When The Taxes Go Unpaid
Fla. Stat. 197.472 — a certificate redeemed any time before a tax deed issues, and Fla. Stat. 197.502 — no application before 2 years
Redemption. A person may redeem a tax certificate at any time after it is issued and before a tax deed is issued, unless full payment for a tax deed has been made to the clerk of the court. The person redeeming pays the tax collector the face amount plus all interest, costs, and charges.
A minimum interest. When the interest earned on a redeemed certificate is less than 5 percent of its face amount, a mandatory minimum interest of 5 percent is levied, except on certificates with an interest rate bid of zero percent. The tax collector receives a fee of $6.25 for each certificate redeemed.
Two years. The holder of a tax certificate may file it with an application for a tax deed at any time after 2 years have elapsed since April 1 of the year the certificate was issued, and before it is canceled.
A homestead at the sale. On property assessed on the latest roll as homestead property, the opening bid includes, beyond the amounts for nonhomestead property, an amount equal to one-half of the latest assessed value of the homestead.
What the redemption amount includes, the notices that must be given, and what happens to any money left after a sale are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular property can still be redeemed is a question for a licensed Florida attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- Fla. Stat. 197.472 — Redemption of tax certificates
- Fla. Stat. 197.502 — Application for a tax deed by a certificate holder
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.