Hays County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Hays County, seat of San Marcos: 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 Hays County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Hays County Constable, Precinct 1 (Constable David Peterson)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of the month, usually 10 a.m. The county states: "Consistent with statute, all tax sales in Hays County are typically held on the first Tuesday of the month" and "Times of the sale should be verified but Hays County tax sales are usually held at 10 am." As of the July 2026 fetch, the Constable Precinct 1 page listed "Next Tax Sale: TBA," and Hays County did not appear on MVBA Law's August 2026 (Tuesday, August 4, 2026) or September 2026 (Tuesday, September 1, 2026) sale lists.
Registration and deposit
No online bidder portal. MVBA states that "In-Person Tax Sales will have registration on-site the day of the Tax Sale." MVBA also warns that a buyer "may be required to present to the officer conducting the tax sale a written statement from the County Tax Assessor-Collector stating that the purchaser does not owe any delinquent taxes to the County, school districts or cities in the County," and that where the requirement applies "the purchaser will not receive a deed to the property purchased at the tax sale until the written statement is presented." Request that statement from the Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector before the sale. Winning bidders "are expected to tender their bid amount in the form of a money order, a cashier's check or a personal check"; the county notes a personal check can delay deed filing by a week or two because the check must clear first.
Hays County runs a live, in-person redeemable tax deed sale. It is held at the Hays County Government Center, 712 South Stagecoach Trail, Suite 2210, San Marcos, and conducted by Constable Precinct 1, not online. Do not look for an online bidding platform for this county. The county tax office directs buyers to the delinquent tax law firms for upcoming sale notices: "The law firm for Hays County is MVBA Law and they can be reached at 512.353.3755," with mvbalaw.com "representing the County and all other taxing jurisdictions," pbfcm.com representing Wimberley and Dripping Springs ISDs, and lgbs.com representing Hays and San Marcos ISDs. Sales only follow a filed tax lien foreclosure suit and a court judgment. Constable Precinct 1 can be reached at 512-393-7730, 712 S. Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, TX 78666, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Confirm the sale date and time with the constable before traveling, since the county posts "Next Tax Sale: TBA" between scheduled sales. In person at the Hays County Government Center (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)
Notes for Hays County
- The sale is in person only. Bidding happens at the Hays County Government Center, 712 South Stagecoach Trail, Suite 2210, San Marcos, with no online auction platform.
- Constable Precinct 1 conducts the sale and is the office to call for the next date: 512-393-7730.
- MVBA Law is the county's delinquent tax collection firm and posts the bid sheets. Two school districts use separate firms (PBFCM for Wimberley and Dripping Springs ISDs, LGBS for Hays and San Marcos ISDs), so a Hays parcel can appear on a different firm's list.
- Ask the Tax Assessor-Collector for the written statement of no delinquent taxes before the sale. Without it the deed can be withheld after a winning bid.
- Payment is due at the sale by money order, cashier's check, or personal check. A personal check delays deed filing until it clears.
- The Tax Assessor-Collector also has substations in Kyle (512-268-8024), Dripping Springs (512-858-5105), and Wimberley (512-878-6705).
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 Hays County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Hays County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Hays 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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