Tax Delinquent Properties Texas: How to Access County Auction Lists in 2026

Key Takeaways

• Texas property taxes unpaid on February 1 are delinquent, and the Texas Comptroller lists a 6% penalty plus 1% interest starting then.
• Tax delinquent properties in Texas are tracked county by county, so the lists sit with the county, its collection attorneys and the local tax office rather than one statewide file.
• The delinquent roll shows accounts that are behind, while the sale list shows only properties with a judgment and a sale date, and it is much smaller.
• Tarrant, Harris, Bexar and Jefferson counties all hold sales on a first Tuesday starting around 10 a.m., but each has a different bidder step, from a $10 written statement to free registration.
• Goliath is data and software that builds lists from tax delinquency, probate, pre-foreclosure, equity and tenure; plans start at $1,499 a month with 5,000 skip traces.

Goliath Data publishes this guide and sells property data software, which is mentioned near the end. County and state details were checked on each office's own site on November 5, 2026, and can change. This is general information, not legal advice.

Unpaid property taxes in Texas turn delinquent on February 1, start collecting penalty and interest that day, and can end in a public sale after a court judgment. For tax delinquent properties, Texas works county by county: the sheriff or a constable sells them, and the lists sit with the county, its collection attorneys and the local tax office.

The Comptroller's property tax section points most questions to local offices, so start with the county you are buying in. Texas also does not auction certificates: the Bexar County Tax Office puts it plainly, "Sale of Property Tax Liens is prohibited in the state of Texas." What sells is the property, subject to redemption.

What happens to unpaid property taxes in Texas?

Unpaid property taxes in Texas follow a calendar set by the Tax Code, Chapter 33, and summarized on the Comptroller's Paying Your Taxes page.

A bill mailed after January 10 pushes those dates back. If a suit is filed, the unit can also recover court costs and attorney's fees of 15% of the taxes, penalties and interest due (Section 33.48), though not on top of a Section 33.07 penalty.

So the amount on a county web page may lag the real payoff. Ask for a figure good through a date.

What if the unpaid tax bill is yours?

You have more room than the penalties suggest. On request, a collector must offer a homeowner with a homestead exemption a monthly installment plan of 12 to 36 months, unless that owner had one in the prior 24 months (Section 33.02). Other owners may get a plan at the collector's choice.

Homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or qualifying disabled veterans can defer collection on a residence homestead, or abate a pending suit or sale, by filing an affidavit (Section 33.06). The lien stays and interest runs at 5% a year. Talk to your tax office or a lawyer before a sale date arrives.

Where do you find tax delinquent properties in Texas county lists?

Texas counties keep two different lists, the delinquent roll and the sale list, and mixing them up wastes a lot of Saturdays.

• The delinquent roll shows accounts that are behind. Being on it does not mean a sale is coming, because owners can still pay.
• The sale list shows properties with a judgment and a sale date. Much smaller, and it changes up to the last minute.

Here is how four counties handle the sale list.

All four hold sales on a first Tuesday, starting around 10 a.m. Harris sells at the Bayou City Event Center, Bexar outside the west side of its courthouse, and Jefferson in the courthouse's Jury Impaneling Room. For other counties, begin with our Texas county list, then find the local office that runs the sale.

Private law firms handle many of these cases. Tarrant's constable links to both Linebarger and Perdue Brandon, and its listings carry each firm's sections.

What rules must a Texas tax sale bidder read first?

You need a clean statement. Under Section 34.015, the officer cannot hand you a deed until you show an unexpired statement from the county assessor-collector saying you owe no delinquent taxes there. The fee is capped at $10, and it expires on the 90th day. Plan ahead: Tarrant quotes about two weeks and Bexar 10 business days.

A minimum bid applies. If nobody bids the lesser of the amount due or the adjudged value, the taxing unit may stop the sale or take the property itself (Section 34.01(j)).

Later taxes are yours. Jefferson's notice warns that taxes assessed since the judgment may also be due, and Bexar says post-judgment taxes are not included in the price.

Bring the right money. Harris wants cash or certified funds at the sale. Bexar wants a cashier's check or money order for the exact amount. Ask your county, because they differ.

How does redemption work after a Texas tax sale?

The former owner can buy the property back, at a set premium, under Section 34.21.

The premium applies to the total of your bid, the deed recording fee, and the taxes, penalties, interest and costs you paid. Costs can include reasonable maintenance, property insurance and certain required repairs, so keep receipts.

Two details change how you underwrite a deal. The owner keeps no right to use or possess the property, or to collect its rents, during redemption (Section 34.21(h)). And the owner cannot sell that right to you, because Section 34.21(l) bars transferring it. Your deed covers what the defendant owned, subject to redemption and certain older recorded covenants and easements (Section 34.01(n)).

For the wider vocabulary, our tax deed beginner's guide covers the basics, and checking one house or a whole county walks through reading the record.

Should you contact Texas owners before the sale?

Plenty of investors skip the auction and write to the owner while the debt is still small. Be a person about it: this may be someone's home, and installment and deferral options exist.

If you call or text, whether an offer to buy a house counts as telemarketing is a question for your lawyer, so treat those calls and texts as covered. Start with the FTC's Do Not Call guidance for sellers and telemarketers.

What if you work more than one Texas county?

County files are free or close to it, but the four above all look different, and a sale list will not give you the owner's phone number.

Goliath is data and software for that job. Goliath builds lists from property signals such as tax delinquency, probate, pre-foreclosure, equity and tenure, and each record keeps its source. Records are updated hourly, though refresh timing varies by source and market, so confirm the sale status at the county before acting. Skip tracing, CRM, dialer and texting are built in. Plans start at $1,499 a month with 5,000 skip traces, which makes it a premium option. If you work one county on weekends, the county's own files may be all you need.