Salvage Car Auctions for International Buyers | 2026

February 4, 2025 at 9:38 AM

Copart alone lists more than 400,000 vehicles on its site, and any of them can be bid on from abroad in a few clicks. Winning the lot is the easy part: the car only leaves the US once the title and the export filing have been in front of US Customs for 72 hours, so we think every international buyer should plan the paperwork before the bid, not after it.

By the Numbers

72 hours: the minimum time US Customs needs the title and the vehicle before export by vessel or aircraft (19 CFR 192.2).
2 copies: the original title or a certified copy, plus two complete copies, go to Customs. A Salvage Title that remains in force qualifies.
$0 threshold: export filing through AES is required for every used vehicle regardless of value (15 CFR 30.2), with civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation (CBP).
Klaipeda, Lithuania: New Jersey $900, 35 days · Texas $1,150, 27 days · California $1,550, 51 days, by container (our rates table, October 24 2026).
Jebel Ali, UAE: New Jersey $1,350, 65-70 days · California $1,775, 65-70 days · Texas $4,850, 34 days, by container (same table).

What a Salvage Auction Actually Sells

A salvage auction sells cars an insurer has written off, plus cars with theft recovery, flood and hail histories. The title brand comes from the state that issued it, not from the auction, and it follows the car overseas: the export papers and your home registration office will both read it.

Our view: the title brand matters more than the damage photos. A bent fender is a repair quote. A title your country refuses to register is a car you cannot drive at home, however cheap it was.

Why Buy at a US Salvage Auction

Volume and selection. A buyer in Vilnius, Tbilisi or Dubai can choose from hundreds of thousands of US lots in one evening, read the condition report and the title type on each, and bid without travelling. That is the whole case, and it is a strong one for anyone who already has a repair shop and a market at home.

What it is not is a sure discount. The hammer price is only one line: auction fees, inland transport to a port, ocean freight, duty and taxes at home and the repair itself all sit on top. We would price every one of those lines before placing a bid, starting with the freight in the calculator.

How International Buyers Bid and Pay

Each auction runs its own rules, so read the buyer requirements on the lot page before you bid. The steps are the same everywhere:

Register. Expect to upload a passport or ID, and a business license if you buy as a company. Some lots are open only to licensed buyers; the lot page says which.
Bid within a budget that includes freight. Set the maximum from the landed cost at home, not from the car's US value.
Pay on the auction's deadline. Late payment and storage fees are set by each auction; read them in your buyer terms.
Get the title in hand. We would not book a ship until the original title, or a certified copy, has arrived. The 72-hour Customs clock only starts once it is presented.
Send us the pickup details. Lot number, yard address and gate pass. We pick the car up from the yard and ship door to door.

The Auctions International Buyers Use

Copart

One of the two big US insurance auctions, with sites in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Ireland, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Brazil. Its US site lists more than 400,000 vehicles, from cars and motorcycles to trucks and equipment.

IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions)

The other major insurance auction, with online bidding open to buyers outside the US. We compare the two side by side in our Copart vs IAA guide.

Dealer auctions and marketplaces

Manheim and eBay Motors also list damaged and salvage title cars. Manheim sells to registered dealers, so an overseas buyer bids through one. On eBay Motors you buy from individual sellers, so the title check is on you.

Our take: for most international buyers Copart or IAA is the simpler route, because the yard, the gate pass and the title process are the same for every lot.

Exporting a Salvage Car: What US Customs Needs

A salvage title car exports the same way as any used car. Under 19 CFR 192.2 the exporter presents the vehicle and its ownership document to US Customs at the port of export:

US title: the original Certificate of Title or Salvage Title that remains in force, or a certified copy, plus two complete copies.
Junk or scrap certificate: the original or a certified copy, plus two complete copies.
Foreign ownership document: the original with an English translation, plus two copies of each.

The documents and the car must be with Customs at least 72 hours before export by vessel or aircraft. The export data must also be filed in the Automated Export System (AES) for every used vehicle, regardless of value, with the Internal Transaction Number (ITN) given to Customs at least 72 hours before export (15 CFR 30.4). CBP lists civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation for missing or late filings. Our own team loads every car and handles every document, so the 72 hours run while the car sits in our warehouse, not at the port.

Shipping a Salvage Car Overseas

We collect auction cars from the yard into our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, covering all of the US for imports and exports. Non-running cars go by container; we ship by ocean, and by air when the timeline needs it. Freight to two of the most common salvage markets, from our rates table on October 24 2026:

Klaipeda, Lithuania: New Jersey $900, 35 days · Texas $1,150, 27 days · California $1,550, 51 days
Jebel Ali, UAE: New Jersey $1,350, 65-70 days · California $1,775, 65-70 days · Texas $4,850, 34 days
Poti, Georgia (container with 4 cars): Florida $2,950, 33-44 days · New Jersey $3,200, 35-42 days · California $5,800, 70 days

Our advice: pick the lot near the port that serves your market. A car bought in New Jersey for Klaipeda pays $900 by sea; the same car bought in California pays $1,550 and waits 16 days longer.

Check Your Own Country First

Some countries refuse salvage titles outright, others accept them with an inspection or a valuation rule at customs. Read the rules for your market before you bid, then price the landed cost in our shipping calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can international buyers bid at US salvage auctions?

Yes. Copart and IAA both run online bidding open to buyers outside the US. Registration asks for identification, a business license for company buyers, and some lots are limited to licensed buyers.

Can a car with a salvage title be exported from the US?

Yes. US Customs accepts a Salvage Title that remains in force as the ownership document under 19 CFR 192.2, together with two complete copies.

How long before shipping does Customs need the documents?

At least 72 hours before export by vessel or aircraft, for both the ownership documents and the AES filing citation (ITN).

Is an AES filing needed for a low-value salvage car?

Yes. Export information must be filed in AES for every used self-propelled vehicle regardless of value (15 CFR 30.2).

How much does it cost to ship a salvage car overseas?

It depends on the lane. On our rates table on October 24 2026, a container from New Jersey to Klaipeda, Lithuania is $900 with 35 days in transit, and New Jersey to Jebel Ali, UAE is $1,350 with 65-70 days. The calculator prices other ports.

More Salvage Car Guides

Conclusion

A US salvage auction gives an overseas buyer the widest choice of damaged cars anywhere, but the car is only yours at home once the title, the AES filing and the freight line up. Price the landed cost, bid on a title your country registers, and leave 72 hours for Customs. Bought a car at Copart, IAA or an auction overseas? Tell us where it sits and where it is going, and we will ship it door to door.

It's your dream car. Let's bring her home.

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