The Prince George’s County tax sale is an annual auction where the county sells liens on properties with unpaid taxes and other municipal charges. Winning bidders don’t take the property directly. They receive a certificate of sale that earns interest until the owner redeems, and only after a court foreclosure can the certificate become title. The 2026 auction was held on May 11, 2026, and future sales follow the same yearly rhythm.
Which Properties Go to Sale
Maryland law requires the tax collector to sell any property in the county with taxes in arrears, subject to limited exceptions.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-808 – Sale by Collector; Exceptions The debts that can trigger a sale go beyond property taxes. Unpaid water and sewer charges and other municipal assessments count too, as long as they create a lien against the real estate.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-801 – Definitions
Some homes are shielded. Owner-occupied residential property and homes occupied by an heir of a deceased owner must be withheld from the sale when total delinquent taxes, interest, and penalties are under $1,000. The county can adopt broader withholding rules for owner-occupied property, and any homeowner enrolled in Maryland’s Homeowner Protection Program is withheld automatically.3New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-811 – Withholding from Sale
Before a property lands in the auction, the county must mail notice to the owner at least 30 days before advertising the property, then publish a list of delinquent properties in a local newspaper for four consecutive weeks. Those publications are the last public warning.
Timeline and Bidder Registration
The pattern each year is registration in mid-to-late April, auction in May. For 2026, online bidder registration ran April 10 through 24, with all forms due by 5:00 p.m. EST on April 24. The auction closed at 2:00 p.m. EST on May 11, 2026.4Prince George’s County, MD. Important Dates
Registration goes through the county’s tax sale portal. Bidders submit a completed IRS Form W-9, along with legal name, entity type, and contact information. The W-9 provides the taxpayer ID the county uses to report interest income.
The money side catches newcomers off guard. For 2026, the county charged a $150 non-refundable registration fee and required a $1,000 deposit. The deposit is applied to any certificates won and refunded otherwise. The registration fee is gone regardless of outcome.4Prince George’s County, MD. Important Dates Missing the deadline or submitting incomplete paperwork ends the matter. The county does not make exceptions.
How the Auction Works
The sale runs entirely online, with registered bidders competing for individual certificates. The minimum bid on each property equals the delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and sale expenses. Bids must be in good faith, and the collector can reject any that aren’t.5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-817 – Sale of Property
The high-bid premium is the rule bidders most often miss. When a bid exceeds 40% of a property’s assessed value, Maryland law requires a premium equal to 20% of the amount over that threshold. On a property assessed at $200,000, a $100,000 bid clears the $80,000 threshold by $20,000, so the premium is $4,000. The premium is paid to the county on top of the winning bid.
Winning bidders must wire the full amount, including any premium, by noon the day after the auction. Failure to pay voids all of the bidder’s certificates and can lead to a ban from future sales.6Prince George’s County. Home – Public Tax Sale Once payment clears, the county issues the certificate of sale.
How Owners Redeem
An owner can reclaim the property at any time until a court finalizes the foreclosure. The right of redemption does not expire on a calendar date. It ends only when a judge enters a final order.7New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-827 – Right of Redemption
To redeem, the owner pays the delinquent taxes plus interest. Maryland’s default redemption rate for Prince George’s County is 6% per year, though the County Council can set a different rate. For owner-occupied homes, the rate is capped at 10% per year.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-820 – Certificate of Sale
The cost climbs as time passes. Before a foreclosure action is filed, reimbursable expenses owed to the certificate holder are capped:
- Title search fee up to $250
- Actual recording costs for the certificate
- Postage for the required certified-mail notices
- Attorney’s fees up to $500
These reimbursements don’t apply until four months after the sale for non-owner-occupied property, or seven months for owner-occupied homes.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-843 – Plaintiff or Holder of Certificate Reimbursed for Expenses
Once foreclosure has been filed, the attorney’s fee caps jump. The certificate holder can recover $1,300 in attorney’s fees before the compliance-affidavit stage or $1,500 after, plus up to $1,200 if an estate had to be opened for service of process. Courts can also approve additional reasonable fees in exceptional circumstances, along with actual filing fees, service costs, and publication expenses.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-843 – Plaintiff or Holder of Certificate Reimbursed for Expenses Redeeming early costs less. Redeeming after the complaint is filed costs materially more.
