DeKalb County, Alabama Tax Sales

Counties / Alabama counties / DeKalb County

Quick answerDeKalb County, Alabama follows Alabama tax sale law: the state sells liens + tax deeds (hybrid) for delinquent property taxes. Rate / penalty: Sale-of-lien counties: up to 12% per year, bid down in 1% increments to 0% (§§ 40-10-180 to 40-10-200). Redemption: 3-year statutory (administrative) redemption period from the date of sale for sale-of-land parcels, after which the purchaser may demand a tax deed. LienToDeed ingests this county's published sale list live; the state rules below are the law that governs its sales.

How tax sales work in DeKalb County, Alabama

Alabama law controls every tax sale in DeKalb County — the county runs the sale, but what is sold, what it pays and how long the owner can redeem are all set by the state:

What Alabama sells	Liens + tax deeds (hybrid)
Interest / penalty	Sale-of-lien counties: up to 12% per year, bid down in 1% increments to 0% (§§ 40-10-180 to 40-10-200). Sale-of-land counties: redemption interest is 8% per year for sales on or after January 1, 2020 (Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-4-6-.02, applying § 40-10-122; 12% before that change)
Redemption period	3-year statutory (administrative) redemption period from the date of sale for sale-of-land parcels, after which the purchaser may demand a tax deed; additional judicial redemption can apply if the purchaser has not taken possession. Sale-of-lien holders may foreclose judicially after 4 years and within 10 years (as amended by Act 2024-261/324 legislation), with redemption continuing until foreclosure is completed
When sales happen	Annual spring sales, varying by county — many lien-auction counties sell on the first Monday in May; sale-of-land counties set their own spring dates
Governing law	Code of Alabama, Title 40, Chapter 10 — Article 1 et seq. sale of land (§ 40-10-1 et seq.) and §§ 40-10-180 to 40-10-200 sale of tax liens
County (Census)	DeKalb County — county, Alabama · FIPS 01049

County opt-in hybrid: each county chooses the traditional sale-of-land system (premium/highest bid, certificate exchangeable for a deed after 3 years, immediate right to possession subject to redemption) or the 2018 sale-of-lien system (bid-down interest, no possession, no overbid). Always confirm which system the target county uses before bidding.

The process, step by step

1 · The list publishes. Alabama sales run on this rhythm: Annual spring sales, varying by county — many lien-auction counties sell on the first Monday in May; sale-of-land counties set their own spring dates The county's sale list — the parcels actually being sold — is published ahead of the sale by the county office that runs it, and in many Alabama counties also through the state's sale channels (GovEase (tax lien auction counties); mostly in-person (sale-of-land counties)).

2 · Register and fund — before sale day. Registration and bidder deposits are handled by the county or its sale platform and close before the sale, in most counties the day before. The amount and ID requirements are set in the county's own sale notice, not in state law — confirm them on the current published notice before you rely on them.

3 · Research every parcel. Compare the taxes owed against assessed value and recorded sales, check property type and occupancy signals, and price in the state's redemption rule above: it decides whether your money comes back with the statutory return, or your path runs to the property itself.

4 · Bid the number you wrote down. Set your max bid (deeds) or floor rate (liens) from the research, before the sale opens. The state's return is paid on the tax obligation — not on whatever extra a bidding war adds on top of it.

5 · After the sale. Owners redeem inside the window above; lists change as they do. Track the parcels you care about, because a watched property redeeming or withdrawing is information you want before — not after — you wire a deposit for the next sale.

What DeKalb County publishes — live feed

LienToDeed ingests this county's sale list directly from its published source: Alabama Department of Revenue — Transcript of Tax Delinquent Land Available for Sale (PDF). Every new listing is scored as it posts, and watched properties that redeem or withdraw are flagged before sale day.

Coverage status: DeKalb County — live alerts active

Paid members are alerted when new DeKalb County properties are listed — and if a watched property redeems before the sale.

Get DeKalb County alerts

County facts (name, state, FIPS 01049) from the US Census Bureau county list; state rules verified 2026-10-30 — sources on the Alabama law page. Educational only, not investment advice.