Dallas County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Dallas County, seat of Dallas: 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 Dallas County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Dallas County Sheriff's Office, Writ Enforcement Section
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Monthly, fully online. The Sheriff's Writ Enforcement Section states: "The tax sale will be held online, through Real Auction, on the first Tuesday of every month beginning at 9 a.m. CST." The auction FAQ adds that "The sales are conducted between 9:00 a.m. CT and 4:00 p.m. CT. All sales will cease at 4:00 p.m. CT on the day of the sales and any sales not completed may be reposted for a future date." The platform's auction calendar confirmed a Tax Sale on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 09:00 AM CT with 28 items scheduled.
Registration and deposit
Two separate steps, both required. First, register on the RealForeclose site: "Anyone may bid on the properties by registering on this site at least five (5) business days before the auction. One account will be established for each bidder." A deposit of 5% of your anticipated maximum bid must be funded by ACH or wire transfer and allocated to Dallas County before the auction starts; ACH takes five business banking days and wires can take 48 hours, and cash deposits and international funds are not accepted. Second, obtain the Tax Code 34.015 Written Statement, also called the Bidder Certificate. Download the Request for Written Statement from the External Links block on the auction site's home page, complete and notarize it, and mail or email it to the Dallas County Tax Office, Attn: Special Inventory, Records Building, 500 Elm St, Ste 3300, Dallas, TX 75202 or [email protected], with a $10 check payable to John R. Ames, Tax Assessor/Collector. Allow three to five business days. The Written Statement is valid for 90 days from issuance and must be sent to the Sheriff's Office by fax at 214-761-1391 or email to [email protected] at least two business days before the sale. Per the county: "Sheriff's Deed will NOT be issued without a valid Written Statement on file."
Dallas County sells redeemable tax deeds online, not lien certificates, and no longer requires bidders to appear in person. Commissioners Court authorized online tax foreclosure sales and resales by resolution adopted December 15, 2020, recorded as instrument 202000365988, under Tax Code sections 34.01(a-1) and 34.05(d). The Sheriff's Office conducts the sale and Realauction.com, LLC facilitates it. Each listing shows the owner name, legal description, adjudged value, account number, cause number, precinct and sale number, and the estimated minimum opening bid, and properties are auctioned in sale number order to the highest bidder. Deposits and post sale payments must be by wire transfer, and the balance of the winning bid is due within 24 hours of the close of the online sale. Allow three to five weeks for the deed to issue. The county warns that additional liens, mortgages, encumbrances or title defects may exist and that verifying value and title is the bidder's sole responsibility, and that property may be pulled from the auction at any time without notice. All property bought at the sale remains subject to the statutory right of redemption. A separate live in person Sheriff's auction covering writ of execution sales still runs on the first Tuesday of every month at the Dallas County Records Building, 500 Elm Street, 7th floor Multipurpose room, where payment is cash or cashier's check payable to the Dallas County Sheriff's Office plus a $30.00 deed processing fee. Sales are subject to short or no notice cancellations.
Register on RealAuctionOver-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)
Dallas County Sheriff's Office, Writ Enforcement Section
Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N. Riverfront Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75207
Official websiteNotes for Dallas County
- The tax sale itself is fully online through Realauction's RealForeclose platform at dallas.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com. The Sheriff's Office conducts it; Realauction only runs the software.
- Bidder eligibility runs through the Dallas County Tax Office, not the Sheriff. The Written Statement of no delinquent taxes costs $10, takes three to five business days, is valid 90 days, and must reach the Sheriff at least two business days before the sale. Dallas County Tax Office: (214) 653-7811, Records Building, 500 Elm Street, Suite 3300, Dallas, TX 75202.
- Fund the 5% escrow deposit early. ACH clears in five business banking days and wires take up to 48 hours, and funds must be settled and allocated to Dallas County before bidding opens at 9:00 a.m. CT.
- Winning bidders wire the balance within 24 hours of the close of the sale. Deeds take roughly three to five weeks to issue and carry the Texas statutory right of redemption.
- The RealForeclose escrow module is shared across Realauction counties, so a single deposit can be allocated to Dallas or to other participating Texas counties, but you must sign into each county site before allocating funds to it.
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 Dallas County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Dallas County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Dallas 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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