Tax Sale Redemption Periods by State: How Long Owners Have to Pay
How long you can pay back taxes and keep land after a tax sale depends on the state. Illinois and Kansas allow up to three years and Missouri one at a regular sale, while Oklahoma ends the right to pay when its June resale auction starts. This table covers 9 states, each from the state’s own statute site or agency.
Updated Nov 5, 2026 · By the Twin Sun Land Company team
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The short version
- 9 states, each re-read at the official source on November 5, 2026.
- Certificate states give owners time after the sale; Oklahoma’s resale does not.
- Illinois: up to 3 years. Kansas: 3 for most land (2 if special assessments are also owed), then until the foreclosure sale. Missouri: 1 at a regular sale, 90 days at a third offering. Texas: 2 for homestead or ag land, 180 days otherwise.
- Oklahoma: pay before the resale auction starts (68 O.S. § 3113).
- Selling before the tax sale is usually cheaper than redeeming after.
How long do owners have to redeem land after a tax sale?
It depends on the state. Illinois sells a tax certificate and gives the owner up to 3 years to pay it off, and Kansas holds the land for up to 3 years. Others, like Oklahoma, sell the land itself at a resale and end the owner’s right to pay once the auction starts. The table shows 9 states.
| State | Type of sale | Owner’s right to redeem (as the law states it) | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Commissioner of State Lands auction (after certification to the state) | Until 4 p.m. the last business day before the sale (payment must be received by then; postmarks are not accepted); since July 1, 2023, parcels sold cannot be redeemed | Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands |
| Florida | Tax certificate sale | Any time after the certificate is issued and before a tax deed is issued, unless full payment for a tax deed has been made; the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed 2 years after April 1 of the year the certificate was issued | Fla. Stat. §§ 197.472, 197.502 |
| Illinois | Tax sale (certificate) | Before 3 years from the sale date; 1 year for vacant non-farm land, buildings with 7 or more units, and commercial or industrial property (newest rule applies to certificates issued on or after July 10, 2026) | 35 ILCS 200/21-350 |
| Iowa | Tax sale (certificate of purchase) | After one year and nine months from a regular sale, the certificate holder can serve notice; the right then ends 90 days after service is completed. Some special sales start the notice clock sooner | Iowa Code § 447.9 |
| Kansas | County tax sale (land bid off by the county) | The county holds the land for 3 years after the sale for a homestead and most other land; 2 years if it was bid off for both delinquent taxes and special assessments; 1 year for abandoned buildings. It then goes to a court foreclosure, and the owner can still redeem before the day of that sale. Land becomes subject to sale when taxes are not paid by May 10 | K.S.A. 79-2301, 79-2401a, 79-2803 |
| Missouri | Tax sale (certificate of purchase) | Regular sale: an absolute right during the 1 year after the sale, and a defeasible right until the purchaser gets the deed. Third offering (no bid covering the taxes in the two years before): 90 days. Sales after the third offering: generally none | RSMo §§ 140.250, 140.340 |
| Nebraska | Tax sale (certificate) | Until the purchaser files an application for a tax deed with the county treasurer, which can come 3 years after the sale (2 years for vacant and abandoned real estate). Payment must arrive by close of business that day | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 77-1824, 77-1837 |
| Oklahoma | County June tax resale (after 3+ years unpaid) | Until the resale auction starts; no redemption after the sale, except minors and people with a mental incapacity get 1 year after that ends; 12 months after the resale deed is recorded, no action can be brought to set it aside | 68 O.S. §§ 3113, 3125, 3131 |
| Texas | Tax sale (after a court judgment or tax warrant) | Homestead, land designated for agricultural use or a mineral interest: within 2 years after the buyer’s deed is recorded (25% premium to a private buyer in year 1, 50% in year 2). Other land: within 180 days after the deed is recorded (premium up to 25%). The buyer gets a deed first, and the owner cannot transfer the right to redeem | Tex. Tax Code § 34.21 |
9 states, each re-read on November 5, 2026 on the state’s official statute site (Arkansas: the Commissioner of State Lands site). Each row states only what the quoted sections say, not every step of that state’s process. More states will be added as we verify them.
Please note. General information, not legal advice. Laws change and every title is different, so confirm your situation with an Oklahoma attorney before you act.
What is the difference between a tax certificate sale and a tax deed sale?
