Kitsap County, WA tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Kitsap County moved its tax foreclosure auctions online to Public Surplus; the Treasurer's Upcoming Auctions table lists www.publicsurplus.com as the sale location and the Public Surplus agency page (Kitsap County - Treasurer) loads and confirms it handles Real Property Tax Foreclosures, Mobile Home Distraint (annually in November), LID Foreclosures, and Tax Title sales.
• •Foreclosure timeline per the Treasurer: costs begin accruing in January of the year a tax becomes three years delinquent, owners can stop the process by paying the at-risk years by April 30, the foreclosure action is filed in May, and the auction follows (next sale January 26, 2027, last day to redeem January 25, 2027).
• •Buyer cautions from the county page: most liens are extinguished by the tax sale but IRS liens carry a 120-day redemption period, utility easements three years and older survive, some title companies will not insure for up to ten years after a tax sale, and minors or legally incompetent prior owners may redeem within three years of the sale under RCW 84.64.070.
• •The Treasurer explicitly does not run mortgage trustee or sheriff sales; those are held Fridays in front of the county Admin Building and are unrelated to the tax foreclosure auction.
• •Auction results and surplus proceeds are posted in the Auction Results & Surplus Proceeds List PDF on the Treasurer's auctions page; surplus fund applications take 6 to 12 weeks to process.

Washington rules

Redemption

Any property on which a certificate of delinquency has been issued may be redeemed at any time before the close of business the day before the day of the sale. Washington has no general post-sale redemption period: once the treasurer sells the parcel, the sale is final for a competent adult owner. The one exception protects minors and persons adjudicated legally incompetent, whose property may be redeemed at any time within three years after the date of sale, on payment of the amount for which the property was sold plus interest at the statutory delinquent-tax rate from the date of sale, plus the reasonable value of improvements made in good faith on the property, less the value of their use. No fee may be charged for any redemption.RCW 84.64.070 - redemption until the close of business the day before the sale; three-year window for minors and legally incompetent personsRCW 84.64.070Verified Aug 16, 2026

Deed deposit

For an auction conducted by electronic media, prospective bidders must deposit funds with the treasurer to participate, deposits of non-winning bidders are refunded within ten business days, and payment is by electronic funds transfer. Deposit amounts for in-person sales are set county by county, so confirm the figure on the county treasurer page or the auction platform terms.RCW 84.64.080 - judgment, order of sale, sale to the highest and best bidder, minimum bid, tax deed, surplus to the record ownerRCW 84.64.080Verified Aug 16, 2026

Surplus proceeds

If the winning bid exceeds the minimum bid due on the whole property, the excess is refunded to the record owner. The record owner is the person who held title on the date the certificate of delinquency was issued. Surplus unclaimed within three years of the sale date is deposited in the county current expense fund, after which the claim is extinguished.RCW 84.64.080 - judgment, order of sale, sale to the highest and best bidder, minimum bid, tax deed, surplus to the record ownerRCW 84.64.080Verified Aug 16, 2026

Governing statute

RCW Chapter 84.64RCW Chapter 84.64 - Lien Foreclosure (chapter table of contents)RCW Chapter 84.64Verified Aug 16, 2026

What the deed conveys: The treasurer executes a tax deed to the purchaser, recorded like any other conveyance, and it vests title in the grantee. The deed is prima facie evidence that the property was subject to taxation, that the taxes were unpaid, that the property was not redeemed, and that the sale was conducted in the manner required by law. The foreclosure judgment estops all parties from raising objections that existed at or before the judgment, except where the taxes were actually paid or the property was not taxable. Buyers should still expect to quiet title before reselling or insuring.RCW 84.64.180 - treasurer deeds are prima facie evidence of a regular sale; the judgment estops prior objectionsRCW 84.64.180Verified Aug 16, 2026 See the due diligence guide.

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