Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Alabama

How tax sales work in Alabama

Alabama uses both methods, depending on the county and the kind of delinquency.

What the buyer earns. Tax sale: 8% per year on redemption (for sales held after Jan. 1, 2020; 12% for earlier sales). Tax lien auction: interest bid down from 12% in 1% steps, as low as 0%..

Redemption. Tax sale: 3 years from the sale (administrative redemption through the probate/redemption official), then judicial redemption may remain. Tax lien auction: until the lien holder obtains a foreclosure judgment; holder may file to foreclose no sooner than 3 years after the auction and the lien expires after 10 years..

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: County revenue commissioner / tax collector (lands bid in to the State are sold by the Alabama Department of Revenue).

When: Annually; tax lien auctions are held between March 1 and June 15, traditional tax sales typically in May or June.

Where: Tax lien auctions are mostly online (Baldwin and Mobile counties use GovEase); traditional tax sales are held at the county courthouse; State-held land is sold through ADOR's online land-sales application.

The list of parcels for each sale is published by the office that runs it, usually a few weeks ahead, in the county's legal newspaper and on the county or platform site. UX Search does not list tax sale parcels; these sales are run by the counties and the platforms they contract, and the links on this page go to the official sources.

Sheriff sales and foreclosure sales in Alabama

Mortgage foreclosure in Alabama is non-judicial: the lender exercises the power of sale in the mortgage and auctions the property, usually at the county courthouse door, after publishing notice once a week for three consecutive weeks (Ala. Code § 35-10-13). There is no sheriff or court sale in the ordinary case. The borrower and junior lienholders keep a statutory right of redemption after the sale: 180 days for a residential homestead (after required notice) and one year for all other property (Ala. Code § 6-5-248).

A tax sale and a sheriff sale are different animals even when the same office runs both. A tax sale clears unpaid property taxes and in most states wipes out junior liens; a mortgage foreclosure sale pays the lender and may leave tax liens in place. Before bidding at either, pull the title, read the judgment or the tax certificate, and know which liens survive the sale in Alabama.

Official sources for Alabama

• Ala. Dept. of Revenue – Property Tax Division
• ADOR FAQ – redeeming tax-delinquent property
• Baldwin County Revenue Commission – Tax Lien Auction
• Mobile County Revenue Commission – Tax Lien Sale

Statute: Ala. Code § 40-10-1 et seq. (tax sales; §§ 40-10-120 to 40-10-122 redemption); Ala. Code §§ 40-10-180 to 40-10-202 (tax lien auctions).

Questions people ask

Does Alabama sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Alabama uses both methods, depending on the county and the kind of delinquency. Each Alabama county chooses between the traditional tax sale, where the property itself is sold for the taxes and the buyer gets a certificate (then a tax deed after three years), and the newer tax lien auction (Act 2018-577), where bidders compete on the interest rate and receive only a lien certificate. In either case the owner can redeem by paying what the buyer paid plus interest: within three years for a tax sale, or any time before a foreclosure judgment for a tax lien (the lien holder may sue to foreclose after three years). Property that does not sell at a traditional tax sale is bid in to the State and later sold by the Alabama Department of Revenue.

How long is the redemption period after a tax sale in Alabama?

Tax sale: 3 years from the sale (administrative redemption through the probate/redemption official), then judicial redemption may remain. Tax lien auction: until the lien holder obtains a foreclosure judgment; holder may file to foreclose no sooner than 3 years after the auction and the lien expires after 10 years.

What does the buyer earn if the owner redeems in Alabama?

Tax sale: 8% per year on redemption (for sales held after Jan. 1, 2020; 12% for earlier sales). Tax lien auction: interest bid down from 12% in 1% steps, as low as 0%.

Who runs tax sales in Alabama?

County revenue commissioner / tax collector (lands bid in to the State are sold by the Alabama Department of Revenue). Tax lien auctions are mostly online (Baldwin and Mobile counties use GovEase); traditional tax sales are held at the county courthouse; State-held land is sold through ADOR's online land-sales application

When are tax sales held in Alabama?

Annually; tax lien auctions are held between March 1 and June 15, traditional tax sales typically in May or June

Are sheriff sales in Alabama judicial?

Mortgage foreclosure in Alabama is non-judicial: the lender exercises the power of sale in the mortgage and auctions the property, usually at the county courthouse door, after publishing notice once a week for three consecutive weeks (Ala. Code § 35-10-13). There is no sheriff or court sale in the ordinary case. The borrower and junior lienholders keep a statutory right of redemption after the sale: 180 days for a residential homestead (after required notice) and one year for all other property (Ala. Code § 6-5-248).

Can anyone bid at a tax sale or sheriff sale in Alabama?

Generally yes, with registration through the office or platform that runs the sale, and often a deposit or proof of funds. Payment is usually due the same day or within a few days in certified funds, and the property is sold as is with whatever title questions come with it. Read the county's terms for the sale you are bidding in; they differ from one county to the next in the same state.

Written from the Alabama statutes and official county pages, last checked October 27, 2026. Rules change by session and by county; the official sources above control. UX Search is independent, lists no tax sale parcels and never takes a bid.