapter 141, either fully or as a partial opt-in county for particular parcels. Those parcels leave the collector's first, second, third and post third offering lists and go to a court supervised in rem foreclosure instead. The sheriff then sells them at public auction, and under section 141.550 the parcel goes to the highest bidder only if that bid is at least the full amount of the tax bills due on it, plus interest, penalties, attorney's fees, costs and a non-refundable 200 dollar bidder fee. Confirm which chapter your target county runs before you plan a bid.
Verified Aug 18, 2026 against Missouri 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.