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Tax Sale Atlas

Worth County, IA tax sales

Tax Sale Atlas maps the Worth County, IA tax sale, one of 2,553 counties in 30 states. Iowa sells tax lien certificates paying up to 24%. Sale office, calendar and list locations read from the county’s own official pages on Jul 29, 2026.

How tax lien sales work in Worth County, seat of Northwood: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.

New to tax sales? Read how Iowa tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
Iowa holds no tax deed auction.
Format
County site
Registration
Register online at the Iowa Tax Auction site.
County office
(641) 324-2942
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Worth County sells delinquent taxes

From lien to deed

Iowa holds no separate tax deed auction. The county treasurer makes out a deed for each parcel sold and unredeemed immediately after 90 days have expired from the date of completed service of the notice of expiration of the right of redemption, once the holder returns the certificate of purchase and pays the deed and recording fees.

Tax certificate sale (lien)

Online auction
Run by
Worth County Treasurer
Frequency
annual
Registration
Register online at the Iowa Tax Auction site.
Next expected
on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Worth County Delinquent Tax List and Notice of Tax Sale (2025)
When it runs
Annual tax sale on the third Monday in June, opening at 10:00 a.m. The 2025 notice reads: "the undersigned County Treasurer of Worth County, Iowa will on Monday June 16, 2025, in the Worth County Treasurers office, 822 Central Ave. Northwood, IA, beginning at 10:00 am proceed to offer at public sale." The Treasurer's terms add that bidding "closes at 11:30 a.m." and that "An adjourned tax sale will be held any business day following the annual tax sale in which there are bidders present and there are parcels available for sale."
Registration and deposit

Register online at the Iowa Tax Auction site. The Treasurer's terms state: "Register online at www.iowataxauction.com. No mailed or emailed registrations will be accepted." Bidders pay a non-refundable $45.00 registration fee by ACH debit and complete an online W-9 before the registration deadline, which closes days before the sale. Bidders must be 18 or older. An entity bidder needs a federal tax identification number plus either a designation of agent for service of process on file with the Iowa Secretary of State or a verified trade name on file with the Worth County Recorder. Parcel data on the auction site opens only after registration is complete. Platform support is listed at (877) 243-9997 or support@iowataxauction.com.

Sale format and venue
Bidding is online only. The Treasurer holds the sale at the Worth County Courthouse Annex, and the investor memo says bidders "do not need to be present at the courthouse" because "all bids must be placed online. Live bids will not be accepted." A computer and wireless internet are offered at the annex on a first come, first served basis for anyone who wants to attend in person. Bidding is the Iowa bid-down of ownership interest: parcels open at a 100% undivided interest and "Bid downs will range in whole percentage points from 99% to 1%," with ties broken by random selection. Worth County does not use batches. Winning bidders are invoiced at close and charged by ACH debit from the account used for the registration fee, covering delinquent taxes, special assessments, interest, publishing costs, and a $20.00 certificate fee per certificate. Redemption carries interest of 2% per month on the amount for which the parcel was sold, and each fraction of a month counts as a whole month. Certificate assignment costs $100.00 per transaction and a Treasurer's tax sale deed costs $25.00 per parcel. Subsequent taxes must be paid online through the Iowa treasurers portal. The most recent sale notice posted on the county's treasurer page is the 2025 one, so confirm the current year's date, registration window, and fees with the office before bidding.
Register on Online auction
Source: Worth County Delinquent Tax List and Notice of Tax Sale, published in the Northwood Anchor June 4, 2025· Verified Jul 29, 2026

Worth County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Worth County tax sale 2026 searches, use the county-run sources below rather than a copied parcel list, and confirm the parcel, registration cutoff, deposit, and payment deadline against the county before you bid.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Worth County Delinquent Tax List and Notice of Tax Sale (2025) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Register online at the Iowa Tax Auction site. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Iowa holds no tax deed auction. Bidding runs on County site; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use County Treasurer as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Worth County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Worth County Delinquent Tax List and Notice of Tax Sale (2025). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Register online at the Iowa Tax Auction site. The Treasurer's terms state: "Register online at www.iowataxauction.com. No mailed or emailed registrations will be accepted." Bidders pay a non-refundable $45.00 registration fee by ACH debit and complete an online W-9 before the registration deadline, which closes days before the sale. Bidders must be 18 or older. An entity bidder needs a federal tax identification number plus either a designation of agent for service of process on file with the Iowa Secretary of State or a verified trade name on file with the Worth County Recorder. Parcel data on the auction site opens only after registration is complete. Platform support is listed at (877) 243-9997 or support@iowataxauction.com.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Iowa due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  4. Set a walk-away number

