Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Hawaii

How tax sales work in Hawaii

Hawaii sells a redeemable deed: the buyer gets the deed, but the owner can buy it back for a set penalty during a redemption period.

What the buyer earns. 12% per year on the amount paid by the purchaser, plus costs and deed recording fees.

Redemption. 1 year from the date of sale (runs from recording if the deed is recorded more than 60 days after the sale).

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: County director of finance / budget and fiscal services (Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii and Kauai counties).

When: Varies by county; Honolulu and Maui have held sales in May.

Where: In person (Honolulu at Mission Memorial Auditorium; Maui at Kihei Community Center) with notices published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser legal notices.

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 Hawaii

Most Hawaii mortgage foreclosures are judicial: the lender sues in circuit court, the court appoints a commissioner who advertises and auctions the property, and the court must confirm the sale, with no statutory redemption afterward. Non-judicial power-of-sale foreclosure under HRS ch. 667 Part II remains available only in limited circumstances after the 2011–2012 reforms, so trustee-style sales of owner-occupied homes are uncommon.

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 Hawaii.

Official sources for Hawaii

• HRS § 246-60 – Tax sale redemption
• City and County of Honolulu – 2026 tax sale notice (Star-Advertiser legals)
• County of Maui – Tax sale notices 2010–2025

Statute: HRS §§ 246-55 to 246-63 (as carried into county codes, e.g., Revised Ordinances of Honolulu §§ 8-5.1 to 8-5.9; Maui County Code §§ 3.48.235 to 3.48.285).

Questions people ask

Does Hawaii sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Hawaii sells a redeemable deed: the buyer gets the deed, but the owner can buy it back for a set penalty during a redemption period. Real property tax in Hawaii is administered by the four counties, each of which sells tax-delinquent parcels at a public auction under its own ordinance modeled on the former state statute (HRS §§ 246-55 to 246-63). The county finance director auctions the parcel for an upset price equal to the taxes, penalties, interest and costs, and the high bidder receives a tax deed. The former owner can redeem within one year by paying the buyer the purchase price plus costs and 12% annual interest.

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

1 year from the date of sale (runs from recording if the deed is recorded more than 60 days after the sale)

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

12% per year on the amount paid by the purchaser, plus costs and deed recording fees

Who runs tax sales in Hawaii?

County director of finance / budget and fiscal services (Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii and Kauai counties). In person (Honolulu at Mission Memorial Auditorium; Maui at Kihei Community Center) with notices published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser legal notices

When are tax sales held in Hawaii?

Varies by county; Honolulu and Maui have held sales in May

Are sheriff sales in Hawaii judicial?

Most Hawaii mortgage foreclosures are judicial: the lender sues in circuit court, the court appoints a commissioner who advertises and auctions the property, and the court must confirm the sale, with no statutory redemption afterward. Non-judicial power-of-sale foreclosure under HRS ch. 667 Part II remains available only in limited circumstances after the 2011–2012 reforms, so trustee-style sales of owner-occupied homes are uncommon.

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

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 Hawaii 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.