Salt Lake County, Utah

Tax Deed1,216,274 residents

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

Sale typestate default

Tax Deed

Redemption periodstate default

None once the county auctions (4-year delinquency threshold before that)

Investor returnstate default

N/A — outright deed transfer

Governing statutestate default

Utah Code Title 59, Ch. 2, Part 13

Notes

Utah May Tax Sale (statutory): real property delinquent ~4 years from final payment deadline is auctioned. Salt Lake County Auditor runs online sale via Public Surplus. 2026 sale held May 27–28, 2026 (concluded); 2027 sale scheduled May 26–27. Tax deed issued within ~60 days after County Council ratification. Unsold parcels may become county property (contact Facilities Management).

Auction logistics

Format

Online

Frequency

Annually in late May (2027: May 26–27)

Platform

Public Surplus — Salt Lake County Tax Sale ↗

Deposit rules

$500 refundable bid deposit via PAYMAC / wire, required by deadline (~1 week before sale; 2026: by 5:00 PM MDT May 22). Deposit does NOT apply to purchase price; refunded after payment of awarded lots or if you win nothing. Register in advance on Public Surplus. Follow wire instructions carefully — processing can take 48+ hours.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

May tax sale deed generally extinguishes most private liens; federal tax liens can survive. Excess over taxes/penalties/interest/costs is remitted to former owner/lienholder/state — county does not keep surplus.

Quiet title

Often required by title companies before insuring Utah tax-deed property for resale.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Salt Lake County Auditor — Property Tax Sale ↗

Clerk of court

Salt Lake County Recorder ↗

Property appraiser

Salt Lake County Assessor ↗

GIS / parcel map

Salt Lake County Assessor / Surveyor parcel map ↗

Areas trending up

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

Downtown / Granary District

Tech and urban multifamily pipeline supporting core absorption

Sugar House

Established amenity corridor with strong end-user demand

Daybreak / South Jordan edge

Master-planned southwest growth with ongoing housing absorption