    Work out what the parcel is actually worth with the rural land value estimator, then turn it into a ceiling with the tax deed max-bid calculator.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

Two routes reach parcels after the June sale. Parcels that remain unsold for want of bidders are carried to adjourned sales, which the treasurer sets at intervals of not more than two months until the next annual sale. Separately, certificates struck to the county at the public bidder sale may be assigned by the county for the total amount due on the date of assignment, or for a compromised amount, under a written agreement filed with the treasurer and a 10 dollar assignment transaction fee. Ask the county treasurer which county-held certificates are available for assignment.

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work. Every state has its own name for what goes unsold, so check what Iowa calls its leftover tax-sale inventory.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)

Worth County Treasurer

(641) 324-2942

822 Central Ave, P.O. Box 257, Northwood, IA 50459

Official website

County notes

  • The county seat is Northwood. The Treasurer's office sits in the courthouse annex at 822 Central Ave, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • Jacob Hanson signs the tax sale notice as Worth County Treasurer.
  • The delinquent tax list is published in the Northwood Anchor, and the Treasurer's terms say parcels are also viewable on the auction site roughly two weeks before the sale once registration is complete.
  • Regular tax sale certificates support a 90 day notice of right of redemption after one year and nine months from the sale date. Public bidder parcels, advertised for two years and flagged with an asterisk on the published list, allow that notice after nine months.
  • Certificates are canceled if the holder has not filed an affidavit of service under Iowa Code Section 447.12 within three years of the sale.

Iowa rules

Max interest rate
24% per year, fixed by statute (not bid down)
Minimum return
No statutory minimum return; what you earn is set by the share of ownership taken at the sale
Redemption
A parcel may be redeemed at any time before the right of redemption expires. After one year and nine months from the date of sale, the certificate holder may serve a notice of expiration of the right of redemption on the person in possession, the person in whose name the parcel is taxed, and every mortgagee, contract vendor, recorded lessor, and other party of record. The right of redemption then ends 90 days after that service is complete, which means the affidavit of service has been filed with the county treasurer. Three shortened tracks exist: nine months from a public bidder sale under section 446.18, and three months from an abandoned-property or public nuisance sale under section 446.19A or 446.19B. After the treasurer delivers the deed, redemption is possible only through an equitable action in district court, and only by a person who could have redeemed during the 90-day window.
Surplus proceeds
No surplus arises. The deed conveys the parcel to the certificate holder rather than selling it to the highest bidder, so there are no excess proceeds to distribute. Where the winning bid was less than 100 percent, the deed conveys only that undivided percentage interest in the parcel.
Governing statute
Iowa Code Chapter 446

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.

See the full Iowarules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Worth County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax lien certificates. In Iowa investors buy the lien, not the property; the County Treasurer runs the sale.

When is the Worth County tax certificate sale?

Annual tax sale on the third Monday in June, opening at 10:00 a.m. The 2025 notice reads: "the undersigned County Treasurer of Worth County, Iowa will on Monday June 16, 2025, in the Worth County Treasurers office, 822 Central Ave. Northwood, IA, beginning at 10:00 am proceed to offer at public sale." The Treasurer's terms add that bidding "closes at 11:30 a.m." and that "An adjourned tax sale will be held any business day following the annual tax sale in which there are bidders present and there are parcels available for sale." Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the County Treasurer before the sale.

How often does Worth County hold tax deed sales?

Worth County holds its tax deed sale none. Iowa holds no tax deed auction. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Iowa's redemption rule: 1 year 9 months from the sale before the notice of expiration can be served, then 90 days after service is complete. Call the County Treasurer as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Where can I find the Worth County tax sale list?

Worth County posts its tax sale list at iowatreasurers.org. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state sources.

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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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

Iowa tax salesDue diligence guide
Call Worth County TreasurerOpen auction