State guides / Missouri / Clay County

Clay County property data

Where Clay County's property records live, how its tax and foreclosure sales work, and what Deedplat puts on one map, including Kansas City.

23Cities and towns

Hover a town to see its name

Where the records are

The county offices an investor deals with in Clay County, and what each one puts online.

Deeds and mortgages

Clay County Recorder of Deeds. Recorded documents can be searched and viewed free after registering on the Recorder's iCounty online system, but copies must be bought.

Owners and values

Clay County Assessor. The Assessor's free Parcel Search shows owner, value, deed, dwelling, photo, sketch and map details for each parcel.

Tax sales

Clay County Collector, Tax Sale. The tax sale list and guidelines are posted on the Collector's site and GovEase, and the auction itself is held online through GovEase.

Foreclosure sales

Clay County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff's Property Sales. Notices of court-ordered sheriff's sales of real estate are posted free on the Sheriff's property sales page.

Parcel maps

Clay County Maps and GIS. The county's free GIS Hub and the Assessor's Parcel Search show parcel maps and data.

How property is sold here

Clay County follows Missouri's rules, with its own calendar and offices. Read the Missouri guide for how the state works.

Tax sales

Missouri tax sales in Clay County sell a certificate of purchase, which works like a lien: the owner can redeem, and if not, the buyer can later claim a Collector's Deed after doing the due diligence the Collector approves. The Clay County Collector holds the sale once a year on the fourth Monday of August at 10:00 a.m., online at GovEase (August 24 in 2026), with the list posted on the Collector's site and GovEase and printed in the Liberty Courier Tribune in late July. Parcels that do not sell after the third offering are posted for over-the-counter purchase in September.

Foreclosure sales

Most Missouri mortgage foreclosures are trustee sales held outside court at the county courthouse after notice in a local newspaper. Court-ordered sheriff's sales in Clay County are held at the north front door of the Clay County Courthouse, 11 S. Water Street in Liberty, and the notices are posted on the Sheriff's property sales page.

Assessed values

The Clay County Assessor revalues all real estate as of January 1 of each odd-numbered year and mails a Change of Value Notice when a property's value goes up.

Transfer tax

Missouri has no real estate transfer tax, and Kansas City and Clay County do not add one.

Land bank

The Clay County Land Trustee bids on tax-delinquent parcels at the Collector's tax sale and will consider reasonable offers on the parcels it holds.

Worth knowing

Clay County covers the eastern part of Kansas City's Northland, north of the Missouri River, along with Liberty, Gladstone and other suburbs; most of Kansas City is in Jackson County.

Worth knowing

Bidders must file a notarized, original Tax Sale Affidavit with the Collector's office in Liberty before the sale, and the Collector will not accept due diligence done by Title Bridge.

Worth knowing

Overbid money from a tax sale is held in trust; lienholders and the homeowner have 90 days after a Collector's Deed is claimed to apply for it.

Every town in Clay County

The cities, towns and townships inside the county line.

Avondale city
Birmingham village
Claycomo village
Excelsior Estates village
Excelsior Springs city
Gladstone city
Glenaire city
Holt city
Kansas City city
Kearney city
Lawson city
Liberty city
Missouri City city
Mosby city
North Kansas City city
Oaks village
Oakview village
Oakwood Park village
Oakwood village
Pleasant Valley city
Prathersville village
Randolph village
Smithville city

Questions

Where are deeds recorded in Clay County?

Deeds are recorded by the Clay County Recorder of Deeds in Liberty. Records can be searched online through the Recorder's iCounty system after you register.

When is the Clay County tax sale?

The Clay County Collector holds the tax sale once a year on the fourth Monday of August at 10:00 a.m., online through GovEase. The list comes out in late July.

How do I find who owns a property in Clay County?

Use the Clay County Assessor's free Parcel Search, which shows the owner, value and deed details for each parcel.

Are Clay County property records online?

Yes. Owner and value data, parcel maps, tax sale lists and sheriff's sale notices are free online, and recorded documents can be searched free after registering, with copies for a fee.

Sources for this guide

Office hours, fees and sale dates change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.

Every parcel in Clay County, on one map

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