State laws / Maryland
Maryland tax sales: liens, deeds, rates & redemption
Quick answerMaryland sells tax lien certificates for unpaid property taxes. Lien buyers can earn County-set redemption rate: 6% per year statutory default (Md. Code, Tax-Property § 14-820), with counties fixing higher rates by local law — e.g. 20% in Montgomery and Prince George's counties and 18% in Baltimore City; for owner-occupied residential property the rate may not exceed 10% per year (§ 14-820(c)). Redemption: Owner may redeem until a court forecloses the right of redemption; the certificate holder may file to foreclose after 6 months from the sale (9 months for owner-occupied property) and the certificate is void if foreclosure is not filed within 2 years (§§ 14-820, 14-833) Sales: Annual sale in each of the 23 counties and Baltimore City, mostly in May–June (2026 State schedule runs March–August, with Baltimore County in late August) Governing law: Md. Code Ann., Tax-Property Article, Title 14, Subtitle 8 (esp. §§ 14-817, 14-820, 14-828, 14-833).
Where to bid: RealAuction / county MarylandTaxSale portals (e.g. Carroll, Cecil and Prince George's counties)Bid4Assets (some counties)BidBaltimore (Baltimore City's own online sale)
| What is sold | Tax lien certificates |
|---|---|
| Interest / penalty | County-set redemption rate: 6% per year statutory default (Md. Code, Tax-Property § 14-820), with counties fixing higher rates by local law — e.g. 20% in Montgomery and Prince George's counties and 18% in Baltimore City; for owner-occupied residential property the rate may not exceed 10% per year (§ 14-820(c)) |
| Redemption period | Owner may redeem until a court forecloses the right of redemption; the certificate holder may file to foreclose after 6 months from the sale (9 months for owner-occupied property) and the certificate is void if foreclosure is not filed within 2 years (§§ 14-820, 14-833) |
| When sales happen | Annual sale in each of the 23 counties and Baltimore City, mostly in May–June (2026 State schedule runs March–August, with Baltimore County in late August) |
| Governing law | Md. Code Ann., Tax-Property Article, Title 14, Subtitle 8 (esp. §§ 14-817, 14-820, 14-828, 14-833) |
| Investor notes | Bidding is high-bid premium on price, not bid-down on rate — the rate is fixed by the county, and a high-bid premium is charged on bids above 40% of full cash value, with no interest earned on the premium portion. Older directories quoting up to 24% (e.g. for Baltimore City / Prince George's) conflict with the current § 14-820 text and the 2025 owner-occupied 10% cap and were not used for the headline rate. |
Sources
- http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gtp§ion=14-820&enactments=false
- https://dat.maryland.gov/Pages/Tax-Sale-Schedule.aspx
- https://taxlien.io/rankings/
- https://taxsale.princegeorgescountymd.gov/TaxInformation.aspx
Law verified 2026-10-30 against the sources above. Confirm current details with the county tax collector / clerk before bidding — counties can change dates and procedures.
Go deeper: all Maryland counties · Maryland sale calendar · Maryland investing guide