Kern County Tax-Defaulted Property Auction — September 14–16, 2026
As of August 27, 2026, 1,238 tax-defaulted properties are on the block for Kern County's September 2026 tax sale, September 14–16, 2026. Minimum bids run from $500 to $109,500. 1,107 vacant land, 120 residential, 4 commercial, 3 agricultural. Every lot opens into its full record inside Properant — owner of record, open loans and liens, equity and the recorded timeline.
None redeemed yet. An owner — or a lender protecting its loan — can pay everything owed up to 5:00 p.m. on the last business day before the sale, and the county pulls the parcel. Properant checks the county's list daily and marks every redeemed lot on its profile, so the list you work is always the freshest one: the parcels still heading to sale.
How This Sale Works
The county tax collector runs this sale directly. Registration, deposit and bidding rules are published in the county’s own sale notice — read it before sale day.
- Sale Dates
- September 14–16, 2026
- Deposit
- $5,000
- How Often Kern County Sells
- Annual, spring (Mar)
- Redemption Cutoff
- 5:00 p.m. the last business day before the sale
What's On The Block
| City / Area | Lots | Minimum Bids |
|---|---|---|
| California City | 677 | $500 – $34,100 |
| Rosamond | 119 | $1,500 – $37,500 |
| Mojave | 99 | $700 – $31,300 |
| South Kern | 53 | $800 – $12,900 |
| Tehachapi Outside | 39 | $1,000 – $34,000 |
| Taft Outside | 28 | $700 – $109,500 |
| Ridgecrest | 24 | $1,200 – $106,900 |
| Muroc | 24 | $800 – $20,800 |
| Bakersfield | 21 | $2,800 – $109,200 |
| Sierra Sands | 15 | $1,000 – $33,500 |
| Lake Isabella | 15 | $2,400 – $80,100 |
| Boron | 12 | $1,900 – $74,500 |
| Frazier Park | 12 | $800 – $39,900 |
| Kern County | 11 | $800 – $21,100 |
| + 28 more areas | ||
By Property Type
By Minimum Bid
| Under $1,000 | 48 |
| $1,000 – $5,000 | 821 |
| $5,000 – $25,000 | 303 |
| $25,000 – $100,000 | 55 |
| $100,000 and up | 3 |
The Profile
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Every parcel. Auction properties linked to full records, equity, and comps.
Every contact. Trustee names, sale numbers, and phone numbers to verify.
Before You Bid
The list shrinks until the eve of the sale — and what reaches the gavel is bought in a crowd. An owner can redeem by paying everything owed up to 5:00 p.m. on the last business day before the auction, and redeemed parcels come off the list. Lenders often step in and pay, because a completed tax sale wipes out their deed of trust. The investor who wins is usually the one who reached the owner first: an off-market deal agreed before sale day, the taxes cleared at closing, no bidding war. Properant gives you the owner of record and mailing address, every open loan and the estimated equity, and skip tracing for each lot on this list — so you can make that call now instead of waiting for the auction.
The money is made before sale day, and that takes the owner — not the lot number. The county publishes a list of parcels. Properant turns it into the people behind them: owner of record and mailing address, phone and email through built-in skip tracing, every open loan against the parcel, and the equity that is actually left. An owner sitting on real equity has every reason to sell rather than lose it at auction, and you are the one who called. Work the list weeks out, agree a price, clear the taxes at closing — the parcels that reach the gavel are the ones nobody reached first.
A tax deed wipes out most liens — but not a federal tax lien. A completed sale extinguishes the private encumbrances: deeds of trust, HOA liens, judgment liens. What follows the property is the IRS: a recorded federal tax lien survives the sale and gives the government 120 days to redeem the parcel from the buyer. Some assessments and bonds also carry over. Properant shows the recorded liens on each lot — loans, HOA, judgment and mechanics liens, and federal and state tax liens — and whether each one is still open, so you know before you bid whether the sale clears the title or hands you an IRS redemption window.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Kern County tax auction?
September 14–16, 2026. Bidding opens September 14, 2026 and the last lots close September 16, 2026. Dates come from the county’s published sale notice and update daily.
How many properties are in the Kern County tax sale?
1,238 tax-defaulted properties were published for the sale — 1,107 vacant land, 120 residential, 4 commercial, 3 agricultural. Owners can redeem right up to the eve of the sale, so the list moves — Properant tracks it daily and marks every redeemed lot.
What are the minimum bids?
Minimum bids run from $500 to $109,500. 48 lots under $1,000; 821 lots at $1,000 – $5,000; 303 lots at $5,000 – $25,000; 55 lots at $25,000 – $100,000; 3 lots $100,000 and up. The minimum is set by the county to cover the taxes, penalties and costs owed on each parcel.
How do I register to bid?
The county tax collector runs this sale directly. Registration, deposit and bidding rules are published in the county’s own sale notice — read it before sale day. Deposit: $5,000.
Can the owner still stop the sale?
Yes. In California the owner (or any party with an interest) can redeem a tax-defaulted parcel by paying everything owed up to 5:00 p.m. on the last business day before the sale. Redeemed parcels are pulled from the auction — which is why the list shrinks in the final days, and why the owner is worth a conversation before sale day.
What does the winning bidder get?
A tax deed from the county. California is a tax-deed state, so a completed tax sale conveys title free of the private liens — deeds of trust, judgment liens and HOA liens are extinguished. A recorded federal tax lien is the exception: it survives the sale and carries a 120-day IRS redemption window. Certain assessments and bonds also carry over. The sale can be challenged for one year after the deed records, so most title insurers wait a year or require a quiet-title action before insuring a resale.
How do I research a lot before I bid?
Start with the county record: who owns it, every recorded lien and where it sits in priority, how many years of taxes are unpaid, and whether the parcel is improved or raw land. Properant links every lot in this sale to its full property profile — owner of record, open loans and liens, equity and the recorded timeline — so you can screen the whole Kern County list before sale day.
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