St. Johns County, Florida

Hybrid334,928 residentsLive auctions →

County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.

Sale typestate default

Hybrid

Redemption periodstate default

Lien: 2 years before deed application allowed. Deed: none once issued.

Investor returnstate default

Lien: 5–18% (bid-down, 5% minimum return rule)

Governing statutestate default

Florida Statutes Ch. 197

Notes

Florida hybrid with in-person tax deeds: Tax Collector sells certificates online via Zeus/SRI (zeusauction.com; 2026 sale May 29, 2026 @ 9:00 a.m.). Tax deed sales are held live at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine — generally Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. EST several times per month (confirm schedule). Not fully online for deeds. Certificate sale separate from deed auction.

Auction logistics

Format

In-person

Frequency

Several times per month, generally Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. EST (confirm on Clerk Tax Deed page)

Platform

St. Johns County Clerk — Tax Deed Sales (courthouse auction) ↗

Deposit rules

No pre-registration deposit. Arrive ~15 minutes early. After winning, deposit of $200 or 5% of winning bid (whichever greater) required; full payment in cash or certified funds within 24 hours or deposit forfeited and possible ban. Opening bid = taxes + fees + interest. Tax Deeds taxdeeds@stjohnsclerk.com / (904) 819-3600.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

A Florida tax deed generally extinguishes most private mortgages and liens, but does not clear governmental liens (code enforcement, municipal liens) or IRS liens (120-day federal redemption). Run a municipal/code-enforcement lien search before bidding. Sales are as-is without warranty as to title or condition.

Quiet title

Under Fla. Stat. §95.192, continuous ownership and tax payment for 4+ years after the deed often supports marketable title without suit. For faster insurable title, a quiet title action with final judgment is standard practice.

Deal maths for Florida

Assessment ratio: 0.85× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $500

Florida assesses at just value, but Save Our Homes / Amendment 1 caps compress assessed below market on long-held homesteads.

Offices and records

Tax collector

St. Johns County Tax Collector — Tax Certificate Sales ↗

Clerk of court

St. Johns County Clerk of Court — Tax Deeds ↗

904-819-3600

Property appraiser

St. Johns County Property Appraiser ↗

GIS / parcel map

St. Johns County Property Appraiser search / maps ↗

Areas trending up

Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.

Nocatee / northeast growth

Master-planned family demand and school-driven absorption among Florida's fastest-growing corridors

St. Augustine / historic–world golf village edge

Tourism employment and constrained coastal supply

St. Johns / northwest county (I-95)

Jacksonville spillover and relative value versus beachside product