DeedPilot

Cole County, Missouri

Tax Lien77,625 residents

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

Sale typestate default

Tax Lien

Redemption periodstate default

1 year (2 years for some parcels) from sale

Investor returnstate default

10% per annum plus 8% on subsequent taxes paid

Governing statutestate default

Missouri Revised Statutes Ch. 140

Notes

Missouri Chapter 140 tax certificate county. Cole County Collector holds annual delinquent tax certificate sale on the fourth Monday in August at 10:00 a.m. at the Cole County Courthouse, Jefferson City. List published three consecutive weeks in Jefferson City News Tribune. Buyer or representative must attend; certificate of purchase issued; one-year owner redemption. Non-Missouri residents need special arrangements with Collector before sale. Liens are not extinguished at sale. Jefferson City capital-area market.

Auction logistics

Format

In-person public auction

Frequency

Annually fourth Monday in August, 10:00 a.m. (Courthouse)

Platform

Cole County Collector — Delinquent Tax Certificate Sale (Courthouse) ↗

Deposit rules

Must be present to bid. Successful bidder pays total purchase price immediately at close of sale (cashier’s check, bank draft, cash, money order; personal checks also accepted per county page). Failure to pay may trigger 25% penalty plus prosecutor fee. Sign non-delinquency affidavit. Non-residents: arrange with Collector before sale. Certificate retained ~1 year or until redemption.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale
Certificate stage is a lien interest only — liens are not extinguished at sale or during redemption. Collector’s deed process after redemption may cut off most junior private liens; federal and some governmental liens can survive.
Quiet title
Petition for collector’s deed is required; quiet title is often still used to strengthen insurable title on capital-region inventory.

Deal maths for Missouri

Assessment ratio
0.19× of market value
Typical quiet title
$1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer
$250

RSMo 137.115(5)(1) assesses real property by subclass as a percentage of true value in money: residential 19%, agricultural and horticultural 12%, and utility, industrial, commercial and all other 32%. This entry uses the residential rate.

Offices and records

Tax collector
Cole County Collector — Delinquent Tax Certificate Sale ↗
Clerk of court
Cole County Clerk / Recorder (land records) ↗
Property appraiser
Cole County Assessor ↗
GIS / parcel map
Cole County Assessor / GIS parcel resources ↗

Areas trending up

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

Jefferson City / Capitol and state-employment core

Stable government employment supporting SF and small multifamily absorption

West Jefferson City / Highway 50 commercial fringe

Retail and medical edge with stronger resale than floodplain-soft pockets

St. Martins / Wardsville south fringe

Suburban school-driven demand with relative entry pricing

Sources