Galveston County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Galveston County, seat of Galveston: 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 Galveston County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Galveston County Sheriff's Office (sale information published by the Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector, Galveston County Tax Office)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- "First Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. (unless holiday, then following business day)" per the Tax Assessor-Collector's Sheriff Sale Information page; the Sheriff's Office page states "Current/Upcoming SALES! First Tuesday of Every Month!" The Realauction FAQ states sales run between 10:00 a.m. CT and 4:00 p.m. CT. The Realauction auction calendar showed a tax sale on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM CT, and the Sheriff's current sales listing is for the sale on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
Registration and deposit
Bidding is online only. Register on the Galveston County Realauction site at least one business day before the auction, then fund an escrow deposit equal to 5% of the intended total bid amount and allocate it to Galveston County before the sale starts. Deposits are accepted by wire transfer or ACH debit only (no cash, no international funds): wires must be received by 5 p.m. ET two business days before the auction, ACH debits initiated by 4 p.m. ET five business days before the auction. The balance of a winning bid is due by 4:00 p.m. CT on the day of the sale, by wire through Realauction or by cash or certified funds delivered to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office. Winning bidders must also obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (Texas Tax Code bidder statement) by filing the application with a $10.00 processing fee at any Galveston County Tax Office location before the sheriff's deed is recorded. Free bidder training is offered on the Realauction site; Realauction customer service is (877) 361-7325.
Galveston County sells redeemable tax deeds at the monthly sheriff sale, conducted entirely online through Realauction after Commissioners Court approved online sales on May 4, 2020. The county states the Sheriff "will no longer conduct live tax sales and resales but will continue to conduct execution sales in accordance with Texas law," so execution sales on the same monthly docket remain live at the Galveston County Courthouse and follow different law. Properties are advertised 21 days before the sale in the Galveston County Daily News, posted at county offices, and posted officially on the Sheriff's Office site. The Sheriff's current listing for the August 4, 2026 sale carried 23 tax sale items and 5 execution items. Properties not sold are struck off to the taxing units and re-auctioned at later sheriff sales. Redemption follows Tax Code section 34.21 and runs from the date the sheriff's deed is recorded: two years for homestead and agricultural property (25% premium in year one, 50% in year two) and 180 days for other property (25%). Failed winning bidders forfeit their deposit. No title insurance is offered and taxes for years outside the judgment may remain due.
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
Notes for Galveston County
- Sale platform: Realauction's RealForeclose site for Galveston County at https://galveston.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com/, verified live and titled "RealForeclose- Galveston County" (source: realauction_galveston).
- The Sheriff's Office posts the official sale notice and the current sales listing PDF at https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/ and links to the Realauction site from that page (source: gcso_sales).
- Sheriff's Office for sale payments, deeds, and questions: 601 54th Street, Galveston, TX 77551, (409) 766-2300. The Tax Office page directs winning bid payments delivered in person to Rebecca Galloway, 601 54th Street, Ste. 1114, Galveston, TX 77551, (409) 766-2312, and names Captain Pete SiFuentes, (409) 766-2401, for additional information (sources: gcso_sales, gc_sheriff_sale_info).
- Tax Office Property Tax Department direct line for sale questions: (409) 766-2481, toll free (877) 766-2284 (sources: gc_tac_hours, gc_sheriff_sale_packet).
- Struck-off resale inventory: Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP handles property struck off to Galveston County, the City of Texas City, and the City of Galveston, listings at https://taxsales.lgbs.com/, phone 409-948-3401. Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP handles property struck off to Clear Creek, Dickinson, and Santa Fe ISDs, phone 800-833-5886 (source: gc_sheriff_sale_info).
- LGBS runs an Interested Buyer notification program; investors can register by county or by property on the LGBS tax sale site to get email alerts when listings post or property status changes (source: gc_sheriff_sale_info).
- The county's PT 26 Sheriff Sale Packet PDF is dated 5.20.2020 and still describes the pre-2020 live courthouse auction in places. The Sheriff Sale Information web page is the current authority and supersedes it on bidding mechanics (sources: gc_sheriff_sale_packet, gc_sheriff_sale_info).
- Tax Assessor-Collector is Cheryl E. Johnson, PCC, CTOP; Sheriff is Jimmy Fullen (sources: gc_tac_home, gcso_sales).
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 Galveston County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Galveston County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Galveston 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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