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Tax Sale Atlas

San Juan County, WA tax sales

How tax deed sales work in San Juan County, seat of Friday Harbor: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.

New to tax sales? Read how Washington tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
About once a year, with no fixed month published.
Format
In person
County office
360-378-2171
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Aug 16, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How San Juan County sells delinquent taxes

No tax lien certificate sale

Washington counties do not sell tax lien certificates to investors.

Tax deed sale

In person
Run by
San Juan County Treasurer's Office
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
About once a year, with no fixed month published.
Sale list
Foreclosure minimum bid list (via Public Auction Process page)
When it runs
About once a year, with no fixed month published. The county FAQ states "Tax foreclosure sales are usually held once a year." Parcels can be redeemed "up until the close of business on the day before the sale," which removes them from the auction.
Registration and deposit

Pre-register online or at the Treasurer's Office starting one week before the auction, or register at least 30 minutes before the sale; there is no registration fee. All bidders or their agents must be present, read and sign the terms of sale, and bid by raising an issued bidder number card in this oral auction. Bids rise in increments of at least $100, and the winning bidder pays in full immediately by cash, cashier's check, or money order payable to San Juan County Treasurer; personal and business checks are not accepted.

Sale format and venue
The tax foreclosure sale is a live, in-person oral auction run by the Treasurer's Office in Friday Harbor; there is no online bidding platform. The county reminds bidders that travel is by Washington State Ferries and it does not allow for travel delays. The minimum bid covers all unpaid taxes, interest, penalty, foreclosure costs, and Treasurer-collected assessments. The foreclosure minimum bid list is posted online or at the Treasurer's Office after the certificate of delinquency is filed, and the current-year bid sheet is available on request from San Juan County Treasurer, Attention: Foreclosure, P.O. Box 639, Friday Harbor, WA 98250-0639. A tax deed is issued within 60 days of the sale. Minors and legally incompetent prior owners may redeem within three years of the sale, and the prior record title owner has three years to claim excess proceeds. The county's separate surplus-items auctions on govdeals.com are not the tax foreclosure sale.
Source: San Juan County Treasurer: Public Auction Process· Verified Aug 16, 2026

San Juan County tax sale list and auction calendar

For San Juan County tax sale 2026 searches, use the county-run sources below rather than a copied parcel list, and confirm the parcel, registration cutoff, deposit, and payment deadline against the county before you bid.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Foreclosure minimum bid list (via Public Auction Process page) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Ask the county office how and when to register; many counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.

  3. Sale day

    About once a year, with no fixed month published. The sale is live and in person; there is no online bidding platform. Confirm the venue and hour with the county office before you go.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use San Juan County Treasurer's Office as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in San Juan County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Foreclosure minimum bid list (via Public Auction Process page). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Pre-register online or at the Treasurer's Office starting one week before the auction, or register at least 30 minutes before the sale; there is no registration fee. All bidders or their agents must be present, read and sign the terms of sale, and bid by raising an issued bidder number card in this oral auction. Bids rise in increments of at least $100, and the winning bidder pays in full immediately by cash, cashier's check, or money order payable to San Juan County Treasurer; personal and business checks are not accepted.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Washington due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  4. Set a walk-away number

    Work out what the parcel is actually worth with the rural land value estimator, then turn it into a ceiling with the tax deed max-bid calculator.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

Washington counties keep no standing over-the-counter list. Parcels that draw no sufficient bid are struck to the county in trust for the taxing districts as tax-title property. The county resells that inventory under chapter 36.35 RCW, usually at a later sale at a minimum price fixed by the county legislative authority after three weeks of published notice, and in limited cases by direct sale without bids, including within twelve months after a failed auction. Whether any tax-title inventory exists, and how this county sells it, must be confirmed on the county's tax-title or surplus property page.

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter purchases work.

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County offices

Tax sale office

San Juan County Treasurer's Office

360-378-2171

350 Court Street, 1st Floor, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 (mailing: P.O. Box 639, Friday Harbor, WA 98250)

Official website

County notes

  • The sale format is a county-run oral auction with bidder cards; the Public Auction Process page requires bidders to be physically present and warns that ferry schedules change, so no online platform URL applies.
  • No fixed sale month is published anywhere on the county site; the county's own stated cadence is "usually held once a year" and the minimum bid list appears only after the certificate of delinquency is filed.
  • Payment is due in full immediately after a winning bid; a bidder who fails to pay sees the parcel re-auctioned at the minimum bid and is barred from further bidding that day.

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.
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.
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.
Governing statute
RCW Chapter 84.64

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.

See the full Washingtonrules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does San Juan County, Washington sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax deeds. Washington sells no tax lien certificates to investors; the County Treasurer sells the property itself at a public tax sale.

How often does San Juan County hold tax deed sales?

San Juan County holds its tax deed sale once a year. About once a year, with no fixed month published. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Washington's redemption rule: Until the close of business the day before the sale; no redemption after the sale except for minors and legally incompetent persons. Call the San Juan County Treasurer's Office as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Where can I find the San Juan County tax sale list?

San Juan County posts its tax sale list at sanjuancountywa.gov. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

Verified Aug 16, 2026 against official county and state sources.

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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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

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Call San Juan County Treasurer's Office