In order to help you better navigate the bidding and buying process in Copart Canada auctions, we have compiled some of the most frequently asked questions about participating in Copart auctions.

What is Copart?

Copart is an online vehicle auction that offers bidding and buying participation to Copart Members only. Copart is NOT an automotive retailer; Copart is an auction company that often does not own the items being sold. Rather, Copart acts as a marketplace. Copart conducts its auctions where every vehicle (lot) offered is available “as-is”.  As a result, Copart and its Sellers offer no warranty or guarantee of the lot’s history, use, condition or mechanical fitness.

How do I start bidding and buying in Copart auctions?

In order to start bidding and buying in Copart auctions, you must become either a Copart Basic or Premier Member.

To register for a Copart Membership, please complete the three-step registration form. Within minutes of starting the registration process, you will be sent a confirmation email containing your login information and password. Please continue through step 2 of the registration process then set your password.  After setting your password, you may sign into your account from any page of Copart.ca. You can access the Sign In page by clicking the header button at the top of the screen. 

Step two and three of the registration process will allow you to choose your membership and submit your government-issued photo ID and any business licenses you have. At a minimum, a valid government-issued ID must be on file before you can bid. Please allow up to three business days for any uploaded files to be processed and verified. 

Members who only complete the first step of the registration process will be considered Guest Members and can search vehicles and create a Watchlist – but will have no ability to bid or buy.

If you’re a Registered Guest who wants to upgrade your membership to Basic or Premier, please visit “Complete Registration” in the Account Information section to upgrade.

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I have a Premier membership. Why does it say I’m not eligible to bid on certain vehicles?

Despite your membership status, it’s recommended you review provincial licensing rules and regulations to make sure you have the correct documentation before you bid. Each province has different licensing laws. For example, if you were interested in purchasing a vehicle in Ontario, Ontario’s licensing laws state that you need either a business license or the assistance of a Broker in order to place your bid.

View Licensing Restrictions >>

I bought from a Copart Location in Alberta. Why don’t I have a title?

Alberta is one of few jurisdictions where motor vehicles are not sold with titles but are instead sold under a bill of sale. Additionally, motor vehicles do not need to be registered following sale; they can be sold more than once without the need to register at the DMV. As a buyer you need to be aware that a title will not automatically be provided with a vehicle sold in Alberta, but that one can be obtained from Ontario for a fee if you have an Ontario RIN. Buyers need to understand their own provincial regulations when purchasing motor vehicles from Alberta to avoid issues around registration or selling.  Damage Appraisals are not required in Alberta and thus, would not be provided to buyers. 

Alberta Motor Vehicle Branding

Alberta has motor vehicle branding that can be used to describe the status for potential registration or repair. These are useful to assist when considering your bid and can be found at the top of the lot listing under ‘doc type’. In this section you can also check for the province the brand comes from, or the last province the vehicle was registered in.

Active – the vehicle can be registered.

Salvage – vehicles with this brand have typically been involved in an insurance claim and will need to be inspected and repaired prior to begin registered. Under some circumstances, stolen vehicles fall under this category.

Rebuilt – salvage vehicles move to rebuilt status following successful completion of a salvage inspection and can be registered

Non-repairable – vehicles with this brand cannot be registered; they are only sold as parts or for scrap. Under some circumstances, stolen vehicles fall under this category. Many jurisdictions will preserve a non-repairable branding from another jurisdiction. Check with your local DMV to understand the rules that apply in your area.

Is there a Copart location near me?

Copart Canada has 7 locations in Canada and is expanding every year. Internationally, we have locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

You can find a the Copart location nearest to you by visiting the Locations page on our website or by using the Copart Mobile App.

What is Buying Power, and how do I increase it?

Your Buying Power is the total dollar amount you may bid on a vehicle based on your Copart Membership type and current deposit on file.

Basic Members start with $1,200 CAD in Buying Power at the time of registration. To increase your buying power as a Basic Member, a deposit of at least 10% of the bid amount must be made. For example, a $2,000 CAD bid requires a $200 CAD deposit. To get more buying power without additional deposits, a Premier Membership is the best choice for most Copart Members. Premier Members have buying power of up to $100,000 daily and all that’s required is an initial registration fee and a one-time, fully refundable deposit.

