Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Florida

How tax sales work in Florida

Florida sells tax lien certificates: the buyer pays the taxes and holds a lien that earns interest, and gets the property only if the owner never redeems.

What the buyer earns. Up to 18% per year, bid down, with a mandatory minimum charge of 5% of the certificate face value (Fla. Stat. §§ 197.172, 197.472).

Redemption. Certificate may be redeemed any time until full payment for the tax deed is made to the clerk; the holder may apply for a tax deed 2 years after April 1 of the year the certificate was issued, and certificates expire after 7 years.

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: County tax collector (tax certificate sale); clerk of the circuit court (tax deed sale).

When: Certificate sales annually, on or before June 1; tax deed sales throughout the year as applications are processed.

Where: Nearly all tax certificate sales are online through the tax collector's contracted site; many clerks hold tax deed auctions online (Okaloosa and others) while some still sell at the courthouse.

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 Florida

Florida mortgage foreclosure is judicial (Fla. Stat. ch. 702): after a final judgment the clerk of the circuit court sells the property at public auction, usually online, after publishing notice for two consecutive weeks (Fla. Stat. § 45.031). The borrower may redeem by paying the judgment at any time before the clerk files the certificate of sale, but not afterward (§ 45.0315).

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 Florida.

Official sources for Florida

• Fla. Stat. § 197.472 – Redemption of tax certificates
• Fla. Stat. § 197.502 – Application for tax deed
• Fla. Stat. § 197.542 – Sale at public auction by the clerk
• Florida Dept. of Revenue – Find a County Official (tax collectors)

Statute: Fla. Stat. ch. 197 (§§ 197.432 tax certificate sales; 197.472 redemption; 197.502–197.542 tax deed application and sale).

Questions people ask

Does Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Florida sells tax lien certificates: the buyer pays the taxes and holds a lien that earns interest, and gets the property only if the owner never redeems. Florida is a two-step state. Each spring the county tax collector sells tax certificates on every parcel with unpaid taxes; bidders compete by offering the lowest interest rate (starting at 18%), and the owner redeems through the tax collector by paying the taxes plus that interest, subject to a 5% minimum. If the certificate is not redeemed, the holder may apply for a tax deed after two years, and the clerk of the circuit court then auctions the property to the highest bidder; the owner can still redeem until the clerk receives full payment from the winning bidder.

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

Certificate may be redeemed any time until full payment for the tax deed is made to the clerk; the holder may apply for a tax deed 2 years after April 1 of the year the certificate was issued, and certificates expire after 7 years

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

Up to 18% per year, bid down, with a mandatory minimum charge of 5% of the certificate face value (Fla. Stat. §§ 197.172, 197.472)

Who runs tax sales in Florida?

County tax collector (tax certificate sale); clerk of the circuit court (tax deed sale). Nearly all tax certificate sales are online through the tax collector's contracted site; many clerks hold tax deed auctions online (Okaloosa and others) while some still sell at the courthouse

When are tax sales held in Florida?

Certificate sales annually, on or before June 1; tax deed sales throughout the year as applications are processed

Are sheriff sales in Florida judicial?

Florida mortgage foreclosure is judicial (Fla. Stat. ch. 702): after a final judgment the clerk of the circuit court sells the property at public auction, usually online, after publishing notice for two consecutive weeks (Fla. Stat. § 45.031). The borrower may redeem by paying the judgment at any time before the clerk files the certificate of sale, but not afterward (§ 45.0315).

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

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 Florida 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.