Missouri Tax Deed & Tax Lien Sales 2026

How tax sales work in Missouri

Most Missouri counties sell delinquent parcels at the collector’s sale on the fourth Monday in August under Chapter 140. The collector offers each parcel at the taxes, interest and costs, and the highest bidder pays in full and receives a certificate of purchase. A parcel not sold at its first offering is offered again the following year, and at a third offering it can be sold for less than the taxes owed with a shorter redemption. Jackson County, St. Louis City and St. Louis County operate instead under Chapter 141, where the county files land tax suits and the court administrator or sheriff sells the property at judicial sale, confirmed by the court. Buyers must be Missouri residents or appoint a resident agent, and most counties require a sworn statement that the bidder owes no delinquent taxes.

Redemption and interest

For first and second offering certificates the owner has one year to redeem by paying the taxes and costs in the bid plus 10 percent interest, plus subsequent taxes the buyer paid at 8 percent, plus recording and notice costs. The overbid above the taxes earns no interest and is returned to the buyer only as the statute directs. Third offering certificates carry a 90-day redemption. Before the period ends, the buyer must have a title search performed and send notice by certified mail to the owner and every lienholder at least 90 days before the deadline. Only then does the collector issue a deed. In Chapter 141 counties the sale is judicial and there is no redemption once the court confirms it.

When and where sales happen

The August collector’s sale is statewide for Chapter 140 counties, with lists advertised three weeks before. Sales are usually held at the courthouse, and a growing number of collectors use online bidding. Judicial sales in the Chapter 141 jurisdictions occur throughout the year on published dockets.

What to check before you bid

Register early and, if nonresident, file the agent appointment. Check for mortgages, judgments and municipal liens that must be noticed. Confirm whether the parcel is a first, second or third offering, since it sets the redemption period and minimum. Check municipal code and demolition liens in St. Louis and Kansas City. Plan for the title search, notice mailing and quiet title costs.

How AuctionScouts helps here

AuctionScouts consolidates collector’s sale lists and judicial land tax sale dockets across Missouri, scores each parcel from 0 to 100, and flags recorded liens that must be noticed before a deed. The calendar tracks the August sale and the rolling judicial sale dates.