Cook County

Sale typeWhat you actually buy. A lien sale gives you a claim on the property and the owner keeps it for now; a deed sale transfers the property itself. A redeemable deed transfers ownership but still gives the former owner time to pay you back. See the full glossary for more terms.

lien

35 ILCS 200/21-355 (certificate amount / tax purchaser)

Interest / penaltyWhat you earn when the owner redeems. Interest is a rate paid over time; a penalty is usually a one-time percentage of the tax or redemption amount. A rate that is bid down during the auction is still interest. See the full glossary for more terms.

penalty bid, capped at 9% per penalty period

35 ILCS 200/21-215

RedemptionHow long the former owner has to repay the debt and keep the property after the sale. Your money stays tied up until this window closes, so a long period can mean a multi-year wait on a lien. See the full glossary for more terms.

2.5 years generally; 1 year for vacant/commercial/industrial or 7+ unit property

35 ILCS 200/21-350

Bid methodHow the winner is chosen: bidding the interest rate down, bidding a premium above the amount owed, a random or rotating draw, or simply buying at the minimum bid. See the full glossary for more terms.

penalty bid-down (lowest penalty percentage wins)

35 ILCS 200/21-215

Sale timingWhen sales are typically held. Many counties publish sale lists only a few weeks ahead, and some sell continuously or on their own schedule. See the full glossary for more terms.

varies by county

35 ILCS 200/21-150 (application for judgment within 90 days after second installment due date)

Auction platforms

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Parcels in this county

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1. 1.Check which sale is being held: Cook County runs the required Annual Tax Sale every year and a Scavenger Sale only when the County Board orders one, and the Treasurer's Office anticipates the next Annual Tax Sale in December 2026
2. 2.Register and post collateral: for the Annual Tax Sale, register online at the county's sale site and have the requisite collateral deposit received by the county's deadline, since registration, deposits of collateral, storing bids and payment for certificates can all be done from any computer
3. 3.Place bids: the Annual Tax Sale is an online, internet-based sale, but the final placement of bids can only be made from computers in the Cook County Treasurer's Sale Room on the days of the sale
4. 4.Bid down the penalty: the property is sold to the person offering to pay the amount due for the least penalty percentage, and no bid may be accepted for a penalty exceeding 9% (35 ILCS 200/21-215(a))
5. 5.At a Scavenger Sale, bid the highest cash amount: the opening bid is $250.00 or one-half of the total taxes due if that is less than $500.00, and the minimum bidding increment is $50.00 up to a $1,000.00 bid and $100.00 thereafter
6. 6.Pay and take the certificate: pay the amount charged forthwith (a scavenger bidder pays the minimum bid the same day and the balance the next business day) and the county collects an automation fee of up to $10 per item before issuing the certificate of purchase (35 ILCS 200/21-240, 21-245, 21-250)

RegistrationSigning up as a bidder before the sale. Counties set the deadlines and paperwork, which may include an application, identification, and a no-delinquent-taxes statement. See the full glossary for more terms.

Required: YesOnline

the Annual Tax Sale is registered online and the collateral deposit must be received by the county's deadline (the cycle the county most recently ran: registration November 8 - November 27, 2024, with collateral due by 5:00 p.m. November 27, 2024); a Scavenger Sale requires registration with the county collector at least 5 business days before the first day of sale (35 ILCS 200/21-270)

DepositMoney you must post before or at the sale, often a flat amount or a percentage of your bid. It is usually applied to the purchase price if you win and is often non-refundable if you fail to pay. See the full glossary for more terms.

Required: YesUnknown$1,000

in Cook County (3,000,000 or more inhabitants) the bidder must deposit with the collector, at least 10 days before making any offer, an irrevocable and unconditional letter of credit or other unconditional bond of not less than 1.5 times the tax due and never less than $1,000 (35 ILCS 200/21-220)

FormsPaperwork a county may collect before you can bid, such as a bidder ID card or a W-9 for tax reporting. See the full glossary for more terms.

Bidder ID card: UnknownW-9: Unknown

Cook County (FIPS 17031) sells tax liens, not deeds: the County Treasurer runs the required Annual Tax Sale each year and a Scavenger Sale only when the County Board orders one. The Annual Tax Sale is an online, internet-based sale, with registration and collateral deposits completed online but final bids placed only from computers in the Treasurer's Sale Room; because Cook has 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, state law requires the bidder to deposit an irrevocable letter of credit or unconditional bond of at least 1.5 times the tax due and never less than $1,000 at least 10 days before any offer, and the sale is a bid-down on the penalty percentage capped at 9%. A Scavenger Sale is a highest-cash-bid auction with a $250 opening bid and tightened increments, paid by certified or cashier's check, money order or cash, or by ACH debit for the electronic automated sale. The county pages do not state a residency rule, a delinquent-tax bar or a W-9 requirement, so those fields stay unknown. Statewide framing is 35 ILCS 200/21-205 et seq., with the scavenger provisions at 21-260 to 21-275 (see data/bidder_process/state/IL.json).