State laws / Virginia
Virginia tax sales: liens, deeds, rates & redemption
Quick answerVirginia sells tax deeds for unpaid property taxes. Redemption: No post-sale redemption after court confirmation and issuance of the deed. Owner may redeem by paying all taxes, penalties, interest and costs at any time before the sale (judicial sales, § 58.1-3965; nonjudicial sales, § 58.1-3975 — redeemable at any time prior to the date of sale). Land generally becomes sale-eligible when taxes are delinquent on December 31 following the 2nd anniversary of the due date (1 year for condemned/nuisance/derelict/blighted property) Sales: No fixed statewide annual date; judicial and nonjudicial sales are scheduled as needed, year-round, by locality / special commissioner Governing law: Code of Virginia § 58.1-3965 et seq. (judicial sales); § 58.1-3975 (nonjudicial sales of low-value parcels).
Where to bid: Bid4AssetsFor Sale At Auctioncounty-specific / Taxing Authority Consulting Services (TACS)in-person commissioner sales
| What is sold | Tax deeds |
|---|---|
| Interest / penalty | n/a — pure tax deed state; no lien certificate is sold. Delinquent taxes themselves bear locality penalty/interest owed to the locality, not a return to the deed buyer |
| Redemption period | No post-sale redemption after court confirmation and issuance of the deed. Owner may redeem by paying all taxes, penalties, interest and costs at any time before the sale (judicial sales, § 58.1-3965; nonjudicial sales, § 58.1-3975 — redeemable at any time prior to the date of sale). Land generally becomes sale-eligible when taxes are delinquent on December 31 following the 2nd anniversary of the due date (1 year for condemned/nuisance/derelict/blighted property) |
| When sales happen | No fixed statewide annual date; judicial and nonjudicial sales are scheduled as needed, year-round, by locality / special commissioner |
| Governing law | Code of Virginia § 58.1-3965 et seq. (judicial sales); § 58.1-3975 (nonjudicial sales of low-value parcels) |
| Investor notes | Two tracks: court-supervised judicial sales (special commissioner, sale confirmed by the court, typically a special warranty / commissioner's deed) and treasurer-run nonjudicial sales for lower-value parcels. Judicial sales commonly require a 25% or $1,000 deposit and a buyer's premium in many localities. |
Sources
- https://law.justia.com/codes/virginia/title-58-1/chapter-39/section-58-1-3965/
- https://legalclarity.org/is-virginia-a-tax-lien-or-tax-deed-state/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/va/title-58-1-taxation/va-code-sect-58-1-3975/
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 Virginia counties · Virginia sale calendar · Virginia investing guide