Holmes County, FL tax sales
Holmes County, Florida sells both tax lien certificates and tax deeds. The Tax Collector runs an annual certificate sale (18% maximum, bid down), and unredeemed certificates move to a Clerk of the Circuit Court tax deed auction after about two years, under Florida Statutes Chapter 197.
Verified Jul 4, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Florida tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Holmes County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Holmes County Tax Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- On or before June 1 annually; the 2026 sale opens May 5, 2026 and runs 26 days
- Next expected
- on or about June 1, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register on the taxcertsale.com Holmes sale site before bidding. Certificates are bid down from 18 percent. County-held certificates can be bought directly from the Tax Collector, and first-time buyers may need to submit a W-9.
Most Florida counties run the certificate sale online. Confirm the exact platform and list on the county Tax Collector page.
Register on taxcertsale.com (VisualGov)Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Holmes County Clerk of Court and Comptroller
- Frequency
- As scheduled after a certificate holder applies; sales begin at 11:00 a.m.
Registration and deposit
Bid in person. Payment is cash or cashier's check only, with the total bid due at the time of sale. If full payment is not made immediately, a deposit of $200 or 5 percent of the bid, whichever is greater, is due right after the sale, with the balance within 24 hours.
Future tax deed sales are advertised in the legal ads of the Holmes County Times-Advertiser; there is no online deed auction platform.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
County-held certificates are available from the Tax Collector after the annual sale and can be downloaded as an Excel list. Parcels not sold at a tax deed sale become lands available through the Clerk.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Harry B. Bell III, CFC
Clerk of the Circuit Court (runs the deed sale)
Holmes County Clerk of Court and Comptroller
201 N. Oklahoma Street, Bonifay, FL 32425 (mailing P.O. Box 397, Bonifay, FL 32425)
Official websiteNotes for Holmes County
- Holmes uses taxcertsale.com (VisualGov) for the annual tax certificate sale, not LienHub or RealAuction.
- The 2026 certificate sale opens May 5, 2026 and runs 26 days.
- Tax deed sales are held in person at 11:00 a.m. for cash or cashier's check, and future sales are advertised in the Holmes County Times-Advertiser.
Florida statewide rules
- Redemption
- The owner (or anyone) can redeem a certificate at any time after it is issued and before a tax deed is issued. The two-year clock that lets a certificate holder apply for a tax deed runs from April 1 of the year the certificate was issued.
- Deed deposit
- The high bidder posts a nonrefundable deposit of 5 percent of the bid or $200, whichever is greater, at the time of the sale, applied to the final price.
- Homestead deeds
- If the property was assessed as homestead on the latest roll, the opening bid also adds one-half of its latest assessed value. This sharply raises the floor price on homestead parcels and suppresses investor demand for them.
A tax deed does not convey marketable title. Most buyers file a quiet title action before they can resell or insure the property. See the due diligence guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Holmes County, Florida sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Holmes County follows Florida's hybrid system. The Tax Collector sells tax-lien certificates each year, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court holds tax deed auctions on parcels whose certificates go unredeemed after about two years.
When is the Holmes County tax certificate sale?
- On or before June 1 annually; the 2026 sale opens May 5, 2026 and runs 26 days. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.
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