Extra Protections If You Live in the Home
Maryland treats owner-occupied residential property differently at every stage of the process. If you live in the home that went to sale, the timeline runs slower and the interest rate is capped:
- Redemption interest is capped at 10% per year, no matter what rate the County Council sets for other properties.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-820 – Certificate of Sale
- The certificate holder cannot seek reimbursement for title searches, attorney’s fees, and similar expenses until seven months after the sale, compared to four months for other property.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-843 – Plaintiff or Holder of Certificate Reimbursed for Expenses
- The holder must wait nine months from the sale before filing a foreclosure complaint, versus six months for other property.10Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-833 – Foreclosing Right of Redemption
- The required pre-foreclosure notices can’t be sent until seven months after the sale, instead of four.
The practical effect is roughly three extra months at every stage to gather funds, apply for help, or negotiate.
Foreclosure of the Right of Redemption
If the owner doesn’t redeem, the certificate holder can file a foreclosure complaint in Circuit Court. The earliest filing date is six months after the sale for non-owner-occupied property and nine months for owner-occupied homes.10Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-833 – Foreclosing Right of Redemption Before filing, the holder must send two certified-mail notices to the owner and any mortgage holder, with statutory waiting periods between them.
The complaint has to name every party with a legal interest in the property, including mortgage holders, other lienholders, and tenants. Each of those parties must be served by certified mail with a copy of the complaint. For owner-occupied properties, the plaintiff must also notify the State Tax Sale Ombudsman.11Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-836 – Parties
If no one redeems or contests, the court enters a judgment vesting absolute fee simple title in the certificate holder, free of prior ownership claims and encumbrances, except taxes that accrued after the sale date and any recorded or observable easements.12Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 14-844 – Judgment From that point the new owner is liable for property taxes going forward, along with any HOA or condominium fees. The county then issues a deed, and once it’s recorded the former owner’s interest is permanently gone.
From filing to recorded deed typically takes six months to a year. Properties with hard-to-locate owners or tangled title histories take longer.
Help for Homeowners Facing the Sale
Maryland’s Office of the State Tax Sale Ombudsman provides free help to homeowners going through this process. The office administers the Homeowner Protection Program, which offers short-term loans and individualized assistance to low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners with delinquent property taxes. Enrollment can keep a property out of the sale entirely.13Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Office of the State Tax Sale Ombudsman
The Ombudsman’s office can be reached at (410) 767-4994, toll-free at (833) 732-8411, or at sdat.taxsale@maryland.gov. Staff can connect homeowners with local housing counseling agencies and legal aid. Contacting the office before the sale gives you the most options. Once a certificate has been issued, interest and expenses are already accruing.
Title and Tax Considerations for Bidders
Winning a certificate and completing foreclosure does not always deliver a clean title. If the property carried an unreleased federal tax lien, the federal government has a separate right to redeem the property for 120 days after the foreclosure sale or the period allowed under state law, whichever is longer. The government pays the purchaser what was paid at the sale plus interest and certain allowable expenses.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 2410 – Actions Affecting Property on Which United States Has Lien Any title held during that window is subject to divestment. A title search before bidding is the way to see this risk coming.
Interest earned when a property owner redeems a certificate is taxable income, and the county reports it using the taxpayer ID from the W-9. If foreclosure produces the property rather than a redemption payment, the cost basis generally includes the amount paid for the certificate, any premiums, and expenses incurred during foreclosure. A tax professional is worth the fee before and after a foreclosure closes, because the basis calculation and later capital gains treatment can turn complicated.