Harris County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Harris County, seat of Houston: 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 Harris County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Harris County Constable Precincts 1 through 8 conduct the sale on behalf of the taxing units; the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector (Special Tax Services) handles bidder registration and publishes the property listing.
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of every month. The Tax Office states: "The auction is conducted on the first Tuesday of each month at Bayou City Event Center, between 10:00 am to 4:00 pm." The FAQ adds that sales start "promptly at 10:00 am" and end "when the last property is offered, but not after 4:00 pm," with on-site bidder registration opening at 8:30 am. If the first Tuesday falls on New Year's Day or Independence Day, the sale moves to the next business day, Wednesday. The county listing page showed a sale dated August 04, 2026.
Registration and deposit
Registration with the Harris County Tax Office is required before bidding, is free, and must be renewed annually. Register online through the Registration of Bidders portal at hctax.net (create an account or sign in), by mail on the Tax Sale Bidder Registration form to Harris County Tax-Collector, P.O. Box 3746, Houston, TX 77253, in person at 1001 Preston, Houston, TX 77002, by email to [email protected], by fax to 713-368-2549, or in person at the registration table on sale day starting at 8:30 am. Bidders need a valid government-issued photo ID, a list of all property they own in Harris County, and a signed certification that no delinquent property taxes are owed to any taxing unit within Harris County. The county notes the former Written Statement of Taxes and $10 fee are no longer required (procedures effective 1/1/2016) and that furnishing false information is a criminal offense. Agents must register separately for each buyer and provide written authorization on company letterhead. Bidders pick up a Bidder Card at the pre-registration table on sale day.
Harris County runs an in-person live auction, not an online sale. All eight Constable precincts offer property simultaneously at Bayou City Event Center, in three categories: Executions, Tax Sales, and Tax Resales. The minimum bid is the lower of the HCAD market value at the time of judgment or the total judgment amount (tax, penalty, interest, attorney fees) plus court cost, title search, Constable fee, posting, publication, and sale fees; it is set by the Constable and announced at the sale. Payment is due in full at the time of sale in cash or certified check made payable to the selling Constable precinct, and bidders cannot leave to get funds. The winning bidder receives a Constable's Deed or Sheriff's Deed 4 to 6 weeks after the sale. Property sells "As Is," all sales are final, and the buyer takes it subject to other liens, judgments not included in the sale, and post-judgment taxes. Property that draws no minimum bid may be struck off to the taxing unit and re-offered at a later sale with a reduced minimum bid; Harris County generally does not sell struck-off property by private resale. Redemption is settled between the defendant and the purchaser; a defendant who cannot locate the purchaser or agree on the amount may tender a Redemption Affidavit plus the redemption amount to the Tax Assessor-Collector, which issues a Receipt for Redemption. Separate trustee (lender) foreclosure auctions run at the same venue but are not county tax sales and need no county registration. The county also points bidders to the delinquent-tax law firms Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson and Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, plus the Daily Court Review, for property lists. In person, live outcry auction at Bayou City Event Center, 9401 Knight Road, Houston, TX 77045. No online bidding 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)
Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector (Harris County Tax Office), Special Tax Services
713-274-8120 (Special Tax Service Department, tax sales); 713-274-8000 (main)
1001 Preston St., Houston, TX 77002. Tax sale bidder registration by mail: P.O. Box 3746, Houston, TX 77253-3746
Official websiteNotes for Harris County
- Sale is in person only at Bayou City Event Center, 9401 Knight Road, Houston, TX 77045. No online auction platform is used.
- All eight Constable precincts sell at the same time; properties are called in the order shown on the Property Boards at the venue.
- Offerings are split into three types: Executions, Tax Sales, and Tax Resales.
- Minimum bid is the lower of HCAD market value at judgment or the full judgment amount plus costs, announced by the Constable at the sale.
- Payment is due immediately, cash or certified check payable to the selling Constable precinct. Overpayments are refunded by the Constable's office.
- Constable's Deed or Sheriff's Deed is issued 4 to 6 weeks after the sale; the buyer must record it and submit it to HCAD to update ownership.
- Property sells As Is and remains subject to other liens, judgments outside the suit, and post-judgment taxes.
- Struck-off property is usually re-offered at a later sale with a reduced minimum bid rather than sold by private resale.
- Redemption runs between the defendant and the purchaser; the Tax Assessor-Collector accepts a Redemption Affidavit and payment when the parties cannot connect.
- The county's bidder registration form is captioned under Texas Tax Code 34.011, and the Written Statement of Taxes plus $10 fee were dropped effective 1/1/2016.
- Bidder registration expires annually and must be renewed.
- Trustee (lender) foreclosure auctions run at the same venue but are not Harris County tax 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 Harris County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Harris County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Harris 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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