Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Washington

How tax sales work in Washington

Washington sells the property itself: the buyer gets a deed, and the owner's chance to pay ends at or before the sale.

What the buyer gets. The property itself, by deed from the county treasurer, with no interest to collect and no owner to wait out once the sale is final.

Redemption. None after the sale; owner may redeem until the close of business the day before the sale (RCW 84.64.070); minors/incompetent persons may redeem within three years after the disability is removed.

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: County treasurer.

When: Once a year in most counties, typically in the fall/winter after the superior court judgment.

Where: Public auction, which the treasurer may conduct electronically; many county treasurer pages state their sales are held online through Bid4Assets.

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 Washington

Most Washington home loans are deeds of trust foreclosed non-judicially under RCW 61.24: the trustee sells at public auction at the courthouse after recording a notice of trustee's sale at least 90 days before the sale and publishing it twice in a legal newspaper (between the 32nd–28th day and 11th–7th day before the sale); there is no redemption after a trustee's sale. Judicial foreclosure (RCW 61.12) ends in a sheriff's sale with a redemption period of eight months (or one year if a deficiency is not waived) under RCW 6.23.020.

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 Washington.

Official sources for Washington

• RCW 84.64.080 (tax foreclosure sale)
• RCW 84.64.070 (redemption before the day of sale)

Statute: RCW ch. 84.64 (Lien foreclosure), esp. 84.64.050, 84.64.070, 84.64.080; foreclosure RCW ch. 61.24, 61.12, 6.23.

Questions people ask

Does Washington sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Washington sells the property itself: the buyer gets a deed, and the owner's chance to pay ends at or before the sale. Washington counties do not sell tax liens. After taxes are three years delinquent the county treasurer files a certificate of delinquency in superior court and, after judgment, sells the property at public auction; the buyer receives a treasurer's tax deed. The owner may redeem by paying everything owed up to the day before the sale, but there is no redemption after the sale (except a limited right for minors and incapacitated persons).

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

None after the sale; owner may redeem until the close of business the day before the sale (RCW 84.64.070); minors/incompetent persons may redeem within three years after the disability is removed

Who runs tax sales in Washington?

County treasurer. Public auction, which the treasurer may conduct electronically; many county treasurer pages state their sales are held online through Bid4Assets

When are tax sales held in Washington?

Once a year in most counties, typically in the fall/winter after the superior court judgment

Are sheriff sales in Washington judicial?

Most Washington home loans are deeds of trust foreclosed non-judicially under RCW 61.24: the trustee sells at public auction at the courthouse after recording a notice of trustee's sale at least 90 days before the sale and publishing it twice in a legal newspaper (between the 32nd–28th day and 11th–7th day before the sale); there is no redemption after a trustee's sale. Judicial foreclosure (RCW 61.12) ends in a sheriff's sale with a redemption period of eight months (or one year if a deficiency is not waived) under RCW 6.23.020.

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

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 Washington 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.