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Tax Sale Atlas

Smith County, TX tax sales

Tax Sale Atlas maps the Smith County, TX tax sale, one of 2,553 counties in 30 states. Texas sells redeemable deeds carrying a 25% penalty in the first year. Sale office, calendar and list locations read from the county’s own official pages on Jul 27, 2026.

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

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

Announcements
The county does not publish a sale list PDF online.
Format
RealAuction
County office
903-590-2920
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 27, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Smith County sells delinquent taxes

No tax lien certificate sale

No Texas office sells tax lien certificates to investors.

Tax deed sale

RealAuction
Run by
Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector (tax foreclosure sales conducted by the Smith County Sheriff's Office Civil Division, with delinquent-tax collection handled by Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP and Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott)
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
The county's Delinquent Tax Sales page lists the sale date and time as "First Tuesday of every month at 10 am."
Sale list
Smith County tax foreclosure auction calendar (RealAuction)
Registration and deposit

Two steps. First, obtain a written statement of no delinquent taxes due from the Tax Assessor-Collector: complete the Request for Written Statement (PDF) under Texas Tax Code 34.015, list every property you own in Smith County or in any city or school district located at least in part in Smith County, sign it before a notary, and submit the notarized form with $10 to the Smith County Tax Office. The county calls the resulting document a Bidder Certificate and says it is "good for 90 days." Second, register on the county's RealAuction site: "Anyone may bid on the Tax Foreclosed properties by registering at least five business days before the auction."

Sale format and venue
Texas sells a redeemable deed, not a lien. The county states plainly: "Smith County does not sell tax lien certificates. Investors may purchase properties at our tax sales." The Delinquent Tax Sales page gives the sale Location as "Smith County Official Tax Foreclosure Sales," linked to the county's RealAuction site at smith.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com, so bidding runs online through that platform rather than on the courthouse steps. Bidder rules from the county's Notice to Bidders: "All Sales Are Final"; "Payment is due by 4 pm CT on the day of the sale"; "The winning bidder's deposit will be applied first"; and "A tax sale deed or a tax resale deed to the property will be processed within 90 days," which may take longer around holidays. The Delinquent Tax Sales page adds that payment in full is required from the winning bidder on the day of the sale by cashier's check or money order, credit cards are not accepted, and the buyer may also owe unpaid fees, other costs of sale, and taxes for post-judgment years. It states "A sheriff's deed is issued at the time of sale, or shortly thereafter." On redemption the county says the owner may redeem "at any time up to six months to two years after the sale," that the period "varies for each property according to the type of property," and that redemption costs the amount paid at sale plus 25% and any costs of sale in the first year, or plus 50% and any costs of sale in the second year. There is no downloadable sale list on the county site: "A tax sale list will be published in the Tyler Morning Telegraph on three occasions during the two weeks preceding the sale (dates vary)," and notices are also posted at the Smith County Courthouse. Sale questions go to Linebarger at 903-597-2897, Perdue Brandon (which represents only Tyler Independent School District) at 903-597-7664, or the Smith County Civil Division at 903-520-1037.
Register on RealAuction
Source: Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector, Delinquent Tax Sales· Verified Jul 27, 2026

Smith County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Smith 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. If the parcels on this list are vacant land rather than houses, what buying land at a tax sale hands you is the place to start.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Smith County tax foreclosure auction calendar (RealAuction) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Ask the county office how and when to register; many counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.

  3. Sale day

    Bidding runs on RealAuction; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector (tax foreclosure sales conducted by the Smith County Sheriff's Office Civil Division, with delinquent-tax collection handled by Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP and Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott) as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Smith County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Smith County tax foreclosure auction calendar (RealAuction). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Two steps. First, obtain a written statement of no delinquent taxes due from the Tax Assessor-Collector: complete the Request for Written Statement (PDF) under Texas Tax Code 34.015, list every property you own in Smith County or in any city or school district located at least in part in Smith County, sign it before a notary, and submit the notarized form with $10 to the Smith County Tax Office. The county calls the resulting document a Bidder Certificate and says it is "good for 90 days." Second, register on the county's RealAuction site: "Anyone may bid on the Tax Foreclosed properties by registering at least five business days before the auction."