How do I bid in Copart online auctions?

Types of bidding on Copart.ca:

Preliminary Bidding – Once the vehicle is listed on our website, Copart Basic and Premier Members can place preliminary bids (pre-bids) on vehicles. Pre-bids can be the winning bid if there is no other bidder that submits a higher bid during the pre-bid phase or live auction. If there is a tie between pre-bid and live bid amounts, the live bid will win as the highest bidder on the item.

Live Bidding – Bidders can place bids live during one of Copart’s virtual auctions. If your bid is the highest when the countdown time stops, you win the sale of the vehicle (pending any approvals needed).

Buy It Now – Members who are looking to make an immediate purchase can utilize the Buy It Now feature on certain Copart vehicles. Members may purchase Buy It Now vehicles for the predetermined price listed on the vehicle’s Lot Details page.

Make an Offer – Certain vehicles are offered for sale with the “Make an Offer” feature. Make an Offer allows a Member to make an offer for a vehicle. Offers submitted by clicking the Make an Offer button cannot be retracted and are valid for 2 business days (not including the day the offer is made) regardless of auction date or results.

I won a lot in auction, but the sale hasn’t been approved? What now?

When bidding on vehicles it’s important to note the Sales Status of each vehicle.

Sales statuses are as follows:

Pure Sale – This status means that there is no minimum bid or reserve placed by the Seller. The lot will be awarded to the highest at the end of the virtual auction.

On Approval – This status means that the Seller has opted to have the ability to approve the final high bid amount that was achieved in the virtual auction. The Seller has until 6:00pm PST of the business day following the auction to approve the bid amount. The highest bidder is held to their bid if the Seller approves their bid within the approval time frame.

Minimum Bid – This status is given when the Seller has placed a reserve amount on the lot. If the minimum amount is not met during the live auction the Seller has until 6:00pm PST of the business day following the auction to accept the bid.

Counter Bid – A Counter Bid refers to a bid that a Seller makes to counter the highest bidder’s offer. Counter bids are submitted after the auction for vehicles that have been designated by the Seller as Minimum to Bid or Bid to Be Approved. Members acknowledge and agree that regardless of whether a counter bid is made by the Seller, Members’ high bids on these vehicles shall remain open to acceptance by the Seller until 6 p.m. PST of the following business day (following the day of the auction).

Can I buy or strip parts from a Copart vehicle?

Copart Canada does not sell individual parts for vehicles, only whole vehicles as-is. However, many Copart Members find the parts for their project cars by bidding on vehicles in Copart auctions.

How do I pay for a vehicle and schedule pickup after I’ve won?

Copart Canada offers several payment options for you to choose from including e-transfer, wire transfer, payment through online banking and more! Please visit Copart.ca/Payments for more information.

Can I ship my vehicle internationally?

We do not offer any international shipping. We recommend exploring third-party shipping options before bidding.

Please note Copart is not responsible for a vehicle’s condition once it leaves a Copart location.

Do I just pay what I bid or are there other fees attached?

You’re able to see exactly how much in additional fees you owe by calculating them manually via the table on our Member Fees page.

Can I drive my vehicle directly off the lot?

No. The vehicle will also not be registered or inspected, so we cannot advise that anyone attempt to drive a vehicle from the location. However, once Copart has delivered the vehicle to the loading zone, it is the Buyer’s responsibility. Even if a vehicle is run and drive verified, there may be other damage, and it may not be roadworthy.

When and where are the auctions?

Copart auctions are 100% online and take place Monday through Friday. These auctions can be viewed via the Auctions tab or by going to the Member Dashboard once logged in. You can also join Copart auction on the Copart Mobile app by selecting “Today’s Auctions”. This option will allow you to see live auctions and upcoming auctions for that day.

Each location’s auction is scheduled to run on a certain day of the week at a specific time. You can check when your favourite auctions are set to take place by viewing the Auctions Calendar, which shows all of the auctions scheduled in the next few weeks (please note: auctions may not appear until a minimum number of vehicles have been allocated to that date).