Investing guides / Arkansas

Arkansas tax sale investing: buy the property itself at the county sale

Quick answerArkansas sells tax deeds for unpaid property taxes. Redemption: No post-sale redemption for sales on or after July 1, 2023 — redemption ends at 4:00 p.m. on the last business day before the sale date; the owner may redeem at any time before that deadline while the parcel is certified to the Commissioner of State Lands. Note: the older text of §26-37-202(e) provided a 10-business-day post-sale redemption — COSL and its 2026 auction notices state sales are now final, superseding that window in practice Sales: Commissioner of State Lands regional public auctions held throughout the year, grouped by county (primarily spring/summer); a sale may not be held until at least 2 years after certification to the state, and parcels are certified after taxes are delinquent 1 year Governing law: Arkansas Code Title 26, Chapter 37, esp. §§26-37-101, 26-37-202, 26-37-203.

How it works in Arkansas

In Arkansas the county sells the property itself at a tax deed auction. Win the bid and the deed is yours — along with the due diligence burden, because sales are as-is and buyer beware.

Interest / penalty: n/a — pure tax deed state; the Commissioner of State Lands sells the parcel itself for taxes, penalties, interest and costs owed, with no interest or premium paid to the buyer on redemption because post-sale redemption was eliminated in 2023 (see redemption_period/notes)

Redemption: No post-sale redemption for sales on or after July 1, 2023 — redemption ends at 4:00 p.m. on the last business day before the sale date; the owner may redeem at any time before that deadline while the parcel is certified to the Commissioner of State Lands. Note: the older text of §26-37-202(e) provided a 10-business-day post-sale redemption — COSL and its 2026 auction notices state sales are now final, superseding that window in practice

When sales happen: Commissioner of State Lands regional public auctions held throughout the year, grouped by county (primarily spring/summer); a sale may not be held until at least 2 years after certification to the state, and parcels are certified after taxes are delinquent 1 year

Where sales run: In-person COSL regional auctions (catalog at cosl.org); unsold parcels appear on the post-auction sales list ~30 days later and are sold through COSL's online auction system at cosl.org / auction.cosl.org

Governing law: Arkansas Code Title 26, Chapter 37, esp. §§26-37-101, 26-37-202, 26-37-203

The investor's edge

Your edge is the max bid: value the property from county records and recent sales, subtract title-clearing and repair reality, and write the number down before the auction opens.

All sales are state-run — there are no county tax sales. Buyer receives only a limited warranty deed and should expect to file a quiet-title action to obtain insurable title; Act 241 of 2023 also bars purchasers whose home of record is outside the United States.

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Full legal reference: Arkansas tax sale laws. Verified 2026-10-30 against the sources on that page. Educational only, not investment advice.