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Texas due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth. Which liens survive is state law, so read what survives a tax deed in Texas before you price the title work.

  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

Texas has no over-the-counter certificate list. Parcels that draw no sufficient bid are struck off to the taxing unit that requested the order of sale, and that unit may resell them at any time by public or private sale. A public resale requested through the sheriff or constable may be sold for any amount. A private sale generally may not go below the lesser of the market value stated in the judgment or the total judgments against the property, unless every taxing unit entitled to proceeds consents. Ask the county or its delinquent-tax law firm for the current struck-off inventory.

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

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax sale office

Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector (Gary Barber)

903-590-2920

1517 West Front Street, Tyler, TX 75702 (mailing: P.O. Box 2011, Tyler, TX 75710)

Official website

County notes

  • County seat is Tyler. Tax office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm, with substations in Noonday (15405 Hwy 155 S, 903-590-4824), Lindale (2616 South Main, 903-590-4899), and Troup (313 E Duval Street, 903-590-4741, auto registration only).
  • The auction platform is operated by Realauction.com LLC and carries the RealForeclose branding for Smith County; the same operator runs sibling Texas sites for Dallas, Travis, Gregg, Kaufman and others.
  • Sale-day contacts differ from the tax office: Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson at 903-597-2897, Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott at 903-597-7664 (Tyler ISD only), and the Smith County Civil Division at 903-520-1037.
  • The Written Statement form is hosted on the auction platform rather than the county site, at https://smith.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com/CORE/Public/documents/Smith%20Written%20Statement.pdf, and the form must be notarized and filed with $10 at the Smith County Tax Office.
  • The county does not publish a sale list PDF online. Investors must use the Tyler Morning Telegraph notices, the courthouse postings, or the auction calendar on the RealAuction site.

Texas rules

Redemption
The redemption clock runs from the date the purchaser's deed is filed for record, not from the sale date. Property that was the owner's residence homestead or was land designated for agricultural use when the suit or the warrant application was filed, and any mineral interest, may be redeemed on or before the second anniversary of that filing. Every other property may be redeemed only through the 180th day after the deed is filed. When a parcel is struck off to a taxing unit instead, the period runs from the date the taxing unit's deed is filed for record. The former owner has no right to use, possess, or collect rent from the property while the redemption right runs, and the right of redemption cannot be sold or transferred: any instrument purporting to transfer it is void.
Deed deposit
The Tax Code sets no statewide deposit and no buyer premium. Section 34.01 directs the officer to conduct the sale the way similar property is sold under execution, so payment terms are set locally by the officer who runs the sale. Most Texas counties collect the full bid in cash or by cashier's check on the day of the sale. Confirm the terms with the county before you bid.
Homestead deeds
Texas sets no separate opening bid for a homestead. What changes on a homestead parcel is the exit: a residence homestead, land designated for agricultural use when the suit or warrant application was filed, and a mineral interest all carry a two-year redemption right instead of 180 days, and the premium the owner pays can reach 50 percent in the second year. Price a homestead parcel for that longer clock.
Surplus proceeds
The officer pays any excess proceeds to the clerk of the court that issued the order of sale. The clerk holds the excess for two years after the sale and notifies the former owner when the amount exceeds $25. A claim must be filed before the second anniversary of the sale. The court pays established claims in statutory priority: a purchaser at a sale later adjudged void, taxing units for post-judgment or omitted taxes, other lienholders, taxing units for unsatisfied judgment amounts, and then the former owner. Anything unclaimed is distributed to the taxing units.
Governing statute
Tex. Tax Code Chapter 34

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 Texasrules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Smith County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax deeds. Texas sells no tax lien certificates to investors; the Sheriff or constable sells the property itself at a public tax sale.

How often does Smith County hold tax deed sales?

Smith County holds its tax deed sale once a year. 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. Texas's redemption rule: 2 years for a residence homestead, agricultural-use land, or a mineral interest; 180 days for all other property. Call the Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector (tax foreclosure sales conducted by the Smith County Sheriff's Office Civil Division, with delinquent-tax collection handled by Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP and Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott) 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 Smith County tax sale list?

Smith County posts its tax sale list at smith.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com. 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 27, 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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Call Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector