Tax Deed Auctions in Florida

Deed Trail indexes tax deed auctions across all 67 Florida counties. Pick a county below for portal details and how sales are conducted, or read the state-level overview.

How Florida tax deed sales work

Florida conducts tax deed auctions to recover delinquent property taxes when homeowners fail to pay. The process is governed by Florida Statutes Chapter 197 and proceeds in two stages: a tax certificate stage and a tax deed stage.

When property taxes go unpaid, the county Tax Collector first issues a tax certificate — a lien against the property representing the unpaid taxes plus interest. Tax certificates are sold to investors at auction; the bidder willing to accept the lowest interest rate wins. The property owner has at least two years to redeem the certificate by paying the back taxes plus accumulated interest.

If the property owner does not redeem within the redemption period, the certificate holder may apply for a tax deed. The Clerk of Court for the county then schedules a public tax deed auction, where the property itself is sold to the highest bidder. The opening bid is typically the certificate face value plus statutory fees.

How auctions are conducted in Florida

Most of Florida's 67 counties hold tax deed auctions online. The dominant platform is the RealAuction (Grant Street Group) network, where each participating county uses its own subdomain such as miami-dade.realtaxdeed.com or hillsborough.realtaxdeed.com. Online auctions typically run on a recurring monthly schedule, with individual case timing announced in advance.

A handful of smaller counties — Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Holmes, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Monroe, Taylor, and Union — still conduct tax deed sales in person at the courthouse rather than online. For those counties, schedule and procedure are set directly by the Clerk of Court.

What the winning bidder receives

The successful bidder pays the full bid amount plus documentary stamp tax and recording fees, and the Clerk issues a tax deed conveying ownership. The original owner's title is extinguished, subject to certain exceptions including government liens, mortgages held by the federal government, and easements. Most buyers pursue a quiet title action to obtain marketable title before reselling or developing the property.

How to participate

Each online platform requires bidder registration and a deposit, typically 5% of the maximum intended bid. Bidders place bids interactively during the live auction window. Payment of the winning balance is usually due within 24 to 48 hours of the auction close, by wire or cashier's check, and failure to pay forfeits the deposit.

Florida counties (67)

Track Florida tax deed auctions in one feed

Deed Trail aggregates upcoming tax deed auctions from every county in Florida and Arkansas — refreshed daily, with parcel data, FEMA flood zone, and source links. Start a 14-day free trial; cancel anytime.

Start 14-day free trial

Frequently asked questions

What is a tax deed auction in Florida?

A tax deed auction is a public sale held by a Florida county Clerk of Court to sell real property whose owner has failed to pay property taxes. The buyer receives a tax deed conveying ownership, subject to certain surviving liens.

How do tax certificates and tax deeds differ in Florida?

A tax certificate is a lien against the property representing unpaid taxes plus interest; it is sold to investors who effectively lend the county the unpaid amount. A tax deed sale comes later — if the certificate goes unredeemed past the statutory period, the property itself is sold to satisfy the lien.

How do I find upcoming Florida tax deed auctions?

Most Florida counties post upcoming auctions on a county-specific RealAuction subdomain (for example, miami-dade.realtaxdeed.com). Deed Trail aggregates listings from every Florida county into a single daily-refreshed feed so you do not have to check each county portal individually.

What rights does a Florida tax deed give the buyer?

A Florida tax deed conveys the property subject to surviving encumbrances such as government liens, federal mortgages, and easements. Most buyers initiate a quiet title action before reselling or developing the property to clear title for marketable resale.