In a certificate sale, a bidder pays the taxes and gets a lien certificate, and the owner can still redeem by paying it back with interest until that state’s deadline. In a deed or resale system, the land itself is auctioned and the buyer gets a deed. Oklahoma ended its certificate sale in 2008.
Not every state fits those two boxes. In Texas the buyer gets a deed and the owner can still redeem afterward, but while that right lasts the former owner has no right to use the land or collect rent from it (Tax Code § 34.21(h)). In Kansas the county bids the land off, holds it, and later forecloses in court.
Oklahoma now uses the June resale: see does Oklahoma still have an October tax sale? and the 2027 resale calendar.
Why do websites disagree about redemption periods?
Because the rules change and many tables are never updated. Oklahoma dropped its certificate sale in 2008 and moved its pay-by deadline to the start of the auction in 2025. Texas, Kansas and Missouri each have more than one period, and a table with one number per state gets those wrong.
- Oklahoma, “2 years” or “none”. Neither fits the law today. There is no waiting period after the June resale, but the owner can pay any time before the auction starts (68 O.S. § 3113, as amended by HB 1663 from November 1, 2025; the old cutoff was the signing of the resale deed). Tables that show a period after the sale appear to describe the old October certificate sale.
- Texas, “180 days” or “2 years”. Both are right for different property: 2 years for a homestead, land designated for agricultural use or a mineral interest, 180 days for other land. The land’s status counts as of when the suit or warrant application was filed (Tax Code § 34.21). Behind on Texas taxes now? What happens when Texas property taxes go unpaid.
- Kansas, “2 years” or “3 years”. Three for a homestead and most land, two when the land was sold for both delinquent taxes and special assessments (K.S.A. 79-2401a). We had this wrong ourselves until October 27, 2026, when we re-read the whole section. Neither number is the true last day: after the county files its foreclosure, an owner or mortgagee can still redeem before the day of the sale by paying the taxes plus a share of the case costs (K.S.A. 79-2803). On three-year land, an owner can also pay it down one tax year at a time, oldest year first (newest first in Johnson County), and outside Johnson County each year paid pushes back the foreclosure.
- Missouri, “1 year”. That leaves out two kinds of sale. Land that drew no bid covering the taxes for two straight years goes to a third offering with a 90-day redemption period, and sales after the third offering generally have none (RSMo § 140.250). Ask the county collector which offering your land is in.
- Illinois. A 2026 law (P.A. 104-553) applies to certificates issued on or after July 10, 2026, so older certificates and newer ones can follow different rules.
Before you rely on any number, including ours, check the date the source was read and call the county treasurer or tax collector. Each row in our table links the statute it comes from.
How long do you have to redeem in Oklahoma?
Until the county’s June resale auction starts. Since November 1, 2025, an owner can pay the taxes, interest and costs any time before the auction begins. After the sale there is no redemption, except one year after a legal disability ends, and a resale deed becomes hard to challenge after 12 months.
Anyone with a legal or equitable interest in the land can pay, not only the owner on record. The amount is the sum originally delinquent, interest and any added costs. The resale is the second Monday of June, but a county that sells online starts on a date and time the treasurer sets that week, so ask for the exact start. The one extra year is only for minors and people with a mental incapacity; a physical disability does not count.
The rules: 68 O.S. §§ 3113, 3125 and 3131(A). If land sold for more than was owed, the extra can be claimed: see excess resale proceeds.
Who can redeem besides the owner?
In several states, more people than the owner can pay. Oklahoma lets anyone with a legal or equitable interest redeem. Missouri and Nebraska name lienholders and occupants. Kansas names heirs and mortgagees. Texas gives the right to the owner and voids any transfer of it.
This matters most for heirs and lenders. An heir who has not cleared title may still be able to stop an Oklahoma resale by paying, since the law asks for an interest in the land, not a name on the tax roll. Paying does not by itself settle who owns the land. See selling inherited land in Oklahoma.
Sources: 68 O.S. § 3113; RSMo § 140.340; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-1824; K.S.A. 79-2401a; Tex. Tax Code § 34.21(l).
I own land in another state. What should I do if taxes are behind?
Find the county treasurer or tax collector where the land is, ask how much is owed and when the next sale is, and get the rule in writing. Redemption windows and costs vary widely. Paying, or selling before the deadline, is usually cheaper than redeeming after a sale.
