Live data — updated August 8, 2026
Over-the-Counter Tax Deeds & Liens by State (2026)
Quick answer: Properties that get no bid at the county tax sale are held by the county and sold over the counter at a fixed price — no auction. DeedFlex tracks 208,259 live OTC listings across 31 states right now.
Over-the-counter (also called county-held, struck-off, or lands available) is the quietest corner of tax-sale investing: fixed prices, no bidding competition, available year-round instead of one sale day. Pick a state below for live counts and the counties holding the most inventory.
Live OTC inventory by state
| State | County-held listings live now |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 48,173 |
| Colorado | 44,739 |
| Ohio | 31,038 |
| Texas | 18,135 |
| Alabama | 15,247 |
| Louisiana | 12,155 |
| Minnesota | 10,328 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,555 |
| Kansas | 4,318 |
| Arizona | 3,168 |
| New York | 2,015 |
| California | 1,920 |
| Mississippi | 1,905 |
| Missouri | 1,784 |
| Tennessee | 1,761 |
| Georgia | 1,035 |
| Rhode Island | 937 |
| Arkansas | 798 |
| Indiana | 761 |
| New Jersey | 488 |
| Nevada | 413 |
| Florida | 379 |
| Kentucky | 319 |
| Maryland | 238 |
| Nebraska | 231 |
| West Virginia | 133 |
| Utah | 106 |
| Iowa | 61 |
| Alaska | 50 |
| Illinois | 36 |
| Oklahoma | 33 |
Counts update daily as counties add and sell inventory.
Frequently asked questions
What does over-the-counter (OTC) mean in tax sales?
When a property gets no bid at the county tax sale, the county keeps it ("struck off") and sells it afterward at a fixed price — usually the back taxes plus costs. No auction, no bidding war: first qualified buyer to apply gets it.
Why would a property go unsold at auction?
Mostly obscurity, not defects: small rural counties get few bidders, some lists never circulate, and low-value parcels aren't worth a professional's trip. Plenty are genuinely rough — the same title and condition research applies as at auction.
Are OTC properties cheaper than auction properties?
Usually — there's no competitive bidding, so the price stays at the statutory minimum (taxes + penalties + costs) instead of getting bid up. The tradeoff is the inventory skews toward what bidders passed on, so research matters even more.