State laws / Iowa
Iowa tax sales: liens, deeds, rates & redemption
Quick answerIowa sells tax lien certificates for unpaid property taxes. Lien buyers can earn 2% per month / 24% per year, fixed by statute (Iowa Code 447.1); the rate is not bid down - bidders compete by bidding down the undivided interest percentage in the parcel they would take on a deed, and many counties assign contested parcels by random / rotational selection among registered bidders.. Redemption: The holder may serve a notice of expiration of the right of redemption after 1 year and 9 months from the sale; redemption ends 90 days after completed service of that notice (Iowa Code 447.9, 447.12), so the effective minimum hold is about 2 years. Sales: Annual tax sale on the third Monday in June in every county (Iowa Code ch. 446), with adjourned sales for unsold parcels thereafter. Governing law: Iowa Code chs. 446 (tax sale), 447 (redemption) and 448 (tax deeds), esp. 446.16, 447.1 and 447.9.
Where to bid: GovEase hosts the online sale for many counties; other counties use Iowa Tax Auction (iowataxauction.com, SRI / Zeus / RealAuction). All bidding is online even where the treasurer hosts bidders at the courthouse.
| What is sold | Tax lien certificates |
|---|---|
| Interest / penalty | 2% per month / 24% per year, fixed by statute (Iowa Code 447.1); the rate is not bid down - bidders compete by bidding down the undivided interest percentage in the parcel they would take on a deed, and many counties assign contested parcels by random / rotational selection among registered bidders. |
| Redemption period | The holder may serve a notice of expiration of the right of redemption after 1 year and 9 months from the sale; redemption ends 90 days after completed service of that notice (Iowa Code 447.9, 447.12), so the effective minimum hold is about 2 years. |
| When sales happen | Annual tax sale on the third Monday in June in every county (Iowa Code ch. 446), with adjourned sales for unsold parcels thereafter. |
| Governing law | Iowa Code chs. 446 (tax sale), 447 (redemption) and 448 (tax deeds), esp. 446.16, 447.1 and 447.9 |
| Investor notes | Because the 24% rate is fixed and parcels are often assigned rotationally, Iowa offers the full statutory rate without rate compression, but deed acquisition is rare given very high redemption rates. A parcel advertised twice and unsold must be offered at a public bidder sale, and the county is required to purchase delinquencies no private bidder takes. |
Sources
- https://www.taxsalewealth.com/iowa-tax-lien.html
- https://taxlien.io/rankings/
- http://www.taxlienguru.com/tax-lien-states.html
- https://jacksoncounty.iowa.gov/treasurer/tax_sale/
- https://www.clintoncounty-ia.gov/treasurer/tax_sale/
Law verified 2026-10-30 against the sources above. Confirm current details with the county tax collector / clerk before bidding — counties can change dates and procedures.
Go deeper: all Iowa counties · Iowa sale calendar · Iowa investing guide