Office of the Washoe County Treasurer

Per NRS 361.585 and 361.590, property which is delinquent three consecutive fiscal years is deeded into the name of Washoe County Treasurer as trustee for the state and county.

Once property is placed in the name of the County Treasurer as Trustee, the property is subject to be auctioned for non-payment of taxes.

Registration will open at 9:00 am two business days prior to the auction and be conducted in the office of the Washoe County Treasurer. 

A five hundred dollar ($500.00) per bidder pre-bid deposit, in certified funds, is required at the time of registration.  A valid driver's license or photo I.D. is required.

All bidders must be registered prior the date of the auction.  All eligible bidders will receive their bidder number prior to the start of the auction.

Prospective bidders who arrive after the Tuesday 5:00 pm deadline will not be registered or allowed to bid.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is due for any successful bid and the remaining balance is due in full by 5:00 p.m. the day after the sale.

We only accept cash, cashier's check, certified check and/or money orders for payment.

A quitclaim deed will be prepared using the information on the bidder registration form.

The Treasurer's Office will record the deed to the property within 30 days of the auction date.

If a property does not sell, it will be offered at the next annual auction. Properties are not sold over the counter.

There is no redemption period on property acquired through the tax auction.

There is a two year period in which the previous owner may protest the sale. During this period, you may not be able to obtain title insurance. You should contact a title company for more information regarding issuance of title insurance.

No, if you are not the owner, you must bid for the property through auction.

The Treasurer's Office conducts one Real Estate Tax Auction annually, usually in April. The date, time and location of the auction will be available in February. The information is available on our website or by calling our office.

We will have a list of properties available by the end of February each year.

The property owner will have up to 5:00 p.m. on the third business day before the day of the sale to pay the taxes and prevent the sale of their property. Therefore, the properties listed may be redeemed and not sold at auction.

The County Assessor's Office will have maps on all properties to be sold. You may search the County Recorder's records for any recorded documentation you deem relevant.

Both of these offices are located within the County Government Center located at 1001 East Ninth St., Reno, Nevada. You may also want to contact the various county or city zoning/planning departments.

It is the responsibility of prospective purchasers to conduct their own research, prior to the auction, as to the use of the property for their intended purpose, and to make a personal inspection of the property to determine if it will be suitable for the purpose for which it is being purchased.

The County makes no representation or claims as to fitness for purpose, ingress/egress, conditions, covenants or restrictions. The County's sole interest is the recovery of all delinquent taxes, penalties, interest and costs.

Not all liens are satisfied by a tax auction. Some government liens and other encumbrances may remain.

The minimum bid will vary for each property to be auctioned. Opening bid is for the amount of delinquent taxes, delinquent assessments, costs, interest and penalties OR the assessed valuation, whichever is greater. The assessed value is approximately 35% of the appraised value and, in some instances, is greater than the delinquent taxes, etc.

Yes, you must be present to bid.