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Texas tax lien & tax deed sales

Texas is a redeemable deed state. No county sells tax lien certificates to investors. Read more…

A taxing unit sues in district court to foreclose its tax lien, the court orders the property sold, and a sheriff or constable auctions it on the first Tuesday of the month. The winning bidder receives a deed at the sale, but the former owner keeps a statutory right to redeem: two years on a residence homestead, on land designated for agricultural use, and on a mineral interest, and 180 days on everything else. Redemption repays the bid plus costs plus a premium of 25 percent, rising to 50 percent in the second year on the two-year classes. The process runs on Title 1 of the Texas Tax Code, principally Chapters 33 and 34.

Rules verified Jul 25, 2026 against Texas Statutes.

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Sale type: Redeemable deed
Maximum rate: 50%
Redemption: 2 years
Auction method: premium bid

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Tax deed sales

A tax deed sale auctions the property itself to the highest bidder. Win, and you can take ownership, but the deed is not clean, insurable title on its own.

Auction method: premium bid (highest bidder)

Runs afterOnce a tax becomes delinquent, a taxing unit may sue to foreclose the lien securing it. More…

If the court renders judgment for foreclosure, it orders the property sold in satisfaction of the judgment, and the district clerk issues an order of sale to an officer authorized to conduct execution sales. An order of sale must be returned unexecuted if it is not executed before the 181st day after it is issued. If the owner pays the judgment before the sale, the taxing unit releases its lien.

Run by

Sheriff or constable, under an order of sale issued by the district clerk

DepositThe Tax Code sets no statewide deposit and no buyer premium. More…

Section 34.01 directs the officer to conduct the sale the way similar property is sold under execution, so payment terms are set locally by the officer who runs the sale. Most Texas counties collect the full bid in cash or by cashier's check on the day of the sale. Confirm the terms with the county before you bid.

Balance dueNo statewide balance window exists in the Tax Code, because the sale follows execution-sale practice and counties generally collect in full at the sale. More…

A separate statutory condition does gate the deed: in the counties where Section 34.015 applies, the officer may not execute or deliver the deed until the successful bidder shows an unexpired written statement from the county assessor-collector confirming no delinquent ad valorem taxes are owed to that county or to any school district or municipality in it. The statement costs up to $10, expires on the 90th day after issuance, and if the bidder does not produce one within six months of the sale the officer files the return with the county clerk.

Surplus proceedsThe officer pays any excess proceeds to the clerk of the court that issued the order of sale. More…

The clerk holds the excess for two years after the sale and notifies the former owner when the amount exceeds $25. A claim must be filed before the second anniversary of the sale. The court pays established claims in statutory priority: a purchaser at a sale later adjudged void, taxing units for post-judgment or omitted taxes, other lienholders, taxing units for unsatisfied judgment amounts, and then the former owner. Anything unclaimed is distributed to the taxing units.

Homestead parcelsTexas sets no separate opening bid for a homestead. More…

What changes on a homestead parcel is the exit: a residence homestead, land designated for agricultural use when the suit or warrant application was filed, and a mineral interest all carry a two-year redemption right instead of 180 days, and the premium the owner pays can reach 50 percent in the second year. Price a homestead parcel for that longer clock.

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.

Redemption, delinquency, and over-the-counter at a glance

Redemption

How longThe redemption clock runs from the date the purchaser's deed is filed for record, not from the sale date. More…

Property that was the owner's residence homestead or was land designated for agricultural use when the suit or the warrant application was filed, and any mineral interest, may be redeemed on or before the second anniversary of that filing. Every other property may be redeemed only through the 180th day after the deed is filed. When a parcel is struck off to a taxing unit instead, the period runs from the date the taxing unit's deed is filed for record. The former owner has no right to use, possess, or collect rent from the property while the redemption right runs, and the right of redemption cannot be sold or transferred: any instrument purporting to transfer it is void.

What the owner paysThe amount the purchaser bid, plus the deed recording fee, plus the taxes, penalties, interest, and costs the purchaser paid on the property, plus a redemption premium. More…

On homestead, agricultural-use, and mineral-interest property the premium is 25 percent of that aggregate total in the first year of the redemption period and 50 percent in the second. On all other property the premium may not exceed 25 percent. Recoverable costs are defined by statute and cover property insurance, repairs required by a local ordinance, building code, or an existing lease, discharging a municipal health or safety lien, property owners association dues, and impact or standby fees. The purchaser must itemize those costs in writing within 10 days of a written request, and only itemized amounts count toward redemption.

Delinquency

How it startsTexas property taxes are due on receipt of the tax bill and become delinquent if not paid before February 1 of the year following the year they were imposed. More…

A delinquent tax incurs a 6 percent penalty in the first delinquent month plus 1 percent for each additional month before July 1, reaching a flat 12 percent penalty on July 1, and it accrues interest at 1 percent per month for as long as it stays unpaid. A tax lien attaches on January 1 each year and takes priority over a homestead interest and over the claims of other creditors and lienholders, whether or not those encumbrances predate the tax lien. That priority is what makes a Texas tax foreclosure title senior.

Over-the-counter

How to buyTexas has no over-the-counter certificate list. More…

When no bid reaches the statutory minimum, the parcel is struck off to the taxing unit that requested the order of sale, which takes title for itself and every other unit that established a lien in the suit. That taxing unit may then sell the property at any time by public or private sale, and it is not required to follow the ordinary county-property disposal procedures. A public resale requested through the sheriff or constable may be sold for any amount, which is where the low prices usually sit. A private sale generally may not go below the lesser of the market value stated in the foreclosure judgment or the total judgments against the property, unless every taxing unit entitled to proceeds consents.

What is availableTexas has no lands-available list and no escheat clock for struck-off property. More…

A resale stays subject to any remaining right of redemption, and on struck-off property the redemption period runs from the date the taxing unit's deed is filed for record. County struck-off inventories are normally published by the delinquent-tax law firm that represents the county's taxing units rather than by the county itself.

Governing statutes

Tex. Tax Code Chapter 34 Tex. Tax Code 33.01 Tex. Tax Code 33.41 Tex. Tax Code 34.01 Tex. Tax Code 34.015 Tex. Tax Code 34.05 Tex. Tax Code 34.21

All 254 Texas counties

Sales are organized by county. Search your city or county, or filter by whether the tax deed sale runs online or in person. Each row shows the certificate-sale platform for quick comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Does Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Texas sells deeds, not lien certificates. A taxing unit forecloses its tax lien in district court and a sheriff or constable auctions the property. The winning bidder takes a deed at the sale, subject to the former owner's right of redemption. There is no investor tax lien certificate anywhere in Texas.

When are Texas tax sales held?

On the first Tuesday of the month, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at the county courthouse or another public place the commissioners court has designated. If the first Tuesday falls on January 1 or July 4, the sale moves to the first Wednesday. A county that has authorized online bidding may open the auction earlier, but it must close at 4 p.m. on that first Tuesday.

How long is the redemption period in Texas?

Two years for a residence homestead, for land designated for agricultural use, and for a mineral interest. 180 days for every other property. The clock runs from the date the purchaser's deed is filed for record, not from the sale date, so the filing date is the one to track.

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