Bexar County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Bexar County, seat of San Antonio: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 27, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Texas tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Bexar County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Office of the Bexar County Sheriff (bidder registration and sale proceeds), with the Written Statement Regarding Delinquent Taxes issued by the Office of the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Monthly. The county states: "Public Sale of Property in Bexar County is conducted on the first Tuesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. located outside on the west side of the Bexar County Courthouse which is near the intersection of East Nueva Street and the closed portion of South Main Avenue, San Antonio TX 78205." The County Clerk FAQ adds that the sale runs "on the first Tuesday of every month between the hours of 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM" at the west side of the courthouse, 100 Dolorosa, and that if the first Tuesday falls on January 1 or July 4 the sale moves to the first Wednesday.
Registration and deposit
Two steps, both required before the sale. 1) Mail a notarized request for a Written Statement Regarding Delinquent Taxes to the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector, C/O Assessing Section, P.O. Box 839950, San Antonio TX 78283-3950, with the $10.00 statutory processing fee. Forms are on the Tax Assessor-Collector forms page. Allow 10 business days. The statement is issued in the name of the person or company and is valid 90 days; property is deeded in that exact name. 2) Register the statement with the Office of the Bexar County Sheriff, 200 N. Comal, San Antonio TX 78207, (210) 335-6050 option 2, Monday to Friday 8:00 to 4:30, one week prior to the sale. Registration on the day of the sale is not permitted and holidays do not extend the deadline. Payment in full is due on the sale date by cashier's check or money order payable to the Bexar County Sheriff. To obtain the deed, the winning bidder must present the Written Statement to the Sheriff's Office.
Bexar County runs a live, in-person outcry sale on the courthouse steps, not an online auction. Filter the LGBS site by sale date, county and sale type to download the Bexar list; the county says the list is available on the 15th of every month. Texas does not sell tax lien certificates, and the county states plainly that "Sale of Property Tax Liens is prohibited in the state of Texas." What is sold is a redeemable tax deed: under Tax Code 34.21 the former owner may redeem within 2 years for homestead, agricultural-use and mineral-interest property (25 percent premium in year one, 50 percent in year two) and within 180 days at 25 percent for other property. Only cash or certified funds are accepted at the sale; no personal checks. Post-judgment taxes are not included in the sale price. Bidders are responsible for inspecting and researching the property, which is sold by legal description with no warranty from the taxing units or from Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson, LLP. Properties that draw no bid are struck off to the county and later sold by the Bexar County Public Works Department, either by private sale or at the semi-annual Commissioners Court resale; that office is reached at (210) 335-6700. The County Clerk also publishes a GIS foreclosure map at maps.bexar.org/foreclosures, updated twice a month. In person at the Bexar County Courthouse (no online auction platform)
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Texas has no over-the-counter certificate list. Parcels that draw no sufficient bid are struck off to the taxing unit that requested the order of sale, and that unit may resell them at any time by public or private sale. A public resale requested through the sheriff or constable may be sold for any amount. A private sale generally may not go below the lesser of the market value stated in the judgment or the total judgments against the property, unless every taxing unit entitled to proceeds consents. Ask the county or its delinquent-tax law firm for the current struck-off inventory.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector (Albert Uresti, MPA, PCAC)
Vista Verde Plaza Building, 233 N. Pecos La Trinidad, San Antonio, TX 78207. Mailing: P.O. Box 839950, San Antonio, TX 78283-3950
Official websiteNotes for Bexar County
- Sale registration is handled by the Office of the Bexar County Sheriff, 200 N. Comal, San Antonio TX 78207, (210) 335-6050 option 2, Monday to Friday 8:00 to 4:30.
- The Written Statement Regarding Delinquent Taxes (Tax Code 34.015) costs $10.00, takes about 10 business days to issue, and is valid for 90 days. The bidder request and bidder certificate forms are on the county forms page.
- Struck-off property deeded to Bexar County is handled by the Bexar County Public Works Department at (210) 335-6700, not by the Sheriff or the Tax Assessor-Collector.
- The delinquent-tax law firm for the Bexar County taxing units is Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson, LLP, which publishes the monthly sale list.
Texas statewide rules
- Redemption
- The redemption clock runs from the date the purchaser's deed is filed for record, not from the sale date. 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.
- Deed deposit
- The Tax Code sets no statewide deposit and no buyer premium. 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.
- Homestead deeds
- Texas sets no separate opening bid for a homestead. 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.
- Surplus proceeds
- The officer pays any excess proceeds to the clerk of the court that issued the order of sale. 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.
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 Bexar County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Bexar County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Bexar County hold tax deed sales?
- annual. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.
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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