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Commissioner of State Lands

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Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm
Address: 500 Woodlane Street, Suite 109, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone: 501-324-9422
Fax: 501-682-1996
Email: land@cosl.org

About

Commissioner of State Lands

Arkansas's current Land Commissioner is Tommy Land. Elected in the 2018 election, Commissioner Land was sworn-in in January 2019 and holds a four-year term. The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands office is primarily tasked with the disposition of tax delinquent property in the state, among other duties provided in the Arkansas Constitution. Click the links below to learn more about services offered by each division.

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Commissioner of State Lands

Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands, Tommy Land, in a suit in front of the Capitol of Arkansas
Tommy Land

Tommy Land and his family moved to Heber Springs during his teenage years. He graduated from Heber Springs High School and soon after married his wife, Judy, in 1977. They raised their two children on a small family cattle farm during his 30-year career with Southwestern Bell (now AT&T).

After retiring in 2004, Tommy established Heber Springs Communications, a small telecommunications business. In 2018, he was elected to his first term in office. Commissioner Land now devotes his full attention to his duties as Commissioner of State Lands.

“I have been involved in serving people in different ways most of my adult life, and the Commissioner of State Lands office serves the people of Arkansas,” Commissioner Land said. “I can think of no greater honor than serving the citizens of Arkansas and giving back to a place that has given my family so much.”

As Commissioner of State Lands, he is chair of the Arkansas Natural Resources Committee, a member of the National Association of State Trust Lands, and the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council. His staff of forty takes pride in hard work and attention to detail.

Offices / Divisions

Featured Services

Frequently Asked Questions

We conduct public auctions of lands that were forfeited to the state for non-payment of real property taxes. They are held once a year in the county where the property is located or in a contiguous county.
The Commissioner of State Lands publishes a legal notice in the county newspaper prior to the sale. Parcel information for upcoming the auctions is also available on the COSL website, www.cosl.org, under Public Auction Catalog. This information is updated daily.
You should contact the county assessor.
Anyone may redeem property. Redemption does not change ownership; it simply makes the taxes current.
The state executes a Limited Warranty Deed, which conveys whatever interest the state has in the property to the purchaser.
Deeds cannot be issued until after all checks have cleared.
The full purchase price must be paid the day of the auction. Payment may be made by personal check, cashier’s check or money order, or credit/debit card if WiFi service is available at the auction location. Cash is not accepted for parcels sold through the Commissioner of State Lands Office.
It is recommended that no significant improvements be made to the property prior to the expiration of the 90 day litigation period.
In the event a sale or deed is canceled by the Commissioner or a judge, the purchaser is entitled to a full refund (no interest accruing) of all monies paid to the state for the purchase of the property. Credit card fees are not refundable. In addition, all taxes, penalties, interest and costs due on the property must be paid by the party challenging the tax sale or deed.
Tax delinquent mineral interests may be redeemed at any time. In some limited situations, the mineral rights may be purchased from the Commissioner of State Lands.
These parcels will be available after 30 days through the Post Auction Sales list. Prospective buyers may bid on these parcels through the online auction available on this website auction.cosl.org
Probably yes. All potential purchasers should research the property records maintained by the county tax assessor, tax collector and circuit clerk in order to determine if additional fees are owed on the property.
Anyone may redeem the parcel at any time after it is certified to the Commissioner of State Lands, until 4 p.m. the last business day prior to the sale date. Sales are final. Parcels cannot be redeemed on the sale date or thereafter.
Yes, cash is accepted for redemptions only, in our office at 1020 W. Fourth Street in Little Rock. Please do not mail cash. Parcels must be redeemed no later than 4 p.m. the last business day prior to the sale date. This means we must have the full redemption payment and petition to redeem in hand at that time. Postmarks are not accepted. Redemptions made in the last 30 days before the sale date must be paid in certified funds, such as cash, cashier’s check or money order, or they can be redeemed online.

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