North Carolina tax sales
deed state
North Carolina counties do not sell tax lien certificates; they collect delinquent property taxes by foreclosing on the land and selling the property itself. A county can foreclose either through a court action in the nature of a mortgage foreclosure, where the judgment appoints a commissioner who sells the property by public auction to the highest bidder, or through the in rem method, where the tax collector files a certificate with the clerk of superior court and the sheriff sells the property like other real property sold under execution. After the auction the high bid stays open for upset bids: anyone may raise it by at least five percent, with a minimum increase of $750, and each upset bid starts a new 10-day period. Once the sale is confirmed the commissioner delivers the deed on payment of the price, and the buyer takes the property free and clear of most claims; the owner can stop the foreclosure by paying before the sale is confirmed, but there is no redemption period after it.
Based on: ncleg.gov, ncleg.gov, ncleg.gov, ncleg.gov, ncleg.gov, ncleg.net, ncleg.net, ncleg.gov, ncleg.gov, ncleg.gov
We track 24 counties in North Carolina. 2 of them have a dated sale posted; the next is in Forsyth County on Fri, Nov 6, 2026.
Information only, not investment or legal advice. Sale dates, terms and deadlines change; always confirm with the county before you register or bid.
Upcoming dated sales in North Carolina
| Date | County | Sale | Type | Where | Deposit / register by | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 6, 2026 12:00 PM |
Forsyth | Forsyth County tax foreclosure auction | deed | In person | 5% - 20% of the highest bid, as set out in the Notice of Sale (cash, money orders or certified funds) Register: not stated |
forsyth.cc Checked Oct 27, 2026 |
| Wed, Dec 9, 2026 10:00 AM |
Gaston | Gaston County tax foreclosure sale (96 Park Drive, Gastonia; Parcel# 196765) | deed | Unknown | not stated Register: not stated |
gastongov.com Checked Oct 27, 2026 |
Counties
| County | Type | Format | Next sale | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick | deed | In person | No sale date posted on the county's Tax Foreclosures page; it lists properties for the next auction and points to the county's Legal Notices for sale notices. | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Buncombe | deed | In person | No dated sale is posted; the county's foreclosure listings site shows bidding-begins dates per property on its map, and none could be read on 2026-10-27. Sales are advertised in a newspaper before the sale date. | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Cabarrus | deed | In person | No dated sale could be read: the county posts sale dates and times on its foreclosure listings site, which loads its data dynamically and showed no listings to our reader. Sales are held on the date and time the courts assign. | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Carteret | deed | In person | No sale is listed: the county's Upcoming Sales table is empty, and the page says it is updated monthly as sale dates are received from the attorney's office. Sales are held on the courthouse steps on the scheduled day unless otherwise noted. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Catawba | deed | In person | No upcoming sale posted. The page lists three Zacchaeus Legal Services sales dated October 13, 2026 (already past); The Kania Law Firm shows no sales scheduled. | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Durham | deed | In person | Sales are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 12:00pm. | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Forsyth | deed | In person | Fri, Nov 6, 2026 | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Gaston | deed | Unknown | Wed, Dec 9, 2026 | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Halifax | deed | In person | No sale notice posted now; the county says notices are posted on its Tax Foreclosures page for every scheduled sale. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Harnett | deed | In person | No upcoming sale posted. The Tax Foreclosures page lists sales on August 28, 2026 (four parcels) and October 8, 2026 (six parcels), both already past. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Haywood | deed | In person | No sale date on the county's Tax Foreclosures page. The county posts notices of tax foreclosure sales under its Bid Opportunities listings; those notices name the property owner, so they are not linked here. The page says a tax foreclosure can begin at any date after January 5th of the year being collected. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Henderson | deed | In person | Next sale date: to be determined. The page asks visitors to check back for the next sale; its property table is empty. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Hoke | deed | In person | No sale date on the county's Foreclosure Sales page, which links to a separate Upcoming Foreclosure Sales page. Sales are scheduled at the discretion of the assigned commissioner. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Johnston | deed | In person | No sale scheduled: the county's foreclosure auctions page says 'No Sale Scheduled At This Time'. | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Lincoln | deed | In person | No upcoming sale posted. The page says there are no tax foreclosures at this time and to check back periodically. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Mecklenburg | deed | Unknown | No dated sales are posted on the county's In Rem Foreclosures page; the county's printable foreclosure property list is hosted on a file service that refused our reader. | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Moore | deed | In person | No sale date posted on the county page. The county says there is no set schedule and that scheduling is posted on the Zacchaeus Legal Services website. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| New Hanover | deed | In person | No upcoming sale date posted. The last sale listed on the page was May 22, 2026 (three vacant lots, civil no. 23CVS000524-640), which the page says are still available to bid on; contact Kania Law Firm, P.A. at 828-252-8010, Ext. 115. | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Orange | deed | In person | No sale scheduled. The Current Property Auctions page says there are currently no scheduled foreclosure sale dates and no properties currently being foreclosed on. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Pitt | deed | In person | No sale posted: the Tax Auction Listings page says 'There are No Tax Foreclosure & Auction Listings at This Time.' | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Rowan | deed | In person | No sale date posted. The county says sale dates and times are posted on its webpage when foreclosure properties are ready; its foreclosure listings page showed no available properties on 2026-10-28. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Surry | deed | Unknown | No sale date on the county's Property Tax Foreclosures page; it points to a separate Foreclosure Properties List, and the status of each property is with the court file or the attorney handling the sale. | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Wake | deed | In person | No sale dated yet: the foreclosure list (updated October 22, 2026) shows 'Date of Sale: To Be Announced' for each property. The county updates dates as the Sheriff's Office provides them. | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Wayne | deed | In person | No upcoming sale posted. The page lists 2026 sales on April 15, September 16 and October 21, 2026, each at 10:00 AM, all already past. | Oct 28, 2026 |
North Carolina tax sale questions
Does North Carolina sell tax liens or tax deeds?
North Carolina counties do not sell tax lien certificates; they collect delinquent property taxes by foreclosing on the land and selling the property itself. A county can foreclose either through a court action in the nature of a mortgage foreclosure, where the judgment appoints a commissioner who sells the property by public auction to the highest bidder, or through the in rem method, where the tax collector files a certificate with the clerk of superior court and the sheriff sells the property like other real property sold under execution. After the auction the high bid stays open for upset bids: anyone may raise it by at least five percent, with a minimum increase of $750, and each upset bid starts a new 10-day period. Once the sale is confirmed the commissioner delivers the deed on payment of the price, and the buyer takes the property free and clear of most claims; the owner can stop the foreclosure by paying before the sale is confirmed, but there is no redemption period after it.
When is the next tax sale in North Carolina?
The next dated sale we have is in Forsyth County on Fri, Nov 6, 2026: Forsyth County tax foreclosure auction. Counties add and cancel sales often, so confirm on the county's page before you plan around it.
Are North Carolina tax sales online or in person?
Of the 24 places we track, 21 in person and 3 haven't said. Each county page shows the format and the auction site, if there is one.
Where do these dates come from?
Each date is read from the county's own page or a legal notice the county must publish. We link that page next to the sale and show the day we last checked it.
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