Iowa Tax Lien Certificates


In Iowa, the tax collector or treasurer will sell Iowa tax lien certificates to the winning bidders at the delinquent property tax sale.

Tax Sale Type: Tax Lien Certificates (Sec. 446.1 New Window)

Contact: The county treasurer or tax collector (Sec. 446.7 New Window)

Interest Rate: 24% per annum (Sec. 447.1 New Window)

Penalty Rate: None

Bid Procedure: Bid down ownership interest (Sec. 446.16 New Window)

Redemption Period: 2 years (See "Notes") (Sec. 447.9 New Window)

Law: Code of Iowa, Title X, Subtitle 2, Chapter 446, "Tax Sales," Chapter 447, "Tax Redemption," and Chapter 448, "Tax Deeds." New Window

Additional Notes:

Important: According to Iowa statute, after one year and nine months from the date of the sale, the holder of the tax lien certificates is required to serve a notice stating that the right of redemption will expire and a deed for the parcel be made unless redemption is made within ninety days from the completed service of the notice (Sec. 447.9 New Window).

After three years from the date of the sale, If the county determines that the holder of the tax lien certificates has failed to serve the 90-day notice the tax lien certificates will be void. Furthermore, the money paid to purchase the tax lien certificates will be credited to the county's general fund (Sec. 448.12 New Window).

Join the Iowa Tax Sale Discussion

Below you will find a collection of the latest user questions and comments relating to Tax Lien Certificates Iowa.

Counties / Municipalities located in Iowa

The following is a list of counties located in the state of Iowa. Tax Lien Certificates for properties located in the following counties are sold at Iowa county tax sales.

Learn more about each county's individual tax sale process by clicking on the name of the county for which you are interested from the list below:

County/Municipality:  Population: 
Adair County, IA  8,243
Adams County, IA  4,482
Allamakee County, IA  14,675
Appanoose County, IA  13,721
Audubon County, IA  6,830
Benton County, IA  25,308
Black Hawk County, IA  128,012
Boone County, IA  26,224
Bremer County, IA  23,325
Buchanan County, IA  21,093
Buena Vista County, IA  20,411
Butler County, IA  15,305
Calhoun County, IA  11,115
Carroll County, IA  21,421
Cass County, IA  14,684
Cedar County, IA  18,187
Cerro Gordo County, IA  46,447
Cherokee County, IA  13,035
Chickasaw County, IA  13,095
Clarke County, IA  9,133
Clay County, IA  17,372
Clayton County, IA  18,678
Clinton County, IA  50,149
Crawford County, IA  16,942
Dallas County, IA  40,750
Davis County, IA  8,541
Decatur County, IA  8,689
Delaware County, IA  18,404
Des Moines County, IA  42,351
Dickinson County, IA  16,424
Dubuque County, IA  89,143
Emmet County, IA  11,027
Fayette County, IA  22,008
Floyd County, IA  16,900
Franklin County, IA  10,704
Fremont County, IA  8,010
Greene County, IA  10,366
Grundy County, IA  12,369
Guthrie County, IA  11,353
Hamilton County, IA  16,438
Hancock County, IA  12,100
Hardin County, IA  18,812
Harrison County, IA  15,666
Henry County, IA  20,336
Howard County, IA  9,932
Humboldt County, IA  10,381
Ida County, IA  7,837
Iowa County, IA  15,671
Jackson County, IA  20,296
Jasper County, IA  37,213
Jefferson County, IA  16,181
Johnson County, IA  111,006
Jones County, IA  20,221
Keokuk County, IA  11,400
Kossuth County, IA  17,163
Lee County, IA  38,052
Linn County, IA  191,701
Louisa County, IA  12,183
Lucas County, IA  9,422
Lyon County, IA  11,763
Madison County, IA  14,019
Mahaska County, IA  22,335
Marion County, IA  32,052
Marshall County, IA  39,311
Mills County, IA  14,547
Mitchell County, IA  10,874
Monona County, IA  10,020
Monroe County, IA  8,016
Montgomery County, IA  11,771
Muscatine County, IA  41,722
O'brien County, IA  15,102
Osceola County, IA  7,003
Page County, IA  16,976
Palo Alto County, IA  10,147
Plymouth County, IA  24,849
Pocahontas County, IA  8,662
Polk County, IA  374,601
Pottawattamie County, IA  87,704
Poweshiek County, IA  18,815
Ringgold County, IA  5,469
Sac County, IA  11,529
Scott County, IA  158,668
Shelby County, IA  13,173
Sioux County, IA  31,589
Story County, IA  79,981
Tama County, IA  18,103
Taylor County, IA  6,958
Union County, IA  12,309
Van Buren County, IA  7,809
Wapello County, IA  36,051
Warren County, IA  40,671
Washington County, IA  20,670
Wayne County, IA  6,730
Webster County, IA  40,235
Winnebago County, IA  11,723
Winneshiek County, IA  21,310
Woodbury County, IA  103,877
Worth County, IA  7,909
Wright County, IA  14,334