Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Missouri

How tax sales work in Missouri

Missouri 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 stated in the certificate, not to exceed 10% per year on the taxes and costs (none on any overbid), plus 8% per year on subsequent taxes paid by the purchaser.

Redemption. One year from the sale for first and second offerings; 90 days from the purchaser's notice for third-offering sales; none for post-third-offering sales; redemption remains open until the collector's deed is actually issued..

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: County collector of revenue (sheriff or court administrator for Chapter 141 land tax suits in St. Louis City and Jackson County).

When: Fourth Monday in August each year (Chapter 141 sales several times a year in St. Louis City; August in Jackson County)..

Where: In person at the county courthouse (Greene County sells in the historic courthouse; Jackson County on the courthouse steps); lists are posted on county sites and services such as CivicSource..

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 Missouri

Missouri mortgage foreclosure is non-judicial: the trustee named in the deed of trust sells at public auction, usually at the courthouse, after publishing notice in a county newspaper (RSMo 443.310-443.325). There is a limited one-year statutory redemption under RSMo 443.410 only when the lender (or someone for it) buys at the sale and the borrower gave written notice of intent to redeem at the sale or within 10 days before it (a bond is required under 443.420); otherwise there is no post-sale redemption.

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 Missouri.

Official sources for Missouri

• RSMo 140.340 redemption
• RSMo 443.410 redemption after trustee's sale
• Greene County Collector tax sale FAQ
• St. Louis City Sheriff land tax sales

Statute: RSMo Chapter 140 (140.150-140.405: collector's sales, redemption, deeds); RSMo Chapter 141 (land tax suits in charter counties and St. Louis City); RSMo 443.310-443.440 (trustee sales and redemption).

Questions people ask

Does Missouri sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Missouri 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. Most Missouri counties sell tax liens: the county collector auctions parcels with taxes more than a year delinquent on the fourth Monday of August, and the high bidder receives a certificate of purchase (a lien), not the property. The owner may redeem within one year by paying the purchase price (excluding surplus) with interest up to 10%, plus subsequent taxes with 8% interest; after giving the required 90-day notice the purchaser may obtain a collector's deed. Parcels offered a third time have only a 90-day redemption after notice, and St. Louis City and Jackson County instead use judicial land tax suits with sheriff/court administrator sales under Chapter 141.

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

One year from the sale for first and second offerings; 90 days from the purchaser's notice for third-offering sales; none for post-third-offering sales; redemption remains open until the collector's deed is actually issued.

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

Interest at the rate stated in the certificate, not to exceed 10% per year on the taxes and costs (none on any overbid), plus 8% per year on subsequent taxes paid by the purchaser

Who runs tax sales in Missouri?

County collector of revenue (sheriff or court administrator for Chapter 141 land tax suits in St. Louis City and Jackson County). In person at the county courthouse (Greene County sells in the historic courthouse; Jackson County on the courthouse steps); lists are posted on county sites and services such as CivicSource.

When are tax sales held in Missouri?

Fourth Monday in August each year (Chapter 141 sales several times a year in St. Louis City; August in Jackson County).

Are sheriff sales in Missouri judicial?

Missouri mortgage foreclosure is non-judicial: the trustee named in the deed of trust sells at public auction, usually at the courthouse, after publishing notice in a county newspaper (RSMo 443.310-443.325). There is a limited one-year statutory redemption under RSMo 443.410 only when the lender (or someone for it) buys at the sale and the borrower gave written notice of intent to redeem at the sale or within 10 days before it (a bond is required under 443.420); otherwise there is no post-sale redemption.

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

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 Missouri 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.