Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Louisiana

How tax sales work in Louisiana

Louisiana 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. Interest at the rate bid at auction, capped at 1% per month (0.7% minimum), non-compounding, plus a 5% penalty on the payoff (certificates issued to a political subdivision accrue 1% per month). Pre-2026 tax sale certificates keep the old 5% penalty plus 1% per month..

Redemption. The lien may be paid off at any time before the holder files an enforcement suit, which cannot be filed until the later of three years from recording of the certificate or six months after the required notices; after suit the owner may still pay the court-set termination price until 30 days after the last party is served..

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: Parish tax collector (the sheriff in most parishes; the City of New Orleans for Orleans Parish).

When: Advertised by May 1 of the year after the taxes were assessed (or as soon after as possible), after a 20-day notice sent by the first Monday of February; bidding may run any weekday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., including multi-day online auctions..

Where: Online in most parishes (Caddo and East Baton Rouge, for example, have used CivicSource) or in person at the parish courthouse; the statute expressly allows multi-day internet auctions..

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 Louisiana

Mortgage foreclosure in Louisiana is judicial, usually by 'executory process': the lender files a petition and the court orders the sheriff to seize and sell the property after notice of seizure and newspaper advertisement, with the parish sheriff conducting the sale (La. R.S. 13:4350; La. C.C.P. arts. 2631 et seq.). The debtor must raise defenses by injunction or appeal before the sale; Louisiana provides no statutory right of redemption after a judicial sale.

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 Louisiana.

Official sources for Louisiana

• La. R.S. 47:2153 notice and tax lien auction
• La. R.S. 47:2154 auction bidding and interest
• La. R.S. 47:2266.1 enforcement of tax lien certificate
• La. R.S. 13:4350 judicial sales by sheriff

Statute: La. R.S. 47:2153, 47:2154, 47:2156, 47:2266.1 and 47:2267 (tax lien auctions and enforcement, as amended by Acts 2024 No. 774 and Acts 2025 No. 411, effective Jan. 1, 2026).

Questions people ask

Does Louisiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Louisiana 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. Since January 1, 2026 (Act 774 of 2024 and Act 411 of 2025, following the December 2024 constitutional amendment), Louisiana parish tax collectors (usually the sheriff) auction tax lien certificates instead of 'tax sale title.' Bidders compete by bidding down the monthly interest rate from a 1% cap (no lower than 0.7%), and the winner gets a recorded tax lien certificate, not ownership or possession. The owner extinguishes the lien by paying the auction price plus the bid interest, a 5% penalty and costs; if unpaid, the holder may sue after three years to have the lien recognized and the property sold at a judicial sale.

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

The lien may be paid off at any time before the holder files an enforcement suit, which cannot be filed until the later of three years from recording of the certificate or six months after the required notices; after suit the owner may still pay the court-set termination price until 30 days after the last party is served.

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

Interest at the rate bid at auction, capped at 1% per month (0.7% minimum), non-compounding, plus a 5% penalty on the payoff (certificates issued to a political subdivision accrue 1% per month). Pre-2026 tax sale certificates keep the old 5% penalty plus 1% per month.

Who runs tax sales in Louisiana?

Parish tax collector (the sheriff in most parishes; the City of New Orleans for Orleans Parish). Online in most parishes (Caddo and East Baton Rouge, for example, have used CivicSource) or in person at the parish courthouse; the statute expressly allows multi-day internet auctions.

When are tax sales held in Louisiana?

Advertised by May 1 of the year after the taxes were assessed (or as soon after as possible), after a 20-day notice sent by the first Monday of February; bidding may run any weekday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., including multi-day online auctions.

Are sheriff sales in Louisiana judicial?

Mortgage foreclosure in Louisiana is judicial, usually by 'executory process': the lender files a petition and the court orders the sheriff to seize and sell the property after notice of seizure and newspaper advertisement, with the parish sheriff conducting the sale (La. R.S. 13:4350; La. C.C.P. arts. 2631 et seq.). The debtor must raise defenses by injunction or appeal before the sale; Louisiana provides no statutory right of redemption after a judicial sale.

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

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 Louisiana 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.