How to buy tax-sale property in Missouri (2026)

1. 1.The county collector publishes the list of delinquent lands and the notice of sale in a newspaper of general circulation for three consecutive weeks before the sale, the last insertion at least fifteen days before the fourth Monday in August (140.170(1), (2))
2. 2.Attend the public auction in or adjacent to the county courthouse on the fourth Monday in August, beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing from day to day until all parcels are offered (140.150(1), 140.170(3))
3. 3.At a first, second, or third offering, bidding begins at the amount of the delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and costs; the person offering to pay the required sum for a tract is the purchaser (140.190(1), (2)(1))
4. 4.Sign at the sale an affidavit stating whether you are currently delinquent on tax payments on any other property; a nonresident must first file a consent to jurisdiction and appoint an in-county agent (140.190(2)(1)(a), (2)(2))
5. 5.Immediately pay the amount of the bid to the collector; failing to pay triggers a penalty of twenty-five percent of the bid plus a five-dollar prosecuting attorney fee (140.280)
6. 6.Receive a recorded certificate of purchase; the certificate bears interest not exceeding ten percent per annum (140.290(1), (2))
7. 7.If the property is not redeemed within one year, obtain a collector's deed after the statutory title-search and notice steps (140.250(2), 140.340(1), 140.405); a parcel offered for a third or subsequent time may be sold to the highest bidder (not less than the amount due at the third offering) with a ninety-day redemption, and post-third-offering sales have no redemption period (140.250(1), (4))

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: UnknownUnknown

Not verified from a source yet.

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: UnknownUnknown

Not verified from a source yet.

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

An affidavit, signed at the time of sale, stating whether the bidder is currently delinquent on tax payments on any property other than the property being offered for sale (140.190(2)(1)(a))

A nonresident bidder must file with the collector a written consent to the circuit court's jurisdiction and an appointment of some citizen of the county as agent (140.190(2)(2))

EligibilityRules about who may bid. Some counties restrict non-residents or bar anyone who owes delinquent taxes from participating. See the full glossary for more terms.

Residency required: YesNo delinquent taxes: No

No bid may be received from a person who is not a resident of Missouri or from a foreign corporation or entity, unless the nonresident consents to jurisdiction and appoints an in-county agent (140.190(2)(2))

A sale is prohibited to a member or employee of a land bank agency, an elected or appointed official or employee of the political subdivision in which a land bank agency is located, and their relatives within the second degree (140.190(2)(1)(b)-(e))

PaymentHow and when you must pay after winning. Certified or cleared funds are common and personal checks usually are not; missing the deadline typically forfeits your deposit. See the full glossary for more terms.

Unknown

Not verified from a source yet.

Sources

• RSMo 140.150(1)
• RSMo 140.170(1)
• RSMo 140.170(3)
• RSMo 140.190(2)(1)
• RSMo 140.190(2)(1)(b)-(e)
• RSMo 140.190(2)(2)
• RSMo 140.280(1)
• RSMo 140.280(2)
• RSMo 140.290(1)
• RSMo 140.290(2)
• RSMo 140.250(1)
• RSMo 140.250(4)
• RSMo 140.340(1)

Missouri county collectors sell tax certificates (not deeds) at a public auction held at the county courthouse on the fourth Monday in August. At a first, second, or third offering the bidding starts at the amount of delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and costs, and the property is sold to the person (a Missouri resident, or a nonresident who appoints an in-county agent) who offers to pay that required sum; a delinquent taxpayer is not barred if they sign the disclosure affidavit. The purchaser must pay immediately at the sale, receives a recorded certificate of purchase bearing interest up to ten percent per annum, and the owner has one year to redeem. The statutes do not set a bidder registration process, a deposit, or a payment method, so those fields are unknown; counties commonly add their own registration or bidding-number rules. A 2022 amendment (H.B. 1606) that would have let the collector conduct the auction by electronic media was declared unconstitutional in Byrd v. State (2023) and the 2015 version of 140.170 governs, so the state sale format is in person.