If the land is in Oklahoma: how to check your land for back taxes.
Can I sell land before it goes to a tax sale?
Usually yes, in any state, as long as the sale closes before the land is sold for taxes. The back taxes are paid from the sale money at closing, and you keep the rest. For Oklahoma land, that means closing before the June resale auction starts.
After a Texas tax sale the picture changes: the owner cannot sell the right to redeem, and any document that tries to is void (Tax Code § 34.21(l)).
If you sell Oklahoma land to us: We pay all closing costs (title, closing fee, notary, recording and deed stamps), and there is no commission. Only a mortgage, liens or back taxes owed on the land come out of the sale proceeds, paid off by the title company at closing.
See what you would keep with the net sheet calculator.
Who wrote this. Twin Sun Land Co. is a direct cash buyer of vacant and rural land in all 77 Oklahoma counties. We are one of the options on this page, so we have a stake in the answer. Our mission: Twin Sun Land Company exists to serve landowners: we make selling land simple, transparent, and fair, so every owner walks away with the most value their property can bring. The redemption rules on this page come from each state’s own statutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a tax sale redemption period?
The time an owner has to pay the delinquent taxes, interest and costs and keep the property after, or before, a tax sale.
Does Oklahoma have a redemption period after the tax resale?
No. Owners can redeem until the resale auction starts. After that, only minors and people with a mental incapacity get more time: one year after the disability ends. A physical disability does not count (68 O.S. 3113).
Why do websites list different redemption periods for Oklahoma?
Many tables appear to describe Oklahoma’s old October certificate sale, which ended in 2008. Today there is no period after the June resale, but the owner can pay any time before the auction starts (68 O.S. 3113, as changed November 1, 2025).
How long is the redemption period in Illinois?
Before 3 years from the sale, or 1 year for vacant non-farm, 7+ unit, commercial and industrial property (35 ILCS 200/21-350).
How long is the redemption period in Missouri?
At a regular sale, an absolute right during the year after the sale, then a defeasible right until the purchaser gets the deed (RSMo 140.340). A third-offering sale has 90 days, and later sales generally have none (RSMo 140.250).
How long is the redemption period in Kansas?
The county holds land for three years after the sale for a homestead and most other land, two years when it was sold for both delinquent taxes and special assessments, and one year for abandoned buildings (K.S.A. 79-2401a). After that the owner can still redeem before the day of the foreclosure sale (K.S.A. 79-2803).
How long is the redemption period in Texas?
2 years after the buyer’s deed is recorded for a homestead, land designated for agricultural use or a mineral interest, and 180 days for other land, plus a premium of up to 25% (50% in the second year) (Tex. Tax Code 34.21).
When does redemption end in Florida?
When a tax deed is issued, unless full payment for the tax deed has already been made (Fla. Stat. 197.472).
Why are only 9 states listed?
We list only states whose rule we read on an official state source. More will be added as they are verified.
Can I sell land that is behind on taxes?
Usually yes, before the tax sale. The taxes are paid from the sale money at closing.
Sources
Each rule comes from the state’s own statute site (Arkansas: the Commissioner of State Lands), re-read November 5, 2026. How to cite: Twin Sun Land Company team, “Tax Sale Redemption Periods by State,” Twin Sun Land Co., November 2026.
- Arkansas: Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands: Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
- Florida: Fla. Stat. §§ 197.472, 197.502: Fla. Stat. §§ 197.472, 197.502, Fla. Stat. § 197.502
- Illinois: 35 ILCS 200/21-350: 35 ILCS 200/21-350
- Iowa: Iowa Code § 447.9: Iowa Code § 447.9
- Kansas: K.S.A. 79-2301, 79-2401a, 79-2803: K.S.A. 79-2301, 79-2401a, 79-2803, K.S.A. 79-2803
- Missouri: RSMo §§ 140.250, 140.340: RSMo §§ 140.250, 140.340, RSMo § 140.250, RSMo § 140.405
- Nebraska: Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 77-1824, 77-1837: Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 77-1824, 77-1837, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-1837
- Oklahoma: 68 O.S. §§ 3113, 3125, 3131: 68 O.S. §§ 3113, 3125, 3131
- Texas: Tex. Tax Code § 34.21: Tex. Tax Code § 34.21
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Last updated Nov 5, 2026. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
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