Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Texas

How tax sales work in Texas

Texas 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. 25% of the amount paid if redeemed in the first year, 50% in the second year (homestead/agricultural); 25% for other property (Tax Code 34.21).

Redemption. Two years from the date the purchaser's deed is recorded for residence homesteads, agricultural-use land and mineral interests; 180 days for all other property (Tax Code 34.21).

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: County sheriff or constable (sales ordered by the district court; taxing units' law firms manage the process).

When: First Tuesday of each month between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Tax Code 34.01); resales of struck-off property occur as taxing units decide.

Where: At the county courthouse door or other place designated by the commissioners court; the commissioners court may authorize online sales (Tax Code 34.01(a-1)), and a number of counties hold them online.

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 Texas

Texas mortgage foreclosure is overwhelmingly non-judicial: the trustee or substitute trustee sells the property at public auction on the first Tuesday of the month between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the courthouse area designated by the commissioners court, after posting notice at the courthouse and filing it with the county clerk at least 21 days before the sale and mailing it to the debtor (Property Code 51.002). Home-equity and reverse-mortgage loans require a court order (Rule 736) before the trustee sale. There is no right of redemption after a foreclosure 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 Texas.

Official sources for Texas

• Tex. Tax Code ch. 34 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
• Tex. Tax Code § 34.21 (right of redemption)

Statute: Tex. Tax Code §§ 33.41–33.57 (suit and judgment), 34.01–34.08 (tax sales), 34.21–34.23 (redemption); Tex. Prop. Code § 51.002 (foreclosure sales).

Questions people ask

Does Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Texas sells a redeemable deed: the buyer gets the deed, but the owner can buy it back for a set penalty during a redemption period. Texas taxing units foreclose delinquent taxes through a district court judgment, and the county sheriff or constable sells the property at a public auction on the first Tuesday of the month. The buyer receives a sheriff's/constable's deed but the former owner keeps a right of redemption: two years for a homestead or agricultural-use property (paying a 25% premium in the first year, 50% in the second) and 180 days for other property (25% premium).

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

Two years from the date the purchaser's deed is recorded for residence homesteads, agricultural-use land and mineral interests; 180 days for all other property (Tax Code 34.21)

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

25% of the amount paid if redeemed in the first year, 50% in the second year (homestead/agricultural); 25% for other property (Tax Code 34.21)

Who runs tax sales in Texas?

County sheriff or constable (sales ordered by the district court; taxing units' law firms manage the process). At the county courthouse door or other place designated by the commissioners court; the commissioners court may authorize online sales (Tax Code 34.01(a-1)), and a number of counties hold them online

When are tax sales held in Texas?

First Tuesday of each month between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Tax Code 34.01); resales of struck-off property occur as taxing units decide

Are sheriff sales in Texas judicial?

Texas mortgage foreclosure is overwhelmingly non-judicial: the trustee or substitute trustee sells the property at public auction on the first Tuesday of the month between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the courthouse area designated by the commissioners court, after posting notice at the courthouse and filing it with the county clerk at least 21 days before the sale and mailing it to the debtor (Property Code 51.002). Home-equity and reverse-mortgage loans require a court order (Rule 736) before the trustee sale. There is no right of redemption after a foreclosure sale.

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

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 Texas 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.